One of the hardest parts about military life (in my opinion, anyway) is moving every few years and having to make the next apartment or house home for however long you’ll be there. Add in the rules and regulations from your landlord or from the military along with a strict budget, and it can feel a little daunting.
But fear not! There are so many resources available at your fingertips to make settling into your new home a little easier. I’ve picked 20 of the most useful ones I could find so that you can become a housing ninja!
Getting started
This quick fact sheet from Military.com gives a lot of great tips for new military spouses who have never PCSed and focuses just on how to shop for and decorate apartments over the course of your military life.
If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed or aren’t sure where to begin, check out these easy and financially smart decor tips from SpouseBuzz.
You’ll want to take a look at Rental Decorating Digest, as well, for a lot of ideas, tips, and tricks for perennial renters.
And of course, there are apps for renting! Here’s a roundup article from HuffPo with 6 of them.
Redecorating and organizing blogs
You need to look at 11 Magnolia Lane, a website run by three artistically talented, amazing women, one of whom is a military spouse. Even if you’re not looking for design inspiration, this website is perfect to stare and dream at for hours. And hours. And hours.
Then there’s White Walls, a website specifically for military spouses, founded and run by a military spouse. You’ll find galleries of suggestions for how to dress up those… well, white walls! And you’ll also find tutorials and a marketplace where military-affiliated businesses offer their home decor wares. They also have a bevy of Facebook groups that you can join and interact in!
Pinterest candy
And who doesn’t love Pinterest? Make sure you follow these fantastic resources:
- Decorating a Military Home by Military Spouse
- For Your Navy Home by Navy Housing
- Making a House Your Home by Military Life’s Moments
- DIY Decorating Tips by Lincoln Military Housing
- Setting Up the Home Front After a PCS by Militasy Avenue
- Home Decor Military Style by Veterans United
- Making Military Housing Home by NextGen Milspouse
- The World Traveling Military Family
- Military Home Decor
Free online design tools
Ready to get started? All juiced up with inspiration? These free tools will help you plan so you know your furniture will fit before you bring a single piece into the room.
If you’ve lived in rental or base housing, how have you made home just a little homier? Any websites or resources you’d like to pass on? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments!
And by the way, want a chance to win a $100 JoAnn’s gift card to get a little home DIYing done? It’s as easy as entering this contest hosted by the National Military Family Association! Good luck!
That’s why they have been sharing tips, tricks and advice to help you #OwnYourPCS. Connect
with them for resources and support!
6 Responses
We’ve moved 3 times as a family. It doesn’t seem like much, but we’ve only been married 3 years.
That’s a lot! I moved 2 times right before we got married, within the span of a few months. It was enough for me, haha! :-)
three times!!!
Thanks for all the great tips on military spouse life and motherhood!
Love these! I’m going to share on my FB site, PCS Prepper–I love to try to inspire military spouses (including myself!) to not just settle for the housing we’re given, but to truly make it a home and shy away from personalizing the space (within the rules of the base/lease)! I suggest checking out Apartment Therapy as well for tips/tricks for renters.
Thanks so much, Rachel! If there’s a way we can collaborate in the future, let me know!