Welcome to the How to Create a Life You Love series! This five-part series is going to help you reduce the overwhelm and eliminate the unessential. It’s going to help you take back control and create a life you don’t want to take a vacation from.
I’m sharing with you lots of small and easy-to-follow steps you can take RIGHT NOW to make life LESS stressful and MORE enjoyable. Follow these steps and you’ll be well on your way to living a life you LOVE before you know it!
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This series lays the foundation for every other post that follows, so it’s a great place to start if you’re new to A Simple and Contented Life. In the last post, I talked about a few things you can do to lead a happier family life (you can read it HERE). This post is part four and all about loving the home you live in.
Ready to turn your house into a home you love? Let’s get started!
Five ways to love the home you live in
Our homes are our sanctuary. A place of security, comfort and joy. The place we come home to at the end of the day. But sometimes it can be hard to love the place you call home. Maybe the area you live in isn’t quite right or your neighbours aren’t that easy to get along with. Perhaps you just crave a little bit more space. Whatever the reason, it can be tough being happy in a place that doesn’t feel like home.
So, how do you make the best of where you live? What can you do to love the home you live in that little bit more? Below are five things you can do RIGHT NOW to turn your house into a home you love.
#1. Be thankful for the four walls you have
In part three, I talked about first appreciating the family life you already have before trying to change anything. Well, the same goes for your home too!
With all the amazing pictures on Pinterest and in magazines of perfectly furnished, perfectly decorated homes, we can sometimes feel a little envious and long for something better.
It can also be hard to love our homes when there is a lot that needs doing to them. Seeing past what needs fixing and just enjoying the home we live in can be tough. Especially if we never get the time to do the work that is needed or we aren’t great with DIY.
Both this and comparing ourselves to others can make us lose sight of the fact that we are fortunate enough to have four walls and a roof to keep us warm and dry. So, next time you feel a little frustrated with your surroundings, try not to think about what you don’t have. Think instead about all the things your home gives you and try being thankful for the four walls you have.
#2. Claim your home as your own
Whether you are planning on moving sometime soon or staying there for the long haul, decorate and furnish your home like you intend to stay put. Claiming it as your own and making it feel like home will completely change how you feel about it. If you feel like you own it and it reflects who you are, you are more likely to love it. You don’t have to make huge changes that cost the earth, just a few small additions can make all the difference. Things like:
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- Painting the walls in colours you love.
- Adding photos of you and your family.
- Putting up pictures your kids have drawn for you.
- Having your favourite ornaments out on display.
- Making your garden a spot you want to chill out in.
#3. Give each room a purpose
Think about how you use your home. Does every room have a purpose? Is each room being used to its full potential or has it become a dumping ground for clutter? If you feel like you need more room try maximising the space you already have by giving your rooms a dual purpose.
For example, does the spare bedroom really need to be a permanent guest room? Do your kids really need their own room each or could they share and the other be used for something else?
Our spare bedroom currently serves three purposes. First, it is the room I use as my office. Second, it acts as a den with a sofa, our books and a TV. Third, the sofa converts to a double bed so it is also where friends and family sleep when they stay.
Giving rooms a dual purpose works. Not only does your home become flexible to your needs, but it’ll also feel bigger too!
#4. Give your home some TLC
It’s amazing how refreshed you can make your home feel just by giving it a really DEEP clean. That means doing all those jobs we know should do but never get around to doing. Things like washing the windows, dusting light fittings, vacuuming under the sofas and giving the oven a good scrub!
If you have one, don’t forget your outside space too. Make the effort to sweep the path, pick up the leaves and mow the lawn. Tidy up and give your house some kerb appeal. You’ll be amazed at the difference this makes!
Don’t just stop at giving your home a deep clean though. There are many other inexpensive and relatively easy things you can do to make it feel like new again.
Things like:
- Updating the pictures in your frames.
- Giving your cupboards and drawers new handles and knobs.
- Replacing light fittings.
- Cleaning up or replacing your limescale-covered taps with shiny new ones.
- Regrouting your floor and wall tiles.
- Giving your walls a fresh coat of paint.
- Giving your skirting boards a fresh coat of paint.
- Carrying out all those little maintenance jobs that have been driving you crazy.
#5. Make sure everything has a ‘proper place’
We all have those drawers and cupboards that become ‘catch all’ areas. That place we stash something because we don’t know where else to put it? Every home has one! True confession: I have two of them! The cupboard under the stairs and a drawer in my kitchen. And both drive me nuts!
Sometimes it can be hard to throw things away and we think we should hang on to something ‘just in case’. But those ‘just in case’ moments can be dangerous. They usually result in us hanging on to a ton of crap that we really don’t need and our homes very quickly become cluttered. Next time you go to ‘file’ something in your drawer, ask yourself where its proper home is. If you can’t answer the question, you probably don’t need it. So, give yourself permission to throw it away!
It also helps to declutter from time to time too. Nothing feels more satisfying than having a good clear out. It can be very refreshing to get rid of the things you no longer need. If you find yourself struggling with knowing where to start, imagine you are moving and ask whether you would take that item with you. It works every time for me!
How to love the home you live in
There you have it, five ways to start turning your house into a home you LOVE that you can do RIGHT NOW!
Whenever you feel like you need to love your home a little bit more, try:
- Being thankful for the four walls you already have.
- Claiming your home as your own.
- Giving each room a purpose.
- Giving your home some TLC.
- Making sure everything has a ‘proper place’.
That’s it for part four. In the next and final post, we’re going to take a look at how to prioritise your own wellbeing and take better care of yourself. I can’t wait to see you there!
Want more?
If you’ve enjoyed reading this make sure you check out the rest of the posts in the series too. Let’s kick-start creating a life you LOVE right now!
- Part One: How to love your life
- Part Two: Three questions to ask yourself BEFORE making changes to your life
- Part Three: Four ways to live a happier family life
- Part Four: Five Ways to Love the Home You Live In
- Part Five: How to take better care of yourself
Have you found this useful? What’s your biggest takeaway? What one thing could you action right now to start loving the home you live in that little bit more? Let me know in the comments below!
Until next time…
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hey there! In case we haven’t met, I’m Sarah and I’m incredibly passionate about helping others step out of a life on autopilot and into one of purpose.
I’m on a mission to help you become your BEST self and live your BEST life every single day – and that includes loving your home that little bit more with the help of these five tips!
A certified master life coach, transformation coach, goal success coach and self-published author, I’m also an Executive Contributor for Brainz Magazine, a proud mum of two, a besotted wife, breast cancer survivor and your mentor for making a change for the better.
When I’m not helping my clients create a life they love, you’ll find me in my favourite Starbucks curled up in a chair, book in one hand, hazelnut latte in the other or attempting to walk my somewhat lazy Frenchie pup Arthur!
