SMM
The Living Force
So, as we are doing house works, there are many things that need to be reorganised. Over the years numerous items have accumulated in the house and with children/teenagers, there are things that they have quickly outgrown or no longer need.
We have gathered clothes and books to take to charity or get rid of, paperwork or old household items to rearrange or remove, then in addition to that, the actual renovations: painting, floors, blinds, curtains, assemblage of new furniture…
There are shoes that we no longer need, some of them still of a decent quality. If it is not possible to find a good home for them, perhaps we’ll sell some or donate them to a good charity.
Books and old school or paper work are a huge problem. As it is a family home, with five children, having what seems like a lot of useless papers floating about or taking up space in the cupboard under the stairs (which is set to become a cloakroom, shoe storage and some cleaning products can be kept there) and the storage cupboard upstairs is clutter and adds a chaotic element to a house with limited order, as it stands. I think we going to sell or donate most of the old school textbooks.
In theory I prefer a minimalist approach. I get really antsy in cluttered and disordered environments (as in, lacking a clear order), and mess and dirt make it worse. It’s not my home exclusively so it’s taking some negotiating.
My father used to throw other people’s things away, so that he could sort out his space. I guess he missed the memo that the trick was to correctly teach, discipline and guide his children to maintain their space.
We seem to have appliances that we haven’t used in years. Old electronics such as radio and CD players, some that my parents are just clinging onto with no explicit practical use i.e. broken or damaged. For example, my father has left a lot of his large professional copiers and printers and other odd parts for his business in the dining room and garage.
The attic was recently decked out for storage purposes. Getting outdoor storage in the form of cabinets is another thing that is required. It feels like there is much in the house that really serves no clear purpose or is kept ‘just in case’.
When the children/teenagers were younger, they used to draw, write, paint, what-have-you all over the walls. Some of the furniture and homeware is no good now unless repainted and cleaned and tended to i.e. new handles.
Now, with the kitchen, we have had talks of knocking the wall joining it with the dining room down to merge it into one huge room. This seems far down the line as the dining room is more like a storage room at the minute, though the kitchen IMO needs more immediate seeing-to.
As much of the painting is done, we need to clear things out before we can complete the floors and move on. Are there any advice, suggestions or useful tips; anything worth pointing out?
We’ve set aside a better part of the year, 6–12 months, for all the renovations. I’m worried that it will be difficult to maintain once complete due to the lackadaisical or undisciplined attitudes in the house. Even when I move out, the family home will still be that: the family’s.
[Note: I considered posting this in the 'Family Life' section so if it needs moving, it can be moved.]
It seems like mission impossible trying to get the home organised, but as Jordan Peterson says: Clean your room. Get your house in order.
We have gathered clothes and books to take to charity or get rid of, paperwork or old household items to rearrange or remove, then in addition to that, the actual renovations: painting, floors, blinds, curtains, assemblage of new furniture…
There are shoes that we no longer need, some of them still of a decent quality. If it is not possible to find a good home for them, perhaps we’ll sell some or donate them to a good charity.
Books and old school or paper work are a huge problem. As it is a family home, with five children, having what seems like a lot of useless papers floating about or taking up space in the cupboard under the stairs (which is set to become a cloakroom, shoe storage and some cleaning products can be kept there) and the storage cupboard upstairs is clutter and adds a chaotic element to a house with limited order, as it stands. I think we going to sell or donate most of the old school textbooks.
In theory I prefer a minimalist approach. I get really antsy in cluttered and disordered environments (as in, lacking a clear order), and mess and dirt make it worse. It’s not my home exclusively so it’s taking some negotiating.
My father used to throw other people’s things away, so that he could sort out his space. I guess he missed the memo that the trick was to correctly teach, discipline and guide his children to maintain their space.
We seem to have appliances that we haven’t used in years. Old electronics such as radio and CD players, some that my parents are just clinging onto with no explicit practical use i.e. broken or damaged. For example, my father has left a lot of his large professional copiers and printers and other odd parts for his business in the dining room and garage.
The attic was recently decked out for storage purposes. Getting outdoor storage in the form of cabinets is another thing that is required. It feels like there is much in the house that really serves no clear purpose or is kept ‘just in case’.
When the children/teenagers were younger, they used to draw, write, paint, what-have-you all over the walls. Some of the furniture and homeware is no good now unless repainted and cleaned and tended to i.e. new handles.
Now, with the kitchen, we have had talks of knocking the wall joining it with the dining room down to merge it into one huge room. This seems far down the line as the dining room is more like a storage room at the minute, though the kitchen IMO needs more immediate seeing-to.
As much of the painting is done, we need to clear things out before we can complete the floors and move on. Are there any advice, suggestions or useful tips; anything worth pointing out?
We’ve set aside a better part of the year, 6–12 months, for all the renovations. I’m worried that it will be difficult to maintain once complete due to the lackadaisical or undisciplined attitudes in the house. Even when I move out, the family home will still be that: the family’s.
[Note: I considered posting this in the 'Family Life' section so if it needs moving, it can be moved.]
It seems like mission impossible trying to get the home organised, but as Jordan Peterson says: Clean your room. Get your house in order.
