A House Into A Home

I've mainly talked about cleaning out and cleaning up a house in the best possible ways. And I know this has been on how to be brutal with yourself; how to be harsh and how to send off your unwanted goodies/stuff to your chosen charities.

But I haven't talked about how to turn your house into a home - not yet.

It's okay to look around the charity store. It's okay to buy something you really want there. The only thing you have to remember is this: do you have the space for what you're going to buy? Also, what kind of feel do you want for your house? 

For mine, I'm going for a 1970's kind of home, and it's getting there. Yes, it's got knick-knacks from that era everywhere, and I'm taking away anything that's 1980's and 1990's and sending them to the charity store. While I'm there in the store, I'm looking for 1970's gear to take my place right back into that era.

But my 70's era home isn't yours. 

Remember exactly what you're looking for in your mind for your place, your home and how you want to feel when you come home from the outside world. Your home is your retreat from out there... it's your place of escape and when you open your front door and walk inside, you should feel relaxed by your surroundings, not feel as though you want to run away to another place. 

When I arrived home, after being at volunteering for the afternoon, or art class in the mornings, I love to open the door and know that where I am is a good place. It's where I can relax, I can kick off my shoes and enjoy the space I've created through op-shopping. It's what I've done for myself through decluttering for over 4 years... yes it's taken time (a lot of time), but it's been worth it! 

And it's still going on - the decluttering - and I'm making sure that when I do finally move into a house, I take only what I need with me and not any junk I've been hoarding just in case. 

So, how are you going with your decluttering and changing of your home? I'm pleased with how far I've come with mine over the last 5 years... share with us how you're going; even if you feel as though it's getting nowhere. 

Gumtree Nibble!

I got a nibble on an advert on Gumtree! Recently, I scored myself a phone-seat from Browns Plains Life Line Supa Store and replaced the tiny little set of drawers that was overloaded with crap from my life there. Not only did it start my house looking like the era I wanted it to look, but it also meant I had to get rid of the set of drawers. 

So, as soon as I cleaned up the phone-seat and made it at home in its new place, I set to work and cleaned the set of drawers completely. It was a bigger job than I expected, but once I got it done, I took photos and put it up on Gumtree for $15.00. Within 48 hours, I received an email from a lady who asked me if anyone had shown any interest in it... then the next thing I knew I had paused the advert.

Now, my other adverts for my lounge, coffee table and the 80's hat stand haven't moved. Nobody has shown any interest in any of them. So, I'm thinking that the prices for these things are too high. After the 4 weeks is up on the Gumtree adverts for these things, I'll put them back up again, with shorter descriptions and lower prices. 

If I still can't move them after two weeks, I'll get Life Line to collect them... I'm not holding onto these things for any longer than that. I have no use for them and would rather somebody take them away. However, I'd would much rather make some money from them instead. 

In the meantime, I've moved the coffee table and cleaned it up so I can get in and use the nice side table I scored from the Salvo's at Logan Central. Then, today, I'm going to get in and do a good clean out of the living room, so when the time does come to get the lounge out, not much has to be done to move the furniture around to get it out. 

But I am looking forward to finding a second living room chair for my place... once I've sold the lounge, I'll do just that! And it's going to be from a charity store; I'm finding the ones on Gumtree are too expensive. 

My Living Room - Part Two

Okay, I know I said that Gumtree is supposed to be our friend... a great place to sell things - and also buy things - but it's also a very slow process as well.

I'm only 2 weeks into the selling process and the main items I want to get rid of are sticking around like glue and the things I'm not fussed about hanging around are zooming out the door at rock bottom prices.

Oh well, can't win 'em all!

I am decluttering as things show up in my house though; and that's a good thing. I've begun preparing the coffee table for transportation; and started using the side table I bought - and cleaned up - today. The little white table by the door will be refurbished and sold on Gumtree for more than what I bought it for. Then, after three weeks, I'll reduce the prices of the other furnishings and see if I get a nibble... or redo the adverts altogether at a lower price and see what happens. 

During this time, I'll be decluttering the living room in the big way, so it all can be moved out. I also will be looking at making cushion covers out of old t-shirts. I've seen this on the 'I Love to Op-Shop' Facebook page. It's not a hard thing to do, and all you need to do is make small pillow slip - and I can do that. I just need to buy a second-hand t-shirt from a Life Line or a Vinnies and fit it onto my cushions... yep, it ought to be fun!

Well, I'm still looking for a hall table - without any luck - and once I have sold everything else, I'll be able to find what I'm looking for at other Life Line Supa Stores further afield. Otherwise, I hope to work out more around my house and see where I can get another chair - as I only have one - once the sofa-bed goes. 

Yes, I've been busily working away in my house and looking at other furnishings; like the phone-seat I scored at Browns Plains for $40, replacing the set of drawers I'm selling for $15 on Gumtree (hopefully) on Friday. I've paused the advert until that day to see if it all works out. Let's hope it does! So, how is your decluttering going? Slow and steady, or quickly? Leave a comment and let us all know.

Decluttering and Cluttering Simultaneously

Right now, I feel as though I'm living in a storage room, and not a town house. I'm storing a lounge, a coffee table, a set of drawers and an old 80's hat stand for hopeful buyers on Gumtree... then I've got other furniture sitting around waiting to be used for when all that furniture's gone.

Yes, I've been op-shopping so when the sales go through, and I've banked the money, I'll have something to use in my place.

But it's the inbetween times that is always the toughest, the most stressful, and hardest. It's that time when you're waiting for the bites with your adverts online - thinking that nobody's looking at your items - and yet not knowing if anyone will like them.

However, when I bought this lovely phone-seat today at the Life Line SuperStore at Browns Plains, I knew I'd be getting rid of the old set of drawers immediately. It's just something I find I'm doing more and more as I'm getting into living in the way of Peter Walsh. 
I'm throwing out envelopes as soon as I open them. Junk mail doesn't make it onto the kitchen table - it goes straight into the bin - and I'm making sure the Sunday Mail is thrown out before the next Sunday paper is bought; so I don't clutter up the area next to the television. 

Okay, I've had a few drawbacks - who doesn't? - but I'm going well with my house. After the living room gets the retro-fitting it deserves, I'm going to hit the wardrobe and sort out the clothes I no longer want or fit into and donate them. Yep, It's a matter of making sure I keep it as neat as I can without thinking I have too much crap. 

It's Been A While...

I've been working on my living room.

Seriously, it's just too small - not in size, but in what I have in it. There's a 3-seater lounge and a large coffee table; and they seem to take up everything! So, I'm going to sell them both and buy 2 single retro chairs and a nest of tables. Yep, I'm downsizing to make my lounge room look smaller.

I hope this works out.

So far, I've been to a few Life Line Super-Stores and found my first chair; buying it for $20. Now, to get in and sell the lounge so I can get in and use the chair. And once I've sold the lounge, I'll get in and sell the coffee table.

However, there's going to be a lot of cleaning up first... I still have to clean out the coffee table and put away a lot of things from the lounge (the latter won't take long). And the one thing that will keep me on my toes is that I can't just dump things on the chairs; I have to put them away. 

So, how is your cleaning out going? Mine is big - but I'm still taking it one day at a time.