Sacramento Real Estate Blog

It isn’t easy adjusting to a new place. First, there’s the homebuyers remorse - the nagging feeling that you have paid too much for a home. (Which, by the way, it’s hard to have in today’s market and yet, reading and hearing constant bad news all around may not be helping your mental state as a new home buyer.)

Then there’s the fact that you have trouble sleeping in a new home. It doesn’t smell the same, when you open your eyes at night it doesn’t seem the same and so on. While physiologically getting used to a new home might take some work, there are a few things you can do to ease into it psychologically.

Decorate

Remember those commercials on television? The ones where there are unpacked boxes and the happy couple are sitting on the floor enjoying a glass of wine? Well, that almost never happens. Which is why it’s a good idea to do it. Take a breather. It’s never getting all done anyway. Take the time to plan out your home the way it will be. If you don’t have something or have to go get it, do it. If you want to paint the bedroom an outrageous color, do it.

A little displacement can go a long way in helping you create the home of your dreams. When you bought the home you adopted someone else’s idea of what would appeal to the largest number of people. Now is your chance to make it your own. Go ahead. Take a day out of unpacking to head out to Cost Plus and get that lamp or that rug if you think it fits perfectly. Make your new home uniquely your own. The benefits to your mood will be immense!

Fix up, don’t wait

Too many home buyers decide to wait a while before fixing up their new home. If you have bought it in a market like today chances are you have got a great deal but also that it needs work, especially if it is an REO. There is no advantage to waiting to settle into a home before fixing up what needs to be done. You might have a better feel for the light and the way it languishes around later in the evening in a certain spot, but that dripping faucet will drive you crazy by then. And so will the peeling paint in the bathroom.

Get the things that are driving you insane done right now. If your mind revolts at the broken crown molding, get it replaced. Doing your repairs right in the beginning - before you move in or settle in - makes a big difference in your attitude to a new place. And it might get rid of that buyer’s remorse!

Have a Housewarming

Yes, there are boxes lying around. Yes, the downstairs is a fixer. Yes, everything needs fixing. However, having a housewarming at this point is still a good idea. For one thing, now your friends know where you live. Believe it or not, just that one detail makes a world of a difference to your stress level. Also, now you can enlist their help unpacking if you want and if they’re willing.

Another advantage to a housewarming? You can invite your neighbors over and get to know them. A good idea is to either go over or just ask your title company to get you the addresses and names of people on your block. Then send them invitations well in advance. Introduce yourself and say you’re having a housewarming and would love to meet them. It’s a great way to get to know them. A word of warning: have food at the housewarming, but make sure it’s easy and prepared in advance. Or buy it from the deli. The last thing you want is to be running around trying to cook when you should be getting to meet people.

Landscape or at least buy Plants

Everyone knows the benefits of gardening. And, granted, so you don’t have time right now to get your hands dirty and spend hours in the sun enjoying yourself planting herbs and flowers. But it might not be such a bad idea to plan a garden. Or better yet just buy a few houseplants. The psychological difference you feel when something living and green is in the home is amazing. Try an easy plant at first like the philodendron - while many people like to buy homeowners orchids at housewarming,s those are not such good ideas because they are generally fussier plants that need a lot of light. Save the orchids for later, like a time when you know exactly where the light is in your home at different times of the day.

If your patio gets morning or late afternoon light, you could consider getting some potted plants. It’s a great way to freshen up the entryway and will lighten your mood to stare at some color as you bring boxes in and out. It’s also a great way to deliver a nice message to your neighbors that you care about your home. If the house you bought has been a foreclosure, they’ll be glad to know that people who care have entered their neighborhood again. A decorated patio with plants also reduces the risk your home will be vandalized - an important concern especially if it has been empty for a while before you bought it.

Get a Dog

If you’ve waited years to get a dog because you didn’t own a home of your own, now’s the time to get a dog. You can adopt one at the local animal shelter or you can buy one from the classifieds. Either way, now that the pet has room to run around and you don’t have to pay a pet deposit, it’s a good idea to get one. Nothing says “I’m home!” to an empty new home with unpacked boxes like a dog who will slobber all over you and bark with joy at your return.

If you’re not into dogs, cats make pretty good housepets too. But remember that a dog is more emotionally involved with you while a cat might care more about the house. Either way, pets are a great way to ground yourself to your place of living. They may also help ease you away from your stress of being in a new home. (And cats love playing in boxes!)

This is only part one of a three part series about settling into your new home, so check back for more. If you are surprised that the home you bought and were excited about buying suddenly seems to overwhelm you, don’t be worried. This is a normal reaction every home buyer has. And while moving can be a pretty jarring experience, it is also an opportunity to truly settle into a unique home that not just reflects your tastes and desires of what you want in the world but also is a complete extension of you. And that, after all, is the purpose of making the move easier on you, the homebuyer.