[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Moving into a new house is exciting at first, but it doesn’t take long until you are just ready for you and your family to feel settled, finally. But like all good things, settling in takes time. You can help speed up the process a bit with these easy tips that help you quickly settle into your new home. 

Get Back on Schedule

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In the same vein of “fake it until you make it,” getting back on your normal schedule as soon as possible will help your new place feel normal as well. Make sure kids go to bed and wake up at their designated bedtimes and recommence doing your household duties when you always did at the old place.

If you don’t have a fast-and-tight schedule, plan a few local activities you can pursue over the coming weeks. Having a time commitment will keep you up and out instead of mulling around your place wondering what to do next. Visit a new museum, hike in city parks or attend a local festival to help get in the swing of things. 

Tap Into the Power of Scent

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Smell is the sense most closely related to our memories and emotions. Using the power of scent, you can trick yourself into feeling at home in your new place. A good place to start is a deep cleaning. Getting rid of dust and grime leaves the house feeling and smelling fresh with faint notes of your favorite cleaning products. 

Other ways you can scent up the home: 

• Did your place come with that new-paint-smell? Get rid of it by placing a bucket of water in the middle of the painted room to help absorb fumes. You can also neutralize fumes by using vinegar in the bucket, cutting an onion, or by burning a candle.
• Wash linens and dry them with wool dryer balls scented with essential oils. The scents of these oils last way longer than any store bought laundry product plus you can mix and match based on your preferences. The wool balls also reduce static, cut down on drying time and increase fluffiness in your linens.
• Cook your family’s favorite meal. There’s no better way to conjure up memory-stoking aromas. Bake a loaf of bread, roast a chicken with rosemary, or whip up a dozen chocolate chip cookies to make your house smell great with food.

Start Planning Personalization and Renovations

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One easy way to make a place feel like home is through customizing it. As soon as you start personalizing your decor and making the place look like you want it, it will feel more like yours overall. Go ahead and unpack the things from your old house that you want to keep and start placing them where you think they go best. Decorate your walls with family photos, diplomas, and other personal treasures you love seeing everyday. Hang up curtains, put books on shelves, and set up your entertainment center.  You can also swatch paint colors and start perusing local shops for cool new home accents to make it more your own as time goes on.

This is also a great time to start thinking about the renovations you want to make around the house. If you’re not super experienced with this, consider hiring a general contractor that can help with maintenance and renovation projects. The average price to renovate or repair a home in Dallas, Texas, runs from $4,425 to $20,500, so starting your planning early gives you time to make room in your budget. 

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Once the excitement of moving wears off, it’s likely you just want to feel settled at home. While these things can take time, you can expedite the process by getting back on your normal schedule as quick as possible. Trick your brain into thinking it’s home by filling the place with scents that stoke feelings of home and nostalgia. Finally, make the place feel like your own by personalizing it and starting your plans for future renovations. 

Thanks so much to our Guest Author, Natalie Jones, for this great post.  She writes for her new website called HomeownerBliss!  Go check it out and tell Natalie we sent you![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]