Hold my hand: pregnant and moving into a 1950s time machine

MandM90

Hello all,

Excuse the self indulgent post but I need motivation to prepare for winter in our new house and would love some words of wisdom.

We are waiting to exchange on a house that hasn't been updated since 1954. Think original 1950s kitchen with Formica surfaces, bakelite switches, strange wall mounted heaters in the bedrooms.

We are not sure how effective/safe the heating will be, so alongside electrics that's first on the list. We've also agreed to clear the house (lady has gone into a residential home) so will have the original 1950s appliances and furniture to sort/keep/sell/donate.

I'm pregnant right now and feel exhausted all the time. I have an 11 year old daughter and a full time job. Everyone is aiming to exhange and complete this month but I haven't started packing :eek:

Feeling very overwhelmed right now. Worried about not unsettling the cats, living in a building site, clearing the house efficiently, the house being freezing in winter, the cost of everything!

On the upside, we are so excited about the house itself. It's on a lovely private road which closes at least once a year for a bunting adorned street party, our 'neighbour' on one side will be ancient woodland, there is a freestanding garage (perfect for chest freezers and shelves full of preserves) and a much bigger garden backing onto an allotment site (which we're on the waiting list for)...perfect for getting some veg going.

Where do I start to prepare our family for this?

MandM90

Some pics of kitchen as I know some of you might be interested!

Artytarty

Congratulations! And wow! What a find!
Do you plan on changing it all to modern day standard and style or will you be embracing the retro feel?
My son was lucky enough to buy a house that included furniture and cupboard contents, cooler and washing machine etc. He charity shopped all the ornaments, reupholstered the suite and uses a few bowls etc.
He got rid of the beds but kept the wardrobes.

Artytarty

Any more pics of the other rooms? I know I'm not being much Leo! Sorry.
Can your partner start packing up?
I'd try to do at least a box or two a day and stack them all in one room.

The neighbourhood sound idyllic, very Enid Blyton with"bags of lettuce and lashings of ginger beer"!

Try to remember you only need to make it livable at first, not perfect for along time but you will probably feel,better if you plan a fresh clean space for your baby.
The cats will think they are in heaven, but I'd keep them in a night if possible.

MandM90

The kitchen will definitely stay as is for a few more years. I was thinking I might be able to respray the cabinetry and get some vinyl flooring down. The vinyl on the wall will have to go though, it's yellowing and peeling (and I hate it) so think we'll strip and paint.

We live in a town that was famous for furniture making and the house and garage is stuffed with parker knoll, G plan etc. Hoping to use some of it, but I'm likely not to keep the upholstered 3 piece suite and bedroom furniture as we have our own good quality stuff. I doubt anyone will be interested in ancient year old upholstered furniture (though I'll certainly try) so they may have to be skipped. The curtained kidney shaped dressing tables will go to a retro-loving home, I'm sure!

MandM90

Funnily enough we live round the corner from where Enid lived and my daughter goes as a day girl to the school her daughters went to, rumoured to be the inspiration for Mallory Towers (though not on a cliff unfortunately!)

Pictures of one of the first street parties on the street in 1953 (it's an avenue - the lime trees have been here long before the houses)





Photo of the street before the last party:



Bathroom:



Our bedroom:



Living room:



My daughter's new bedroom:



Dining room:



Garden (you can't see all of it in the photo, it's quite long):

coffeehound

That looks idyllic, MandM90, congrats. The lady was obviously very house-proud and kept everything immaculate. The bathroom basin and toilet are great -- are you going to keep them?

MovingForwards

The house looks great!

Good luck with the move and new baby when it comes

Artytarty

Gulp, turning green with envy here!
I adore the bathroom and first bedroom particularly.
You should be able to get £ for the Parker Knoll stuff and ag plan Ercol etc are very on trend right now.
I've got an identical wing back PK armchair! Very comfy.

Artytarty

What a fabulous family home, and lots of windows too,nice that the rooms have a bay window and a side window.
It would be hard to go wrong in this house, unless of course you stripped its character, which it doesn't sound like you will do.
Now, back on topic, what is the best plan to get you moved in smoothly?
Will you feel better once you make a start on packing up your existing house, I do know it's overwhelming.
I was young when we last moved and took it in my stride with three small kids but I started packing too soon and then didn't know where things were, didn't label as I thought I'd remember.
Came round here to see lady selling this house and she had taken a Valium and was lying on the dining room floor because the furniture had nearly all gone and she was so stressed!

oldhaggis

Congratulations on your pregnancy and forthcoming house move. The house looks absolutely stunning and has all the makings of a perfect forever home. I was in a similar position when we moved house 25 years ago because I had a health condition at the time which left me permanently exhausted. I tried to clear our old house of surplus "stuff" bit by bit and then called in the cavalry. I got a local removal firm to come and pack for me. It was money well spent and I would do certainly do it again. They brought all their own packaging materials and at one point there were 5 people in the house wrapping each individual glass in tissue paper. Not a single item got broken or mislaid and it didn't cost as much as I had originally envisaged.
Your cats will soon settle in and adore exploring the neighbouring woodland. Mine settled in to the new home almost immediately in spite of all the noisy home improvement works. I let her out after only a few days and seemed perfectly happy right from the start.
Enjoy your new home.