To get really down about the state of my house sometimes?

[FuckaDucky]

And ask you for any tips about making it a nicer place to be?

Moved in 2 years ago with a view to giving it new carpets and a lick of paint. However since we moved it it’s become clear that’s not going to cut it...

There is damp everywhere, making plaster fall off the walls in the living room, covering every room in mould. It’s in my kids toy storage. The wallpaper is literally falling off the walls.

One of the dc’s windows doesn’t close because it’s broken. The kitchen door fell off the top hinge last week so now it doesn’t close (and the bastarding fire alarm goes off every time I use the grill).

Curtain rails in 3 rooms are broken and hang down at one end.
The carpets are stained and the Lino in the kitchen is falling to bits.

There isn’t enough storage so there is clutter EVERYWHERE. DH is resisting buying any more furniture as we are hoping to have the money to do it up next year and ‘we’ve managed up until now’

I’m at home with 2dc all week and sometimes the state of the place really gets me down

not surprised you're unhappy you're there most of the time ! are you renting ?

no wonder you're fed up being amongst it all the time. are you renting ?

*sorry about doubling up

Do you own or rent? Just there is a difference in what you can do. If you're going to do it up anyway could you spend some of the money now on things you'll do anyway. Such as storage furniture. I get where you're coming from, my home being nice and functional really effects my wellbeing.

Try a dehumidifier or those cheap ones with crystals in. That should help the damp. Carpet cleaner - Tesco hires them out for stains. Wilkos has some cheapish curtain tracks etc. Even fixing a few little things can raise your spirits .

If you own what is stopping you from tackling these issues?

If you bought it and its damp - what did the survey say ?

Wow, that sounds like a difficult situation. The damp and the clutter need to be tackled. Is your dh resistant to getting rid of things?

Curtain rails are easy to put up and are relatively inexpensive.

i'm more thinking about getting the landlord to sort out the damp for starters as that is very unhealthy, then look at the bigger situation, with repairs, how has this gone on for 2 years though ?

@littlechocola - the op says why we are hoping to have the money to do it up next year

Sort the mould. It's bad for you.

Then instead of waiting, do one room at a time.

It is worth repairing the broken curtain rails and kitchen cupboard now.

You can get big plug-in dehumidifiers for about £50-80. You put it in a room for 24-48 hours then move it to next room. If you keep rotating it, you should see an improvement in the damp.

Buy anti-black mould spray cleaner or use weak bleach solution to wipe it down.

Sorry, posted too soon.
Long term, it needs sorting. If rental - get onto the landlord or agent and really kick up a fuss. If it's mortgaged, you could check on your house insurance to see if it can cover it. But you do need to get a builder/damp expert in to assess it.
Meanwhile, having windows open a fraction is quite good. And do go out as often as possible.

OP can you carry out some of the repairs yourself, completing little jobs will help.
Don't buy more storage for clutter, can you do a massive clear out, dump what you won't use this year.
Get the kitchen door repaired and curtain pools a few screws will sort it, it would dry me mad doors, poles hanging off, plus it is hazardous.
Start a list and work off it.

After you scrub damp, maybe use gloss paint ans give it a quick wipe with baby oil around window frames, it holds damp and rust away for much longer.

Mould can cause serious health problems particularly for children! If renting it would be best to move or get the landlord to supply dehumidifiers. What's causing the damp, is it fixable? If left untreated it will rot the window frames etc.

Curtain rails are cheap to replace, just fiddly. Can you get a friend to fix the door?

Honestly I wouldn't bother painting or 'doing it up' until you've fixed the mould issue.

I lived in a student flat that was damp and mouldy, my clothes smelt of mould, things at the back of the wardrobe got covered in white mildew. Slugs would regularly appear on the hall carpet. It was grim. Mould is very toxic, I'd treat that as a priority before you worry about making it look nice!

HG mould spray is excellent. If the paper is falling off the walls I'd pull it all off. Open the windows every day and sort some storage, look on free groups for that.

Mould Is dangerous as can be a broken window in a child's room. I'd be working all hours, even if it meant nights around DH to raise the money for the sake of the chidren.

Own - no sign of damp when we moved in but it’s been empty with the heating left on for a while - and newly wallpapered in parts which perhaps should have been a giveaway!

I had a dehumidifier in an old rented house but it cost £5 per day to run

Thanks for the baby oil tip I will definitely try that. YY to mould spray too - there’s just so much of it I don’t know where to start!

Windows are all open a crack now but in winter it was so cold I couldn’t 🥶

Definitely could do with a good clear out - DH is ok with getting rid of stuff but it’s finding the time with 2 under 3’s! Will have to make time

This is the kind of state it’s in

I really recommend trying to tackle little jobs - don't get swept away by trying to sort everything out in one go.
The damp - you need to tackle the issue otherwise it will continue - is it fundamental coming up through the walls or is it just poor ventilation. Where is the original source of the wetness? If you know, say here and people can probably then give tips.
Take one broken thing a day and do something about it - remove the broken bit, go on to google and see what your options are - live without it, fix or replace...
Declutter - half the people I know think storage will improve their lives and yes it often will but its much easier to sort storage when you have got rid of the excess. Tackle a small bit everyday - a drawer, a cupboard, a table top...

you need to find out what is causing the damp, it could be that you have air bricks around the ground level that need clearing of soil, weeds etc, check out your guttering and make sure it it clear and rain water run can away properly - you may be surprised that the problem is easily fixed.

You need to tackle the damp.

This stuff is really good www.amazon.co.uk/TOUPRET-HUMI-STOP-Anti-damp-treatment-x/dp/B004YOHX3A?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

What's under the lino and carpets? I slapped on floor paint and had rugs until I could afford to get carpet fitted - I didn't have time/energy to sand down the floorboards and varnish them, although did that in the hallway.

Humidifiers shouldn’t cost that much to run, and you will get some of that cost back because it will be easier to heat the house. Where do you dry your washing? Do you have an extractor fan in the kitchen and bathroom? There’s no point in trying to solve the cosmetic problem without solving the damp problem.

Things like the curtain rails/door and window - if you or DH aren't very handy, do you have any friends or family who are, who might fix them for you for a couple of drinks and some gratitude, or could you scrape together enough for a handyman for a couple of hours? YouTube is pretty good for how to guides if you're willing to give it a shot.