Does anyone's house look like a show-home?

[ThatFraggle]

If so, how do you do it?

There’s such an element of reverse snobbery about this.

It seems acceptable to treat very clean and organised home-owners with derision, while all the cool chicks jump in to let everyone know just how filthy their house is. All they need is to add #makingmemories

Yes! My friend’s is.
Her secret is she never ever stops moving. She flows round the house like water, cleaning, wiping, tidying as she goes.
So you go over and she feeds the kids lunch. They finish eating. Plates, cutlery etc straight in the dishwasher. Comes back with spray and a cloth, table gets done including under the vase/fruit bowl. Chairs get pulled out and wiped down. Back into kitchen and comes back with a hand held Hoover, floor get a Hoover. Floor sprayed and wiped if needed. Back into kitchen, cloth into machine, spray back under the sink. Makes us a tea, immediately any spills and drips are wiped up, teaspoon in dishwasher. She doesn’t have a bin, rubbish goes directly outside. She also repaints a LOT, so will come in from work and repaint a room and it’s no big deal, so everything always looks super fresh.
So basically yes you can do it but you’re never allowed to sit down.

Mine does, basically I have zero clutter so no ornaments etc. It always looks tidy. Toddler has ruined this somewhat 🤣

No we have dogs that loll on the sofas for a start. It's clean and tidy mostly with some very nice stuff in it but I couldn't be arsed and too busy doing interesting things to go further than that.
I know an interior designer, her house is black and white perfection, looks like something from a magazine, sumptuous and luxurious but without any soul.

My house is very tidy and organized (and as clean as it can be living in a hot country where doors and windows are permanently open). However it does not look like a showhome cos we aren't fans of buying new furniture when our old stuff is perfectly usable. So our furniture is a bit mismatched.

Also we aren't into "decor". We have beautiful original paintings on the walls. And family photos. But no vases, ornaments, indoor plants etc.

Yes, very neat, tidy and clean.
I can't stand mess.

The most showhome place I know belongs to an architect. The inside is beautiful. But no signs of the 2 children living there except 1 black and white arty photo of them.

My sisters house.
Everything is very neutral (even her clothes) & it all pretty much goes together.
Even if you grabbed a decoration from one of the bathrooms & stuck it in the living room it would look like it was meant to be there.
She relentlessly throws things away, she has almost no 'clutter', she lives with a Pomodoro timer & if she isn't working she's cleaning or deep cleaning one Pomodoro at a time & in between she's a really tidy person who never puts anything down except in it's proper place.

It was always like that & she has always worked full time, but it's easier now, as it's a lifelong habit for her & her kids are now grown up & have left home.

To be fair, if people are visiting she is really welcoming & doesn't mind them making a mess, but you'll find after you've gone to bed she'll be up putting it to rights so it's back to perfect in the morning.

Her last house sold in 2 days.
She just decided to sell, let them in, they took photos & the estate agents kept going on about how easy it would be to sell 'because it looks like a show home.'

Mine only looks good (but not really show home) when there are no kids in it.
For some reason I'm messier too when they are around.

People have said that about my home but usually it's ever so slightly acidic, it's not a compliment. There's an assumption I'm some sort of nutter who is forever cleaning and tidying but I'm really not.

We are 5 adults, 1 dog and I don't work. Every morning I do basics like cleaning the bathrooms, mop kitchen floor and let the Roomba go. I don't spend more than an hour on this.

Kitchen gets wiped as we go along and things are put away promptly. It's just not a big deal.

The main thing is that we have a lot of storage but also I'm quite ruthless about decluttering, so it's more to do with not accumulating crap or having it on display.

Yes, my house does look like a show home. But I have OCD and therefore not a thing can be out of place, nor anything be dirty. It’s exhausting maintaining these standards and eats significantly into my free time (I work full time). I would love to be more chilled out about the house for my DH and DS, but I can get very upset if it’s not perfect.

You spend 2.5 hours cleaning on Thurs, Sat and Sun?? Bathroom and kitchen every day? Mind just boggles tbh

She comes home from work and repaints a room?

Some people on this thread are coming across as a bit unwell.

Or am I a massive minger?

Watch irish home of the year on RTÉ to see how a show home is not a home. They make assessment on homes of the year that have absolutely nothing to do with what a home is.

I’m the opposite - my mind never stops and I use up so much energy overthinking every tiny thing.

I see the crumbs under the table and think about hoovering…or sweeping…with the big brush or the brush and pan…and that nice long handled set my mum got…and I wonder if I should get one…and I’d love a rug to define the dining area but imagine the maintenance…what colour would look right…and the living room needs painting… but I should really do the woodwork first…and what’s that burning smell…

I’m really jealous of people who can just move and flow. My energy gets used up sitting still and looking lazy. And my house reflects this.

This.

No. Not even tidy, it's got stuff and a pile of opened letters on the side dresser. But it's presentable, clean, uncluttered, because we all tidy as we go, put things away, regularly clean, hoover, put on a wash. It's easy.

My house isn’t a show home but I do like to clean and tidy before I have company and after they leave. But most of the time, I rarely tidy. I just make sure if I’m going to the kitchen, I take any plates and cutlery with me. I clean as I go when I cook but the sink is often full until the end of the day so I’m not constantly washing dishes and bowls.

I try to brush and mop once a week or every two weeks. For quick spills on the floor, I use a spray and a clean microfiber cloth. People often comment on how tidy my house as though I spend hours, but I really don’t. I do multitask a lot. Like I’d catch up with my mum and do any ironing or do some laundry etc. But most of the time, I have my feet up playing games or watching something or working on something work-related.

I don’t stress when other people’s kids make a mess or throw all the cushions on the floor or jump on beds but I know others might worry because the house is tidy etc. But I usually tidy once they leave. My house isn’t big so it doesn’t take much effort to tidy because I don’t have a lot of clutter. However, I have piles of paperwork stored away that I need to get to and recycle etc.

No, Thank goodness

No, my house is an absolute tip. I can't keep on top of it and I live with a hoarder. It's depressing to be honest.

This! I can completely relate. I just don't have to motivation to care anymore as it's all left to me anyway.

My sister has a 3800 sq ft designer home. Her husband is a retired commercial real estate broker.
Large corner lot, beautifully landscaped, pool with rock waterfall.
They had a professional designer decorate it.
It looks like the designer - not them.
Everything is perfect.
Everything is just right.
Everything is gorgeous.
It makes me uncomfortable.
It makes me feel like I have to sit on the edge of my seat and keep my hands in my lap.
It’s really magazine worthy gorgeous.
Not one thing I could criticize, except that it makes me uncomfortable, like I don’t belong there. I probably don’t.

Lol no. I work full time, have a small child and find cleaning exceptionally boring. We also have very little storage and too much stuff, and no desire to prioritise decluttering over doing enjoyable things. I really don't understand the thought process of cleaning rather than doing something you enjoy.

Its not a show home but always clean and tidy. I work full time, but do things as i go along. I hate clutter and all that is the the office, belongs to DH. I dont keep things just incase.

No but it's clean and tidy 'enough'. DCs 6 and 8 and we both work full time. I don't have a set cleaning schedule but if something looks like it needs a clean it'll get done. I don't dust so there will be piles in dust in places but again, if it's visible and looks bad it'll get sorted at some point. Bare minimum basically.

Each to their own of course but whenever I visit a showhome level of tidiness I always get Hyacinth Bucket vibes, and I'm the lady next door forever petrified of spilling my coffee.