The difference between a house and a home is the people within it. A house with no one living in it is just a house, no life or human touch within it. It may have, at one point been home to a certain family or owner, but every person has their own idea of home. A home could also be considered how one decorates or familiarizes their place of residence, but in reality, not everyone is like that. A house is generic, it lacks specificity to any one person, and therefore has no connection or feel of home to anyone. A real home is an extension of oneself, that provides one with the necessities to live, complete with the people that share or live within that space.
People are very social creatures, and in general, crave human connection with others. One aspect of home includes people that one might know, and connect with to share experiences, as well as make new ones. More importantly, the people that are a part of a true home should be loved by those around them, whether by their family members or partners. Moreover, a home should feel like a sanctuary, a place where one can feel at ease, and de-stress from the day; it should be a place for rest, work, and growth. As for when one’s house changes, for example moving for college, at first it may not seem like home, yet as time goes on, as you make more memories associated with that space with friends or other people, it will begin to feel more like home because of the people that have changed and shaped it. Also by adding personal belongings, objects, or tokens that one holds as valuable, sentimental, or are necessary to their lifestyle, eventually, their space will become a home rather than just a house. A home is a projection of oneself, and the more that projection becomes aligned with who that person or group is the more it feels like home to them, and the more it reveals who they are.
A house on its own is merely a place of dwelling; it lacks people, and it lacks personality. People like familiarity, and when a house is an expression of who they are in relation to those within the house and its belongings, it is no longer just a house but a true home. People like to associate with like-minded people, who share similar characteristics and personalities, and the same goes for someone’s home. Whether it is the people, belongings, style, or type of house, all of them contribute in some way to the idea of home for a person. It is also the reason why every home is different, just as every person is different, because what makes a house a home is its identity that is unique to those who live within it.