To ask how long it took for your house to feel like ‘home’ to you?

[OnlyYellowRoses]

Just that really.
Just bought our first house, it’s taken us almost ten years to get to this point and we’re so pleased and relieved to be out of the rent game now especially as we found out when we gave notice that our Landlord had been planning to sell at the end of the year so we would have ended up being evicted again after the same happening two years previously!

The house we’re in is beautiful, huge and a period property we love but the area is a bit Ergh. Lots of litter, dog poo on the pavements and right in the centre of a town BUT it’s finally ours so we’ve compromised and I feel it’s our starting home and unlikely to be our forever home.

The last house was a panicked that’ll do decision as there is no options for 3 bed houses where I am and they go before they’re even advertised usually and we were running out of time to find somewhere. I hated the layout but was aware it was a temporary measure.

My previous property I was in for ten years, beautiful area, next to a nature reserve, teeny house with no space but a huge garden full of amazing roses, big park for the kids close by, amazing neighbours and just felt like ‘home’. The landlords moved back in and flat packed it, rebuilt it into a huge grey panelled thing and ripped out all the garden for a big grey driveway which makes me so sad but it was never ‘mine’ so I accept that. But that house always felt like ‘home’ to me.

Anyway, long way of saying, how long did it take for your house to feel properly like home to you?
I come back after work and I’m glad to come back, we’ve decorated a bit and now we’ve started putting in photos and furniture that we’ve chosen together etc so it’s definitely feeling more ours now but I don’t get that ‘ah I’m home’ feeling yet (it has only been 4 months though!).

Does it come with time or is it a feeling for certain places?

We've been in a similiar position but we're five years ahead of you. Rented for many many years and finally bought five years ago.

However we've bought in a nice area, but a scruffy do-upper small house on a small row of terraces. No dog litter, lovely country pub up the road, a lovely coffee shop within walking distance, gorgeous walks on your door step, children can play out safely and the sea/ beach is only a short 20 minute drive. The house we bought was in a state, its taken us five years to save and re wire, plaster, redecorate, relandscape the back garden, fit a new kitchen & bathroom,window.....I have to admit it's only just starting to feel like home. For years one of the rooms was in the process of being "done." I didn't realise how stressful it would be to live in and its not felt lovely & homely to walk into. Now we have a usable living room, a bathroom and kitchen that we've chose it's starting to feel likes ours!

Our previous rental was a huge, huge double reception room semi but not in a nice area and the house did need a lot of work (it had rising damp) However it was the house we raised our children in, the one we brought them home (and one i gave birth in) so it always felt special and I have lots of happy memories of it feeling like home.

I’ve lived in 5 properties as an adult. First little flat took a few weeks to adapt to. Second was a small house which instantly felt like home and we stayed nearly 12 years. Next upsize took some adjustment again, I felt at home after 3-6 months. Our last one we stayed over 4 years and I never got to the point of feeling at home. This one (I never want to move again!), was another instant settling in and I feel we’ll be here for a very long time.

We bought our first house in October several years ago but then spent nearly 3 months just cleaning, repairing and decorating it nearly every evening and weekend. We FINALLY moved in on December 21st and had a big Christmas dinner in our new conservatory/dining room. We still had a bare concrete floor in there, and our only lighting was from candles, but it was that that made it really feel that it was ours. It wasn't a palace by any means and we have done loads more to it since then (still not a palace but much nicer!) but it was that first Christmas that made it our home.

About 5 minutes.

A good 6 months in the last house, it felt weird for ages, possibly because we’d escaped a violent drunk neighbour who made our life hell for a year, so the previous house was idyllic, quiet, an escape. However, we were there for over 20 years, so it really was ‘home’. Saying that, we were fed up of the area, the street was quiet, but locally, lots of drugs/noise.

We moved almost a fortnight ago and I was unpacked within 5 days, felt like home immediately. It’s hours away from the former house, will hopefully be our last house. It’s a bit odd, I feel like we’re in a really nice Airbnb because we’ve been researching the area for years, staying in Airbnbs. I can’t quite believe we’ve finally made the move.

We’ve been in our house nearly 15 years and there are still things from the previous owners that irk me. We’ve decorated most of it but I still don’t really love it. It feels like home because it has all our shit in it, and it’s where we relax at the end of a long day, but as a property I can’t wait to move.

It felt like home the moment we visited, even as a remote, incomplete build.

We didn't anticipate that as first time owners we would go through two iterations: one of buying stuff to function (we needed a sofa, we got the cheapest we could, slapping on paint to give character etc). Then a second stage of buying to our taste (choosing a sofa at a slower pace and in budget, curating wallpaper and zoning).

I think the zoning made the biggest difference. So for chilling the evenings, I have a gorgeous lounge with low lighting, a pouffe, blankets, a table for drinks, craft and books within reach. I can go there and everything is in arms reach. My desk has a movable light, a few trinkets, plants, a candle and a blanket (of course!)

There's still loads to do (we're doing an extension) but I'd advise finishing one room, and then having smaller focus areas to mazimise comfort zones. My next focus is "dressing" the bed: linen covers, texured throws, pillows and a bolster.

We've been in a new build 6 weeks and I'm finding it's the putting your stamp on it that's having the most effect, buying mirrors and painting etc.

But it's also getting to know the local area and getting into the new routine of a different place. My 9yo is still asking to go back home though..

Really depends on the property. I loved our last little house (Victorian terrace, lovely location) from the off; we’ve been in this one nearly 20 years and it’s very practical but still doesn’t feel like home (70s townhouse). Now we’ve acquired noisy neighbours I dislike it even more but we’ll be retired by the time we get it into a state to sell at the rate we’re going. Grown up kids really like it though and are upset at the thought of moving!