Settling Into Your New Home After Retirement
By: Shirley Martin of Tidy Life Today
Retirement is all about living the easy life, but if you’ve just gone through a move then your day-to-day is anything but relaxing. From having no internet access to living out of boxes, it will take some work for your new house to feel like home.
Happily, you don't have to feel unsettled for long. If you approach finding your footing as a step-by-step process, you’ll quickly make progress toward turning your new digs into a comfortable and happy place in which to spend your leisure years. Nest with the Nelsons details how you can start.
Take Care of Practicalities
Whenever possible, get your utilities switched on prior to moving day, since it’s hard to even begin settling in without electricity and running water. You’ll also want your internet and cable installed right away, so arrange for a technician to visit as soon as your electronic items are delivered and unboxed.
Give some attention to safety issues to feel secure in your new place. If the house is newly built, it likely has construction locks that were keyed only for your use, but for resale homes, you’ll need to change every lock on the property and perhaps add extra deadbolts or security latches. Test the carbon monoxide and smoke detectors, and buy at least one fire extinguisher per floor of your home, plus one for the garage.
Start Unpacking
Limit the time you spend living out of boxes, especially if it seems everything you need to get your hands on is buried under a mountain of cardboard. Although the thought of unpacking so many containers is daunting, breaking the task down and working room by room is a smart way to get the job done without wearing yourself out.
Filling up the cupboards and shelves of your master bathroom with daily necessities is a practical place to begin, and because it’s a smaller space you’ll gain a sense of accomplishment and build momentum to keep unboxing. Move on to setting up your kitchen space if cooking at home is a priority, then make your way through unpacking your other rooms until everything's been emptied.
Make It Feel Like Home
Once you’re unpacked, it’s time to make your new home feel like your own. Arrange your family photos, treasured knick-knacks, and a plant or two, and then add throw pillows and rugs to cozy things up. At this point, you’ll be itching to get your framed art up on the walls, but take some time first to consider paint and wallcovering options before hammering and hanging.
Adding wallpaper is a simple and affordable way to give your walls personality and show off your art. With its adhesive backing, peel-and-stick wallpaper is easy to apply, and you can remove and reposition it to get just the look you want. Ordering paper on demand gives you completely customizable wallpaper for your home, and you won’t be set back by stock outages if you need more rolls to complete your project.
Rather than feeling overwhelmed by the process of settling in after a move, pace yourself by tackling projects one by one. Start with setting up essentials, move on to emptying boxes, then finish by sprucing things up. Before you know it, you’ll be relaxed and ready to enjoy retirement in your happy new home!
P.S. Are you following us on Instagram and Facebook? You really should. Don't miss a beat, or a sweet design-inspired treat when you follow us at Nest with the Nelsons!
XOXO Always,
Megan Nelson, Co-Owner + Founder
Nest with the Nelsons
nestwiththenelsons.com
nestwiththenelsons@gmail.com
Megan Nelson, Co-Owner + Founder
Nest with the Nelsons
nestwiththenelsons.com
nestwiththenelsons@gmail.com
-------------------------------------------
Looking for a little extra help? Check out these must-see resources...
Looking for a little extra help? Check out these must-see resources...
1. Subscribe to our email list to unlock even more of our must-see design tips.
2. Join the Healthy Home Movement on Facebook. We share all sorts of great home design and home organization tips and tricks there.
3. Book a FREE 15-minute consultation with yours truly. We’ll get to the bottom of the design conundrums that might be holding you back from your dream interior design.
