Going to de-scruffy my house. Anyone want to join me?

[hyperhops]

Ok, so I have decided I have had enough of living in a constantly "scruffy" house. I keep on top of basic cleaning/tidying (sometimes!) but house never looks good because of all those "little jobs" that need doing. You know the sort of thing: skirting boards need painting, lightshades (glass) need washing, walls need painting etc....
Now it may be only me who has been a general slattern for far too many years (and can only think about it now cause my youngest is 6 and I can finally turn my back on him for about 10 mins at a time!)and has so much of this stuff to do...but I thought a thread would inspire me to chip away at it bit by bit and wondered if anyone wanted to join?

I'm not going for show home standard here - just want to feel better about the house and to enjoy spending time in it. Will have to be done in stages due to time and money!

My list of what I've done over past 4/6 weeks:

Changed rusty shower rail in bathroom

bought new shower curtain

sorted airing cupboard and threw out scruffy towels

bought new towels

took down tatty mirror in bathroom

bought and put up nice new mirror in bathroom

took down stupid extendible mirror from en-suite and bought and put up lovely new mirror

bought some nice pot pouri for en-suite

bought new wardrobe and drawers for ds1 bedroom (and dh assmebled)

bought new cushions for lounge (others been washed far too many times!)

washed all walls and woodwork


and today I have:
re-painted blackboard wall in the hall
painted window sill and radiator in little ones room


Jobs still to do:
buy new chalk for blackboard wall
paint all ceilings(!)
fit new taps to bath (plumber coming Thursday yay!)
buy and fit new bath panel
find decent picture for dining room wall
find decent picture for bedroom wall
sand and repaint upstairs bannister
paint landing walls
buy new wardrobes for dd1 and 2 room
buy drawers for dd1 and 2
buy new desk for dd1
paint old desk to give to dd2
buy new desk and chair for ds1
paint lounge and bedrooms skirting boards
get lounge carpet cleaned
need new carpet for all of upstairs but not sure when funds will allow!
buy and fit door strip between lounge and dining room
finish painting front door ( has been half done for 6 months!)
paint another coat of floor paint on stairs

sure I'll think of more but it's a good list to start with. This will be a long term project over months/years but hoping it will keep me motivated not to just sit there moaning about how scruffy my house is!

[RunDougalRunQuiteFast]

I've got a list very like that - our house is old and very tatty at the moment! I realised it recently when I took a little video clip of DD being very cute, then realised I couldn't show it to anybody as she's standing in front of a doorway thatis all bashed and chipped and looks hideous! I got fed up of the bathroom recently so painted it a new colour, put down new floor tiles and sorted out our weird collection of towels, so that looks a lot better now. I can't change the hideous old tiles but they're not too bad I suppose.

Have also realised that DH painted the hall and halfway (!) up the stairs just before DS was born - he's 9 now and it hasn't been finished off! Aagh!

I will take inspiration from you, and make a master list, room by room.

[hyperhops]

Hi rundougal I know what you mean about the video. If I take a pic of dc inside that I may show to anyone I have to position them very carefully to avoid the worst scruffy house bit!
and yes our hall/landing has been half repainted many times and never done properly in 11 years! Finally managed to stairs and hall before Christmas but landing walls and upstairs bannister is still waiting!
I thinks making a list will really help me to actually get on with it!

[hyperhops]

run how is the list going?

Last night I sanded half of the upstairs bannister. Hoping to get other half done tonight but am working till 7 s who knows! My aim is to get it sanded and primed by the weekend. Then maybe painted over weeknd (although have busy weekend so may spill into next wekend too) then next job I think will be to paint landing walls- should take too long.

Anyone else want to play?!?

[hyperhops]

shouldn't take too long

[RunDougalRunQuiteFast]

I think we're on our own here!! DH finally finished off the last of the bathroom (putting up a couple of hooks and redoing the silicone in the shower). I'm not going to start reprinting till the umber school hols begin, as I have a couple of mindees here after school and they're large boys with clunky shoes and scratchy school bags so absolutely no point doing anything till they're gone!

Am meditating on my list - bedrooms were done quite recently so they're ok, front garden needs a good going over, front door and garage / side door need painting, hall, stairs and landing .... Aagh!!

[Kif]

I've been doing this all week - but somehow given up today.
The trouble is, there is so much cleaning every
Day. Improvement mean nothing without the constant keeping-nice.

[RunDougalRunQuiteFast]

I know Kif! I spent four and a half hours doing the house top to bottom on Monday, and did anybody notice?!! The routine stuff takes up about half of all my time, and that's without the garden, walking the dog, minding kids ...

[hyperhops]

evening all and welcome Kif!
I know what you mean about the cleaning, I just about get one room sorted - walls and doors painted etc..then the pesky kids wipe grubby hands all over it so all needs washing down etc...and with 6dc and 2 dogs sometimes I really think Im fighting a loosing battle!
I'm actually seriously considering getting a cleaner in. Ideally I will get all "extra" jobs and ecorating done then get a cleaner to help me stay on top of it... not really sure finances will stretch to it but we will see.
There is just never enough tie is there? This evening for instance I finished work then collected kids from school. Home for drink and snack. Baked buns with dc for cake sale at school. Cleaned up chaos. made dinner. fed dc . cleaned up chaos. read and practiced phonics with ds2.
Now got to drop dd 3 and 4 at cubs and walk dogs, and sort and put away 2 loads of washing. THEN I may get around to finishing sanding the upstairs bannister but it isn't looking to hopeful - I knackered already LOL

[hyperhops]

have sanded second half of bannisters - yay!
ready to start primer tomorrow maybe - although also have buns to ice and plumber coming tomorrow evening so we shall see!

[RunDougalRunQuiteFast]

Blimey, how do you get anything done with six kids?! I'm bad enough and I only have two (and two after schoolers, a dog and three cats ...)

[Kif]

Wow - great progress!

[hyperhops]

Run, this is why I've got nothing done for years!

Ok, so plan for tonight is first coat of primer on banisters. Do also have to ice cakes for tomorrow, put away loads of little ones clothes, sort 2 loads of laundry and sweep and mop dining room floor....plus reading and phonics practice, plus the plumber is coming to fit new taps...hmmm could be a late night!

[hyperhops]

OK, have put undercoat on 3/4 of upstairs banister ( then sadly ran out of paint so need to get more tomorrow) and painted front door that was startred in December (though think it will need another coat)
Have sadly now realised that ALL upstairs woodwork needs painting so need to add that to the list
Ideally over weekend would like to :
Finish undercoat on banisters
do first top coat on banisters
start painting landing walls

have quite a lot else of everyday stuff to fit in too though so will see how it goes!

kif have you been inspired to tackle any more yet?
run how's it going?

[RunDougalRunQuiteFast]

I need tips from you on how to keep kids away from wet paint - I have visions of children and cats stuck to the banisters! Not getting much house stuff done at the mo, our school fair is in two weeks and I'm the main organiser so concentrating n that and ignoring the state of the house at the moment! Will find a notebook and go room by room this weekend.

[hyperhops]

run yes, keeping kids and animals away from paint is a challenge! wasnt too bad this morning(when I finally got round to doing banisters) as they were all at school,but have done landing skirting boards and 4/6 doors this evening - and that is proving challenging!!
good luck with the summer fair, that sounds a big project!

have made a good start on landing paintwork. it helps that carpet is ruined anyway and we need a new one so I don't have to be too careful!

tomorrow am going to buy more undercoat for banisters and some more paint to do landing walls(thought we had some left from hall but seems not ) think I'll feel much better once I at least get the landing done!