Six ways to love your forever home
The difference between a house and a home isn’t always clear. Sure, they both have four walls, a roof, and some random room or space that you haven’t figured out how to use yet. But the biggest difference between the two is that a house is just a structure, but a home is a place to make memories, raise a family, a place where you’ve really planted roots. A place that feels like home. Put simply, the vibes must be right.
Here are six things you can start doing to love your forever home.
Organize
There are a thousand ways to organize. You can take the Marie Kondo method of removing that which doesn’t spark joy. Or take a more day-by-day approach by doing small bits of organizing between childcare, work and errands. Whichever you choose, your home will benefit from it.
An organized home is easier to navigate. But more than that, organized homes look and feel bigger. Offering you more room to bring your dream home to life. Which leads to the next point.
Personalize
This is especially true for a first-time homeowner or homeowner recovering from a big move. Personalizing your home with art, decor and scents that are to your liking is one of the best ways to love your forever home.
Imagine this: You’ve been out of town for a week. You’ve logged at least a dozen hours of travel time. It feels like you haven’t slept since you left, and by the time you finally make it home, it’s after midnight, and you can barely keep your eyes open.
And then you open your front door.
You see your favorite display piece. Your couch is comfortable and waiting for you. And maybe. Just maybe, your pet comes barreling down the stairs, excited to see you instead of the person you asked to pet sit while you were gone. By the time you sink into your bed, music playing faintly, temperature perfect, all your complaints about travel melt into a beautiful dream, giving way to a full night's sleep.
That’s the draw of personalizing your homes. That feeling of complete safety and relaxation when you walk through the door. You want to be there.
Bedding
OK, technically, this is a bit of personalization. But it’s not a leap in logic to say that having a quality mattress leads to a good night's sleep. Imagine the best mattress you ever slept on. It probably felt like that mattress was made just for you. Now imagine having that in the comfort of your forever home.
Oh, and a special mention for soft, cozy bedsheets too.
Appreciate it
We’ll state the obvious. Not everyone has their name on a mortgage. When the time comes that homeownership is stressful (like when you know you need a costly repair), it can help keep things in perspective to be appreciative of being a homeowner.
Upgrade appliances
Upgrading appliances can really improve your day-to-day life. Common upgrades include size (looking at you, washer/dryer), better quality (coffee maker, stove, etc.), or just for additional benefits (hello smart fridge!). The right appliance can last a lifetime. Which means there’s a good chance you’ll get more than your money’s worth out of them. If appliance upgrades are a little outside your budget, a home equity line of credit might just close the gap.
Preventive maintenance
Preventative maintenance saves you time, money, and energy. It’s kind of like how getting your car oil changed regularly is cheaper than buying a whole new car. Every homeowner should complete a list of interior and exterior checks including pest and insect inspections, roof inspections, A/C inspections, etc.
If possible, homeowners should have an account that’s just for maintenance and home repairs. If there’s ever a need for an emergency repair, a dedicated house expense account comes in handy. Check out our home equity line of credit if you prefer to leverage your home’s value for repairs and renovations.
Homeownership is a huge step. And it requires a proactive approach to make the most of it. Curious if you’re ready for your first home?
Speak with our mortgage lenders today.
