Are you unhappy with where you live? Don’t worry, you’re not alone in the way you feel. Sometimes we find that our homes aren’t quite up to scratch, and knowing you’re not really happy with what’s around you can be incredibly depressing. Sure, maybe you’ve made a few improvements here and there, but you’re still not happy with the way your home looks.
And that’s something we really need to think about here. What’s really causing you to feel so unhappy with your home? It could be the way it’s decorated, of course. But maybe it’s more to do with where you live, and/or the neighborhood you’re in? Or maybe you don’t have enough space, and you’re feeling packed in like sardines in a can?
Whatever it is that you don’t quite like about your home, it’s time to fix it. And that’s why we’ve put this post together. Here are our tips for making your house more of the dream home you’ve always wanted to live in.
Clear Your Outdoor Space
The first thing to tackle is your space outside. What’s going on out there, and is it harming the way you feel about your home? After all, if all you see when you look out a back facing window is a jungle or a dried out desert, you’re not going to be thrilled with your property! But now could be your chance to do something about it.
Hire a dumpster (if need be) and then load it up with all the trash you pull out of your garden and yard. Once it’s clear, you’ll feel a lot better about the space, and that’s even before you’ve done any gardening work in it. After all, now you’ll be able to see the true potential of the space and how you can make it a lovely place to be for afternoons with the kids and BBQs for your friends.
This is also a good time to invest in something like a pressure washer to clean up any patio or decking you’ve got out there. You can also use this washer to get grime build ups off of your exterior walls. As long as it’s clean, you can work with the space, and you’ve got a chance to make your home look more like what you’ve dreamed of.
Pack Away Your Interior Clutter
Now it’s time to move inside again! Sure, you’ve already made your home neat and tidy, but how much clutter is still left around? How many things are still all over the floor, or pushed together on your coffee table? There tends to be a minimum acceptable level of mess when it comes to our homes, and more often than not accumulated clutter goes over it!
Whip round with a garbage bag. Throw away anything you don’t need, like old letters and papers, and then put away anything you’re still using, such as kids toys. If you do have toys and crayons everywhere, you can even just get a box to stick in the corner for the kids to throw things into when they’re done. It’s contained and out of the way, and that’s better than leaving the mess there.
Get Rid of Furniture That Doesn’t Fit
Furniture that doesn’t fit has no place in your home. Even if it’s a vintage piece you got from your Grandmother, put it away somewhere or sell it for a bit of extra cash. This might sound a little harsh to say, but if you’ve got nowhere to put the heirloom, and you never use it, and you don’t even like it, it’s better out than in!
In terms of awesome home improvement advice, this is the most basic principle, but it’s also the most essential. You can’t work with a space that’s filled with things you don’t like – you’re simply not going to be motivated to spend time in there. So be ruthless here and throw out that old, ratty sofa and that sideboard that’s a little too dark oak for your liking.
As we said earlier, you can sell these pieces if they’re still in good condition. Or if that’s not possible, you can donate them to a charity store near you. Your much loved, sentimental item can go to a new home that’ll make much better use of it.
Come Up with a 5 Minute Tidy Routine
If the space around us is messy, so is the inside of our heads! That’s why doing a quick 5 minute spritz once a day can help you feel so much about your home. It’s quick enough that you can do it before running out the door, but the impact on your perception is still incredible.
Think about the things that bother you first thing in the morning. An unmade bed, for example, or dirty clothes not quite reaching the laundry basket in the bathroom. Why not time yourself on a spare morning when you’re not in a rush and see how long it takes to accomplish little tasks like these all over the house?
If an activity takes longer than 10 to 20 seconds to do, leave it until later. But if you just need to pull the duvet up and replump the pillow, and the clothes just need picking up and putting in the basket, get them done right now for the better! You’ll appreciate your home a lot more AND you won’t need to put in any real energy to make it look good.
Get Involved with Your Community More
Of course, all of the above tips are about the way your home looks, but what if you’re not quite happy with where you live? It’s time to see if that can be salvaged. You might just need to get out into your neighborhood and local community a bit more – there’s usually tons to do when it comes to local events and clubs!
You could make plenty of new friends that live right next door to you, and it’s always nice to have a neighbor you can depend on just around the corner. Take your time to find a class or a club you like doing, but if isolation seems to be the issue, it just takes a bit of effort to get yourself back out there.
Start Looking at New Homes
Finally, if none of the above ideas can help, it might be time to think about moving somewhere more ‘you’. Sometimes we just don’t mesh with the house/apartment we move into; it’s a learning experience you shouldn’t regret. For best results, go for a real change here. Maybe you need to live somewhere out in the country, or in a city? Maybe you’d prefer to be on the coast? Maybe you’d like to be closer to family?
Could You Make Your Home a Better Place to Be?
Absolutely! Your home can be the haven you need with just a few tweaks. Start by figuring out why you’re unhappy, and then take the steps to fix it. One afternoon’s work and you could be sitting in a living room that feels exactly like you!
And if you find that your home just isn’t where you want to be, there’s no harm in looking for somewhere new. You deserve to live in a house that’s just right for you, and now might be the perfect time to find a new place to live that feels much more like you and your family.
What do you think?