How to keep a new home feeling new

There’s something magical about opening the front door and walking into a brand-new home. Your senses will be assailed by evidence of freshness and cleanliness, from the springiness in newly laid carpet pile to the unmistakeable aroma of gloss paint.

Given the appealing nature of a brand-new home, it’s understandable that people want to maintain this sense of freshness after they’ve settled in. Nothing can fully restore a property to the condition it was in on the day the keys are handed over, but there are several ways to preserve and replicate that sense of freshness…

Conduct an annual deep clean

Even the tidiest of families inevitably generate mess, and an occasional deep clean partially reinstates a sense of every surface being pristine. Work methodically around each room, clearing shelves and emptying out cupboards before wiping and polishing any flat surfaces. Move furniture so you can vacuum behind and beneath it, flinging open all the windows and thoroughly polishing not just the glass but the frames and sills. Summer is the ideal time for shampooing carpets and washing curtains, hanging the latter outside to dry and freshen up.

Ruthlessly declutter

There’s no room for sentiment in the removal van, and there’s no room for it in a new home, either. From appliance boxes to children’s clothing, many of us are guilty of squirreling away old items for longer than we should. An occasional purge will reveal gadgets you no longer use, and clothes that kids have outgrown. Strip bookshelves of any titles you won’t read again, take broken electronics to the local recycling centre, and date-check all your food – it’s surprising how many out-of-date packets and tins lurk at the back of kitchen cabinets.

Redecorate key spaces

We’re not suggesting whole-house renovations here, because there are key aspects of decorating which maximise the ‘just moved in’ ambience. Start by applying satin paint (which doesn’t discolour as badly as gloss) onto windowsills, and freshen up doorframes in hallways, which often incur the worst scuffs and scrapes. If your budget allows, a washable paint transforms any wall once you’ve been in for twelve months and the plaster has dried out. Even hanging a replacement lampshade can give a space a fresher feel, while other tips include installing new box radiator covers, monk’s benches and large wall art.

Reposition furniture

It’s often a rush to get a new home furnished, with removal men dumping items in sub-optimal locations and furnishings being assigned temporary homes which slowly become permanent. Occasionally shaking things up helps to draw a line under the period up til’ now. Consider swapping artworks around, reorienting rectangular dining tables at right angles, and reversing your main sofa and TV unit in the living room. If you don’t like the new layout, you can always put things back where they were!

Repair any damage

With a busy family, wear and tear sometimes escalates into damage. Examples include dents from misplaced children’s toys, scrapes caused by moving objects around (sadly, this can happen on the day you move in) and stains from spilled liquids or cooking accidents. A key way to restore a sense of newness to a property is to fully rectify these issues. It might involve plastering a wall, replacing a carpet, rehanging a door or repainting a ceiling. However unenjoyable these activities might be, your home will feel fresher afterwards…

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