The process of buying a home is long and often arduous. There’s the initial search, followed by offers and counteroffers, followed by the realization that the seller isn’t going to negotiate fairly with you, followed by the reluctant decision to move on to another house so you can repeat the whole process again. It can take months or even years to find a house that truly works for and your family’s budget. An experienced and savvy real estate agent can help, but you still have to do plenty of emotional and physical labor on your own. It’s exhausting enough that you start looking for things that could go wrong leading up to your closing date. What if the inspection finds a major issue? What if the seller backs out? What if you lose your job or something else happens that forces you to cancel?

Once the last papers are signed and you finally take possession of the house, you’ll probably want to just sit down and drink a big glass of wine. Take a bit to relax, but don’t take too long. You’ve still got some decisions to make, but these are generally the fun kind of decisions. We promise.

Decorate your pad

You’re not in an apartment anymore. There’s no need to worry about what kind of things you can and can’t hang on your walls, or if you can use small nails but not tape, or tape but not small nails. It’s all your decision now. That’s exhilarating even as it can be a bit much to handle. You have so many options! There’s evidence that having more options can lead to more unhappiness, actually. It sounds counterintuitive, but having three hundred options can be worse than having three, because then we wonder if we made the wrong choice. To avoid regret, make a decision as soon as possible and then stick with it. Spend a decent amount of time looking at paint swatches, but don’t brood over the difference between cream and eggshell.

Once you get the paint and wallpaper decisions made, it’s time to find some art to hang on the walls. Check out your local arts and crafts store for some low-cost options, or you can go to a local museum if you want to support up-and-coming artists. If landscapes aren’t your thing, don’t force yourself into buying a half-dozen of them. It’s up to you to decide the message you want to send with your wall decorations.

There are probably a few moments in life that really make you happy to think about. We’re talking about moments like your wedding day or the day that your child took his first steps. Well, now you can take that photo of you and your spouse’s first kiss and blow it up. Turn your favorite memories into big acrylic prints that will look great hanging in ayour living room, bedroom, or even the front foyer. A house is a thing, albeit a great thing. But the people you share your life with help you create experiences that are worth more than the fanciest mansion in town.