Making it yours: turning a house into a home

Making a house yours is the fun and exciting part of buying your property once the buying process is finally complete. 

With this in mind, here we have compiled just a few tips for helping you make your house your home. Happy reading!

They say that ‘home is where the heart is' and we couldn't agree more! Your home is where you spend most of your time and a place where you should feel totally at ease and safe from the rest of the world. So, you want your home exactly to your liking. 

Therefore, when turning your house into a home, being organised from the outset plays an essential role. This starts as soon as you move into your new house, with tasks such as unpacking and arranging furniture.

Making your house your home will not happen overnight, and requires patience and plenty of planning. Some key planning elements are:

• deciding on your budget
• not rushing the process and taking time to breathe
• understanding what you want the final picture of your home to look like

Before you start filling your home with your things, it pays to get a clear idea of what space you have and what it can provide. You want to ensure that each room is comfortable and functional. 

A way to make sure that you use the space in your property well is to re-jig the floor plan. The way that the space has been used is not necessarily the way you may wish to continue using it when making the house your home. Your use of space will flow from you and the way you plan to live in your home. For example, you may decide:

• a large open-plan kitchen/diner is not needed for your home and instead part of the room could act as a utility room 
• you plan to work from home so may want office space
• that as a keep-fit fanatic, investing in space for gym equipment may be a priority

Another important factor in terms of space is to get rid of clutter. Clutter can cause stress, especially if you have a lot of clutter or it comprises lots of paperwork and documents. Piles of paperwork may be calling out to you to see them and organise them.

Clutter can of course be solved by good storage facilities, which is another key thing to think about when turning a house into your home.

An obvious key to turning a house into your home is giving it that personal touch.  After all, it is your home so it should resemble you and your tastes. 

There are different ways you can give your home a personal touch such as through:

• the decoration - you may choose puzzle art such as cutting up personal photos and making them into puzzles
• using your space to your liking where you may ensure a hosting space if you are a social person
• a minimalist look 
• ensuring a well-stocked kitchen for your love of baking
• investing in a large-screen TV and a cosy settee if your favourite hobby is watching movies filling your home with personal photos, showcasing your fondest memories

In addition to making your home personal, you can go one step further and express yourself through your home. Turning your house into a home can include expressing your values and preferences. 

You may decide to make your house into your home by creating ample bookshelves or even using a room as a library if you're a passionate bookworm. When others walk into your home they will understand your love of reading.

Perhaps you may choose to express yourself in your home through your choice of wallpaper. Wallpaper ranges in terms of colour and textures and doesn't have to be the same in all rooms or even in the same room. You can use this to create drama in your room and if used on your ceiling, depth.

And if you are a house proud homeowner, a vase of flowers in your home will always express this.

Lighting has a powerful effect on making your house into your home.  Some people like natural light, others soft lighting and some people need light to be bright and practical.

However, varying the lighting around your home can help your house feel like a home and create a warm atmosphere. Table and desk lamps can create this warmth and floor lamps are perfect next to a reading chair.

Accessorising your home provides further internal decor ideas for your property. Everyone has their own ideas on how to accessorise and the accessories they prefer. For example, you may be thinking about:

• a stunning wall print
• the use of pillows and throws for finishing touches
• a fancy luxurious rug or layering different rugs together
• filling your home with greenery for a fresh and natural look
• using materials such as wood, rocks and shells choosing sentimental objects such as scented candles

When making your new house into a home, you may consider a renovation, extension or a conversion to create more space, or simply make better use of the space you already have. There could be a host of potential options for your house such as, for example:

• loft conversion
• basement conversion
• single-story extension 
• double storey extension

There are some points to consider if you are thinking about renovation, conversion or extensions such as:

• keeping to the original architecture particularly if your house has period features
• adhering to building regulations
• that you may be to get in touch with Building Control if the changes involve for example a structural wall or affect services such as gas, electric or water.
• any need for planning permission

When you buy a house for your new home, the process is called conveyancing. You typically exchange property between you and another party. However, the conveyancing process can be lengthy and involves many legal tasks, so you must have a conveyancing solicitor to help you buy your home. This is where Homeward Legal can help.  Our solicitors are all regulated by the relevant bodies, both for legal services and conveyancing services. They have extensive experience in helping people like you buy a home.

Homeward Legal can look after all your residential conveyancing needs so if you need help, you are in the right place. When you buy a house to make it your home, we appreciate how important it is to get everything right. We also understand that you will want everything completed as fast as possible so you can start enjoying your new home and at Homeward Legal we get all parties involved working quickly together. However, all the necessary steps must be completed fully and accurately so that your new house becomes your home without any issues later arising. At Homeward Legal we will get it right and of course as speedily as we can.  So you can sit back while we do the hard work and you can start to imagine tuning your house into your home.

If you are buying a house to make into a home, contact us today at or you can start your conveyancing through our fast quote online tool.

At Homeward Legal, we can help you with more than buying a house as we can assist you with all your conveyancing needs. Our mission is to make buying your property efficient and fast but at a low cost to you. We pride ourselves on having highly experienced property solicitors throughout England and Wales. All of whom are capable and ready to help you with your property transaction needs.

Let Homeward Legal help you with all your conveyancing. Call today. Or for an online quote click here.

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