There is no rush better than the key to a new home being placed in your hand. When you walk through your new home, you won’t think of things you need. After the magic is gone, though, you’ll get down to brass tacks.
Since you’ll bring some furnishings, linens, cleaning supplies, food, and perhaps artwork and books, you won’t need to rush out to buy these. You’d have a good idea if you spent some time in your new home getting to know its rhythms, its moods and what would make you comfortable in it. Then you could go out and buy new things.
1) Lighting
Now you’ve been in your new home for a few days or weeks. You know which sides of the house into which the natural light comes. You will understand when you place your furnishings which walls need light. Sconces, lamps, track lighting, focus lighting, and ambient lighting all have a place in a home. You will figure out which you need and where you need it.
2) Window treatments
By now you are aware if you have nosy neighbors who casually check out the new neighbor while walking the dog. You know if traffic slows down to look at the house and its owner. You know which windows need treatments as well as what those treatments will be. This is an important and expensive purchase, so do it right the first time. You’ll have years of privacy and enjoyment from this purchase.
3) Tables
George Carlin once did a comedy routine about people and their stuff. He’s right in stating that we need a place for all that stuff. Tables hold stuff, baskets beneath tables hold stuff, and stuff can be hung on walls or dangled from the ceiling. You’ll need a place to put what accumulates in your new house. So hit the flea market, yard sales, and second-hand stores and have some fun!
4) Books and pretty objects
A home needs personality. If you inherited bookcases or hutches from family members, they will need to be filled with something. Nothing is sadder than a piece of furniture with nothing to embrace. Let them embrace your books, crystal objects, wooden pieces, sculpture, perhaps porcelain dolls or sporting things to give your new home that personality.
5) Plants and flowers
Since you’re going to consider how to landscape your new yard, it pays to consider plants and flowers indoors as well. Plants and flowers give a space a lovely perfume. Their colors complement your color scheme and furnishings.
6) Plant paraphernalia
You’ll need gardening-sized shovels and forks. Water hoses and water buckets with spouts will be necessary. Indoors, if the house doesn’t have a mudroom, then the plants and flowers will need to be watered in the kitchen sink or bathtub. Outdoors, you’ll need a lawn mower, weed whacker, and edger as well as rakes and a wheelbarrow.
7) Your dream
Last but not least, whatever you’ve always dreamed of, go out and get it! Don’t let that sofa, king sized bed, or that yard full of fruit trees fade into the woodwork. You deserve a treat, so run out to get your dream now.
