What Makes a House A Home?

Whether you are buying, renting or it's a temporary arrangement, the roof over your head, your castle your home should be a place of sanctuary and happiness.

We've all heard the phrases, "a place you can call home", "home sweet home", "home is where the heart is"!  All these should be true.

Whether a studio flat, a one bedroom sanctuary or whether you have a sprawling mansion, if it's yours (rented or otherwise) and you get "that feeling" when you walk through the door then it is somewhere to be treasured.

How many have us watched the home make-overs, Location-Location, George Clarke and heard the house--hunters say, "It's a lovely house, but I'm just not feeling it"!  What is that "it"?  What creates that feeling of home?

It's a sense of belonging, being comfortable and feeling like you can be yourself.

Maybe the light in the place makes us feel warm, or the windows give just the right amount of view without us feeling on show.

The building might remind us of somewhere we lived or visited before, somewhere that felt safe and secure.  There are so many factors that affect our emotions and the feeling for "home" will likely change as we grow older and experience more places and have more moves.

One thing is for sure.  Moving house involves making new friends and neighbours, choosing the decor, planning the space, both indoor and outdoor, and we have a whole collection of gifts for the home and garden.

I remember my first move!  I still lived with my parents when I got married so it was a huge adventure.  Not only leaving my family but moving 50 miles away, to a new town, with a new job.  A total move and I was equally excited and terrified!

My first move was my clothes and some treasured ornaments and nick-nacks, the boot of the car was enough space but as the years and house moves have stacked up each one has it's own story, its own adventure.

In our first year of marriage we had three houses, all rented temporary accomodation, and not one felt right.  I never settled in and I never made any effort to make it a "home". 

It's only now that I know what makes me feel comfortable and happy in a house and I actively search that out.

Light and airy, large rooms, open space outdoors and people.  I love to see people milling about, that makes me feel safe but equally I want to be able to shut my doors and find peace. 

I have so many photo frames too.  Pictures of all the children and grandchildren, holidays, pets, the whole story of my life in frames around the house.  I also love scented candles.  A different one for each room, lavender and clary sage to relax, lemon and eucalyptus to zing.  

We move home for so many different reasons.  The student moving to a new place for university; moving in with a partner for the first time; moving into your one bed flat in the middle of a bustling city; upsizing to make room for tiny feet or because need more outdoor space; and downsizing when those tiny feet have grown up and found a house of their own.  So many situations with so many different emotions, it makes sense that each move is so unique to the person doing the moving.  As Dorothy said: there’s no place like home.

Here at Ooh-Box, we wish you a stress-free and enjoyable move.  As the saying goes, home is where the story begins…