How to make a house feel like a home according to Leeds estate agents Manning Stainton

Moving into a new home is a hugely exciting time, but when you finally get the keys and walk into your new house, it can often feel a bit strange. None of your furniture is where it should be, there are bare walls everywhere and piles of boxes to unpack.

Although it usually takes a few weeks to sort everything out and really make your new house feel like yours, there are some simple ways to make your new abode feel like home the day you move in.

Here are my top tips:

Pack a box of essentials

Make sure you pack a box of essentials that you might need as soon as you move in. Include toilet roll, a selection of cups, plates and cutlery, a couple of hand and dish towels, your kettle, some bin bags, a small toolkit, scissors and some lightbulbs. And don’t forget teabags, milk and coffee.

They’re all little things, but having them to hand will mean you can make a drink, go to the loo and put lights on as soon as you move in, helping to make you feel more settled straight away.

Give it a good clean & get your locks changed

Although most sellers leave their house lovely and clean before they leave, giving it a good once over yourself will really help it to feel more like your home. Just remember to take your cleaning products with you, rather than putting them in the removal van with everything else.

And arrange to have your locks changed the day you move in. It’ll help make the property secure and you’ll feel safer.

Beds and sofas

Having somewhere to sit, and a comfortable place to sleep will help to make your new house feel more homely straight away.

Get your sofas into the living room as soon as they arrive, and quickly dress them with a few cushions and throws to make the room feel homely. Then get your beds set up and your bedding on, so that you all have somewhere comfortable to sleep after all the excitement of moving day.

Just these key pieces of furniture will make such a difference to the feel of the house and help you feel more comfortable.

Don’t forget curtains

Having some privacy on the first night in your new place is really important.

Nobody wants their new neighbours staring in to find out who the new arrivals are! Plus, hanging curtains helps to really soften the look of bare rooms.

I always advise my buyers to try to measure up their new living and bedroom windows before they move in, and to buy or bring curtains from their old place that will fit the new windows.

Even if they’re just a temporary fix, they’ll make your new home feel much cosier until you get permanent ones.

They’ll also block out the light on your first few mornings there, particularly important if you have kids and don’t want early wakeup calls from them.

Add a few home comforts

Try to put up a few pieces of artwork and some of your favourite pictures straight away to make your new house feel more like home.

Nothing has to stay where you put it permanently, but it’s worth doing to make your new place look less bare while you unpack the rest of your things and decide where everything should go.

Order a takeaway, sit back and relax

As most of your kitchen stuff and your dining table will still be packed away, order a takeaway to enjoy from your sofa the first night you move in.

And crack open a bottle of bubbly to toast your new home.

Enjoying a meal cooked by someone else, as well as a glass of fizz, will help create a lovely first memory in your new home, hopefully the first of many!

Matthew Pank, is the manager of Manning Stainton’s Guiseley branch, in The Green, Leeds Road.