Prosperous soul, mortgage neutrality & creativity Year 2

savingholmes

Thanks Beanie.

I have had lots of prolonged breaks too. I'm cancelling swimming tomorrow though. 

Just sliced my hand open with pruners. So frustrating. It stopped bleeding relatively quickly so hopefully that's a good sign. It gave me a shock more than anything. I need to find some antiseptic to put on though as who knows where those pruners have been

In practice my focus today has been the garden. I'm just going to have to accept that my list will probably take weeks to do if not months!! Unfortunately my cleaner isn't due to come this week either. I think I'll set the earliest viewings to Saturday so that it gives me more time to get ready.

This evening I've focused on kerb appeal - which meant mowing the lawn, pruning an apple tree in a centre island in the lawn and chopping back or pulling out some of the other contents to make room for two white dahlias and a purple salvia. I've moved a blue pot that has lavender, busy lizzies, petunias and a standard pale pink fuschia in it to be closer to the path. I've reduced the height of the sea holly and cut back a clematis and a whole load of shrubs. I have a tall pink flower blooming down the side of the front lawn and some purple-blue ones I don't know the name of. 

Listening to a staging video - I'm tempted to put a couple of chairs out the front on the lawn and show it as another possible seating area. I'm in a very leafy cul-de-sac so it makes more sense than it might appear. That corner is sheltered and obscured from others' view unless people are literally walking/driving to the two houses to the other side of me. 

Now I'm over the shock - I need to go and put all my gardening stuff away as I'm not doing any more of that tonight.

skint_spice

Hope it heals quickly!

beanielou

Hope that it heals soon.
Good idea on the table.

Starlight_at_Sea

Another one sending healing wishes your way! Also wanted to say thank you for sharing the thoughtful way you are preparing - staging as you are doing is not something I would have considered, beyond tidying up...it's been really insightful thank you! 

savingholmes

Thanks Skint, Beanie and Starlight.

I tried doing more pruning and re-opened the cut - so then had to be good and just put stuff away. I've used a special wipe to clean it and it has now dried again which is good. 

I now need to wash off all the grime (off my feet) from having power washed outside. Paths and patio look hugely better though.

Starlight - I think by nature I'm a perfectionist with an ADHD brain. I.e. know what to do, but struggle to execute. I'd also keep postponing / avoiding the listing go live date by nature - but feel I need to stop procrastinating if I'm ever to get my valley home or equivalent.

lucielle

Ouch to the cut!  Your garden does sound lovely. 

L

jwil

Hope the cut heals quickly.  You've made loads of progress again.

savingholmes

savingholmes said:

The list below is all the odd jobs and clutter still to resolve. I won't get it all done - but I'll do more than if I didn't list it. 

Garden

• Finish power washing
• Weed (selected parts only)
• Plant new plants (mostly done)
• Do something with compost bin as packaging soaked - moved so less in view
• Water plants
• Tidy hose back away 
• Mow front lawn
• Ideally paint back door step  *** WHITE PAINT *** 
• Ideally paint part of shed

Entrance

• Hide wrapping paper from corner (could put in coat cupboard) 
• Move hat off radiator (could put in coat cupboard) 
• Tidy and clean shoe cupboard
• Remove carp from on top and just leave plant
• Rehome painting from floor
  

Lounge

• Move white desk and a small cupboard to garage or upstairs.
• Find a home for what's on or inside it. Rehome crate - check contents. 
• Decide what to do with paintings 
• Move plant table where the desk currently is.
• Ideally buy a new lamp shade as the one there is too small and therefore looks wrong.
• Move mosaic mirror to DD's room 

WFH Space/Study/Garden Office

• Find home for all carp on desk and by the radiator
• Make printer cupboard shut properly. Resolve shelves so don't keep collapsing. Potentially put some stuff inside it!

Utility 

• Find home for remaining counter items in utility - e.g. cat food, washing powder, kids photo, washing pegs, paintings etc. Alternatively just move for photo.

Kitchen

• Hide DD's juice bottles (could be just for photo if needed and then could put back). (See if will fit in her FF or the cupboard in the garage.
• Hide cling film, foil etc - should fit in cupboard to right of the sink.
• Ideally paint window sill  *** WHITE PAINT *** 

Fourth bedroom/Craft room

• Dress the room for the photo. Hide what can in wardrobe. Deal with longer term decluttering at leisure later.
• Fill holes in wall as not going to put shelves back up.
• (Later - Try and sell shelves.)

My bedroom

• Sort remaining corner - perhaps put stuff in crate for now and find somewhere to hide it
• Ideally clean crystals on ceiling lamp as dusty

Ensuite & family bathroom

• Find a solution for the photo & viewings for all the toiletries.
• See if can get latex paint off vinyl floor

DS's old room

• Resolve my carp I hid in there for the previous valuation (worst case remove for photo then put back)
• Make room for toy box from landing
• Get floor lamp into corner instead of where DS put it
• Move bedside table back next to bed
• Clear out old text books - put in crate for charity drop off with other crate in the morning on the way to/back from swim)
• Clear corner next to wardrobe and the top of wardrobe
• Remove desk

Landing contents

• Ideally paint landing window sill  *** WHITE PAINT *** 
• Move toybox to end of DS's bed
• Move any remaining carp to wardrobe of fourth bedroom or bin / donate

DD's room

• Find a crate or something to put all her surface clutter in

Everywhere needs a hoover. Ideally I'd clean the floors but doubt I'd have time.

I moved my lounge paintings around yesterday and freed up some wall space. Yesterday, I started to move the white desk with carp still on it out of the corner so it was easier to get it. I knocked over a mini table underneath and coffee went everywhere. I took it as a sign and mopped up and went to bed. Next I need to move the cupboard in the corner. I also need to clean the wall. In an ideal world I'd paint the skirting as they look like they were missed when the rest of the room was done but just have to hope when I put the easy chair and plant table in the corner that people won't notice it.

So much left to do. Going to try and ignore my ADHD brain and just focus on one item / area at a time. I'm going to have breakfast and then resolve the cupboard, contents and crate and then the desk top. I might keep the cupboard in here but just turn it around so the red doors show again. I can then store some things in it which is always useful. Otherwise it would be useful in my art room.

lucielle

15 minutes at a time. 

L

skint_spice

lucielle said:

15 minutes at a time. 

L

I find thinking this way helps a lot although I rarely stop when the 15 minute alarm goes off!