Moved house - struggling

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Wondering if others have felt like this or if it's just me! We moved 2 days ago, still in the same area but upsized for more space. Much wanted move, feel grateful to be able to do it but cant stop crying! We lived in our old house for 14 years, the longest I've lived anywhere and it was my daughter's first home (she's 6).

I'm very sentimental and do struggle with change and transitions. I was dreading saying goodbye to the house and our amazing neighbours but coped ok on the day. Then that first evening I had a huge meltdown and couldn't stop crying- said to DH I want to go home to our old house and miss it and our neighbours so much. I've been slightly better today but still keep crying and feel like we've uprooted our daughter from her safe space. I keep imagining myself still there and can't bring myself to look at photos of us outside the front of the house on our last morning. I miss it so much. It feels like I'm in someone else's house at the moment and the downstairs smells strongly of the previous owners' dogs. I'll be fine but it's a harder transition than I expected.

Give it time, it takes awhile before a new house feels like home. I hated the current house for two years. It’s mild dislike now

It's just homesickness OP. It will pass. Dog smell sounds horrible, open all the windows and mop the floors. Is it dog odour or urine?

Thanks, I think just odour. I've been steam cleaning the floors and we've got an air purifier so it's starting to go a bit. It'll take time. Yes I do feel homesick!

We moved in18 December and it's starting to feel real now. I cried as it was such a mess when we got here, former probate property, but a good clean and several dehumidifiers on the go and it's drying out. Smelling less and feeling warmer and more homely

You are bound to be emotional. We downsized last Summer and had lived in our previous house for over 25 years. Our girls grew up there.
It was so sad packing everything and decluttering. It was immaculate and just how we wanted it. For ages we kept saying “ home” to refer to our old house.
We have dogs but they had an elderly dog and it became apparent they’d used lots of sprays and air fresheners to mask smells. Not ideal, I’m asthmatic.
As we have gradually renovated and put our stamp on our new house it finally feels like ours. You will get there and start to see the advantages.
You are taking your memories with you and will make lovely new ones.

Really normal it takes time

My parents bought a house cheap that had been lived in by an alcoholic. Rubbish, bottles, fag ends and spent matchsticks everywhere. It took several days of trips to the tip with bin bags, followed by weeks of cleaning and decorating to make it our home for the next nineteen years. Leaving aside damp, structural defects etc. any four walls can become a home with tlc. You will make your new house your home, OP - but it takes time. Congratulations on your move.

Thank you so much everyone.

I moved 15 years ago to our present house. We left a beautiful flat to move to a property that needed total renovation.

I burst into tears on arrival! The place smelt funny, was filty dirty, water was pouring out of the overflow and the loft had been left full of rubbish. Even the removal men commented on it, and asked (jokingly) if we wanted to go back to our flat!

It took lots of cleaning, planning and painting to get it to how we wanted it. It began to feel like home once we had lived in in for a while, and had all our things in place and our routines had been established.

Like you I am bad with change and upheaval. I was very unhappy for about a year but gradually settled down on the proviso we would move after two years.

We are now in a situation where we might have to move again. The thought fills me with horror!

If it helps, focus first on the bedrooms (away from the dog-stinky downstairs!) I moved into a house 18 years ago that was very dilapidated, horrible ancient grubby wallpaper and smelly old patterned carpet everywhere, and the first room we did up was my son's bedroom. Steamed the old paper off, painted it, put new flooring in and then onto the master bedroom, those two rooms were nice places to escape to in the first couple of months. Take your daughter out and get her to choose some paint and curtains etc for her room, it will help you feel that you're putting your own stamp on the place.

We moved from our lovely home into a rental 100 miles away while we waited for our current home. I hated it. It was nice enough but I felt so unsettled. Five months later we moved to our current home 100 miles further still from our original home. And I hated it! It was a Reno project and we moved from England to Scotland. Our teen was miserable and the house smelled of damp and cat pee.
We have been here 4 yrs now and you’ll have to cart me out in a wooden box. I adore it here. My children are happy and settled and have been for a long time now.

Give it time. You’ll be ok.