The deal is closed and you’ve got the keys in hand – congratulations! The next step is to make your new house feel like a home.
A new build is convenient, up-to-date, and squeaky clean. It doesn’t have to lack character, and there are lots of easy ways to quickly give your newly constructed home a lived-in feel.
Landscape the Yard
Digging in the dirt of your new home’s front or backyard is a great way to beautify and connect with the property. Plant some fresh flowerbeds, shrubs and herbs to personalize the area while making your home more inviting.
If you don’t have a green thumb, keep it simple with some large potted plants at the front door or on the back porch. Add some patio furniture and you’re well on your way to creating an outdoor social space.
Display Personal Photos and Art
Instantly add a touch of love to any room by hanging personal photos and artwork on the walls. The family portraits in the hallway will make you smile, while a favorite quote or piece of artwork lets you express yourself in a newly built home.
Better yet, make a focal feature out of a family heirloom or vintage piece of furniture.
Customize Small Features
It might be overwhelming to decorate the whole house at once. The good news is a little goes a long way when it comes to customizing your new home. Switch out off-the-shelf features for custom fixtures, shutters, blinds, lighting, cabinets, or doors for a statement-making upgrade.
You can also play around with different finishes. Professional property stylist and home stager Karen Gray-Plaisted of Design Solutions KGP suggests millwork-like crown molding, coffered ceilings, wainscoting, or shiplap to warm the feeling of a room.
Add Color and Texture
Often, a new home will be decked out in neutral colors like white, beige or gray. To make your mark both literally and figuratively, paint a wall or two with a bold and inviting color. For a more subtle treatment, use an accent color to brighten up a door, window frame or molding.
Bright or patterned cushions, rugs, bedspreads, throws and curtains can transform even the starkest of rooms into a warm and cozy haven while going easy on your wallet.
Bless the Home
For a spiritual approach, urban shaman Donna Henes suggests infusing positive energy into your home with a blessing and cleansing ceremony. House blessings are a global tradition as old as homes themselves, intended to sanctify, repel negative energy, and make the space ripe for love, luck and abundance.
If the idea of a house blessing is too “out there” for you, why not go for an old-fashioned house warming party? Sharing the space with friends is a perfect way to invite good will and positivity into your home.
Rebecca Rosenberg is a freelance copywriter, digital media strategist and world traveler. After working in marketing for some of Austin’s most beloved brands, Rebecca started her own business and left Texas behind to travel the world. You can find her currently bumming around Europe. Often flying solo, she has visited over 35 countries and lived abroad in four. In addition to being a digital nomad, Rebecca is an avid hiker, design enthusiast and certified plant nerd. She speaks English, Spanish, German and Korean.
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