Owning your own home is an incredibly exciting milestone, however, it comes with a lot of stress and worry. Whether you experienced difficulties in finding the right house, you moved away from your family and friends or you’re having a nightmare turning your house into a home – being a homeowner can certainly have its downsides.
One thing people often struggle with when it comes to owning their first home is knowing what home improvements they need to make. There’re lots of inspiration on the internet thanks to Pinterest and Instagram, but when it comes to creating your dream home, where do you start?
To help you give you some ideas, I’ve put together a list of 12 things absolutely every new homeowner needs (or wants) in their home:
An Open Plan Kitchen/Dining Room
Whilst it won’t suit every home, an open plan kitchen and dining room is a great way to maximise your space. Having a large kitchen means you’ll have plenty of space for food and sustainable storage, especially if you have a big family.
The open space will encourage a family feel, bringing everyone together as you cook your meals. For inspiration and advice when it comes to designing an open plan kitchen and dining room, you can visit this site here.
A Fully Stocked Kitchen (Donated By Family And Friends)
Following on from the point above, having a kitchen that is fully stocked with utensils is the perfect way to get your new home off to a great start.
Often you will find that friends and family will have lots of items they no longer use, so if you’re on a bit of a budget this could be a great way to start your own collection.
Lots And Lots Of Plants
Plants are known to be a natural mood booster, as well as a great way to add a little bit of life to your home. There are so many gorgeous plants that are perfect for the home, so why not start building your own little plant collection?
A Quiet Place Where You Can Relax
Creating a quiet place within your home where you can go to relax is essential, especially as the first few months of being a homeowner can be incredibly stressful. Create a little corner that includes a comfortable chair, a bookshelf full of new books and a table to rest a glass of wine and snack. When you’ve had a long hard day you can retreat to your reading nook for the ultimate relaxing experience.
Skylights (In At Least One Room)
Often when you move into a new house there are lots of things you want to change, one of the most common being the light fixtures. Whether they’re old and outdated or not suited to your taste, they’re something you should consider changing as soon as you can as they can affect the whole look and feel of a room. Our favourite option would be to install skylights throughout the house.
For more information on the different kind of roof lights you can purchase from roof depot, you can visit this site here.
A REALLY Comfortable Mattress
A comfortable mattress is the key to a good nights sleep, meaning absolutely every new homeowner should have one. Whilst it may be a bit of a hefty investment, both your mind and body will be thanking you for it afterwards.
If you already have a mattress and want a sustainable way to recycle it, contact your local charities who will often arrange a free pick up.
A Built-In Wardrobe In The Master Bedroom
A lot of new builds are now being built with this in mind, but if you’re moving into something that is a little older you may want to consider adding in a built-in wardrobe once you’ve moved in. A great way to save space and lead an eco-friendly lifestyle, a built-in wardrobe is perfect for anyone that relies on storage to help the minimise the number of belongings you have.
Lots Of Smart Storage Space
Storage space is incredibly important, especially if you’re moving into a new build as they tend to be slightly smaller than old houses. Ensuring you either build or purchase lots of things that can be used as storage is the key to having a clean and tidy and sustainable house, especially if you have a large family.
Framed Pictures Of All The Family And Friends
Every new house should have something that makes it feel like your home.
The best way to do this?
Add in lots of pictures of your family and friends. Whether you create collages on your wall, have your favourite photos printed out on canvas or dot photos frames around the rooms you spend the most time in – you’ll love how cosy and homely the photos will make your house feel.
Some Statement Accessories
Home is definitely not complete without incredible statement accessories. Once you’ve decorated and added in all your amazing furniture you can start to think about the little bits and pieces that will really help tie each room together. Think vases, lamps, candles, trinket boxes and cute little storage baskets.
A Well Thought Out Gallery Wall
A gallery is a great way to brighten up any white space you may have in your home, especially if you create it using lots of different colourful pieces of artwork.
The idea is you get several different sized prints and the frames to fit all of the artwork, then you hang them up in a ‘random’ order, which helps creates a ‘messy yet perfectly styled’ look that is clearly curated beforehand.
For gallery wall inspiration you can visit Pinterest, Instagram or this handy guide here.
A Place To Recycle Your Day To Day Trash
Having a specific place to recycle your day to day trash is a great way to ensure you’re recycling everything that can be reused. Whilst the boxes and bags you’re given aren’t often ‘house-friendly’ there are lots of different ways you can create your own storage boxes that are perfect for collecting different recyclable items. At the end of the week (or as soon as they’re full) you can empty them into your regular collection bins.
Are you renovating your home? What do you think every home needs? Let us know in the comment section below.
XOXO
Debbie
This is a collaborative post
