The key to maintaining some semblance of sanity during the moving and setting up of our new house is a simple one; create one clean, clear, tidy space and look at it when everything else is in chaos. That’s right, stand there for as long as you need to and soak in the clean floor, uncluttered table and newly hung curtains (that desperately need to be hemmed*).

This rule could very easily apply to general living in the family home, too. And, if you’re anything like me, your tidying experience may have taught you that one clean room in a home is enough (or, is the best you can ever do with small children in tow).

There’s a lot of advice out there about the best way to set up a new home, the general consensus being: make the beds a priority and then move straight onto unpacking the kitchen – sleep and food are essential, after all. I vaguely followed this rule although truth be told, the kitchen is still a work in progress (it’s tiny and bench space is at a bare minimum – a story for another post). I’m not exactly efficient when it comes to setting up a house and whilst I could use the excuse of a nasty cold, pregnancy, exhaustion etc. truth is, I tend to deliberate a lot and do very little. Thankfully Daniel is the exact opposite and when he eventually pointed out that I was wandering aimlessly from one room to the next, picking up an item, looking at it and then putting it down again (the skit was quite comical), I managed to get a decent bit of unpacking done. The key? One box at a time, one room at a time (and don’t leave the room for a good hour or so).

Practicalities aside, what I’ve learnt most from this experience is this: setting up the family home takes time. You need to live in a space for a few weeks to appreciate its beauty and discover its flaws. You need to adjust yourself and your expectations to the new abode; the width of the doorways, the depth of the drawers, the quirky jiggle of the key in the locks comes as a surprise at first. During the first week you can expect to stumble, literally and figuratively, but before long you find your rhythm and you start to live in tune with the place you now call home.

This house feels good. It’s like it welcomed us, in a way.

*the curtains, let’s talk length. Do I hem them so they skim the skirting boards or take them up to just below the window frame?