The thing I was most excited for this year was to move into our first house. There were many nights that I couldn’t sleep because I was too excited about our house. There was so much excitement and anticipation that went into the process of building a home. It was a very fun time of life to have. It was also a great time to teach us patience as we waited for finishing touches to be put on the house.
The day we moved into our house was probably one of the most stressful days of the year for me. I was so stressed about going to close on our house I actually gagged (fun fact about me, when I get nervous my stomach REALLY acts up). We still had some boxes left to pack, and we had to clean our townhome. There was a lot on my mind that got in the way of the excitement I was expecting to feel on the day we were to close and move into our first house. That lack of excitement made me feel a bit disappointed in myself for letting my stress get in the way of my joy.
The move went pretty smoothly despite my stress. But I was again disappointed when we had been in our house for a week and it still wasn’t feeling like home. Every box had been unpacked, the place was clean, but something was still off. I was starting to get sad and wonder if buying a house was the right decision. Was I experiencing buyers remorse? Was I still stressed about the move and disappointed that it wasn’t a more fun and exciting experience? I had no idea what was going on. I really thought the minute we moved into our home everything was going to be smooth sailing.
It Takes Time…and Decorations
What finally made our house feel more like a home was time. Time and actually putting decorations up in our house. We don’t have a lot of decor to fill the house since it is significantly bigger than our last place, but we put up what we had. I know it sounds silly that all it took was some decor and a little time to adjust, but its true. Decorating our house helped us personalize it more and put our stamp on the place. It makes it feel more like home.
Children Need to Feel at Home Too
What also made our house feel more like home was seeing how much our girls feel at home here. It took time for them to adjust to the house. The first morning my three-year-old came into our room so grumpy and crying. Then our one-year-old was mad for the first two days in our house. She wanted to be carried everywhere and would cry if I had to put her down to do anything. The girls watched a lot more TV those first few days than I’d like to admit.
Finally, around day three they started warming up to our house more. Our one-year-old was starting to enjoy wandering through the house and having more room to play in. Our three-year-old was loving a bigger space to play, too. It made me feel better seeing my daughters feel more warmed up to the house. It also made me feel so full in my heart to see them start to love the house.
What Makes a House a Home for You?
I was clearly a bit naive moving into our first house and thinking it would feel like a home immediately. I am glad after living here for two weeks it is starting to feel more like a home. I was a bit worried we had made a mistake. This just goes to show that everything in life, even the big and exciting things, take time. It takes time to adjust to a new space, no matter how wonderful it is.
So let me know, how long does it take to make a place feel like home to you? What does it take to make your house finally start to feel like a home? Or are you someone who feels at home immediately? I’d love to know!
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