Or is it impossible to have a perfect house

[Senoritaono]

I have a pretty small house and one DC. Everything except the kitchen is in nice enough condition I think, although we haven't changed the decor since we moved in. Seeing everyone's homes on video calls has made me feel like everyone has a beautiful home and mine feels quite shabby by comparison! Do people just show off the best bit of their homes with a lovely bookshelf behind them or are other people doing constant maintenance and decorating to keep everything perfect all the time? My kitchen is old and really needs replaced and the cheap linoleum floor that the last owner put in is a mess! Always planned to replace it but DD came along and there was never time to make big plans. The garden needs work - mainly just concrete and want to put some grass down for DD to play on. Bathroom needs painted since a new shower was put in last year and some ceiling paint flaked off when some tiles were removed to let the plumber get access. Are your homes always immaculate? How do you keep on top of it all? Not sure how we will be able to get a anyone in to do anything while Covid is around either!

[WanderingMilly]

My home is immaculate....now, but not then.
The reasons? Many. When I had a family years ago, we had a huge house, I could hardly keep on top of it cleaning wise, and I had the children to look after too. Children make a lot of mess, it doesn't stop with teenagers. Even worse if you add pets. As a young family, time was spent in making endless meals, lots of visitors, partner unavailable to help owing to building his career. In addition we had no money either.

I'm now near retirement age. I have more money, only work part-time hours and that's just for company (pre-COVID). I live alone in a small flat, no-one messes up the place. I don't eat much, so not lots of time spent cooking. Fewer visitors too. I have all the time in the world to clean and, since I'm not that busy these days, happily potter about with the vacuum and a duster.

In fact, written like that, it all sounds quite sad. Rejoice in your chaotic household!!

[CoRhona]

@WanderingMilly there are five of us in our house and trust me, yours doesn't sound 'sad' at all - it sounds a haven of peace and tranquility

[thenightsky]

Nah. I try, but DH is dyspraxic so nothing stays nice for long. Pretty much everything is cracked or chipped or just damaged in some way due to his clumsiness. Things like furniture legs, door frames etc... splintered and dented due to him smashing the hoover into them. I'm down to my last decent wine glass. Tiles cracked from having things dropped onto them.

Yesterday I actually wept a little when he cracked my lovely new giant lean-to bedroom mirror that I'd spent £200 on. Practicing karate kicks in front of it and misjudged the distance.

[Raella50]

We prioritise our house over other things because it’s important to us. That means spring time, money and effort on decorating, redecorating, choosing stylish furniture, watching house shows and finding new house/ garden projects a lot. Our house is exactly to our taste I’m very proud of it so we like hosting at ours. If that’s not your thing, you won’t prioritise trust over other things and that will shownon your house. Different people just make different choices. I wouldn’t worry about it OP.

[copperoliver]

If you are unhappy redecorate one room at a time. X

[nokidshere]

What's the phrase? "Only dull people have immaculate homes."

🙄

[Kvala]

I think kitchens which have recently been refurbished and book cases are often used as backdrops because they look good but the rest of the house is in chaos. I'm regularly in Zoom meetings with a colleague who sits in a very glamorous looking kitchen with immaculate cupboards and appliances behind her. I also see the family photos that she posts on Facebook and know that the rest of her house looks nothing like that.

[CMMum88]

@Covert19 😂

[HasaDigaEebowai]

I am very into interior design but there are still many areas in the house that need sorting out - and by the time you've done it all somewhere needs freshening up again. When DH does zoom calls I make him sit in one of two particular places where the nice wallpaper is behind him

[cyclingmad]

My house is now 95% perfect just need to redo the downstairs toilet and bathroom but even they aren't bad it looks out of style compared to the rest of the house.

I painted all my rooms myself including ceilings. I did invest in an interior designer to help with furniture and room designs and was worth every penny.

You can easily do things on low budget like paint the bathroom and ceiling yourself. You can get some fake grass to cover your concrete and some plant pots with flowers for colour.

[questionsquesiotionsquestions]

We moved into our flat 4 years ago and painted one small wall. We’ve decided to sell so I’ve painted most of the flat and we’ve done up the garden. I’m so surprised how cheaply and quickly we’ve pulled it together.
But what else is can you do in lockdown?
I doubt in our normal day to day life we would have ever found the time!

[sassbott]

Why do you need someone round to paint a bathroom or lay Lino? Both are simple DIY jobs.

My house is far from immaculate but each spring I get a list of jobs up that I want to get through that year. Unless you have money to burn paying someone else to decorate (I don’t), I’m with the posters saying if you do little parts each year, you stay on top of it. Otherwise I do think over time that tired paintwork etc starts to make anyone’s house look grubby.

[OurChristmasMiracle]

I moved about 6 months ago and mine was freshly decorated, carpeted and new kitchen and bathroom when I moved in so it probably does look show homey. I’m a single person on my own. No kids at home and I clean up behind myself. It’s not a massive space but it does almost always look spotless.

[cyclingmad]

Also I dont have too much stuff, not quite a minimalist but it does help to keep my house looking 'showroom' ready, then again I like walking into a room and its look like that so yes i might live comfortably but end of the night the throw on the sofa is out back, cushions put back in right place and when I wake up in the morning and come down it makes me smile as it looks beautiful

[Wiaa]

My house always looks untidy and shabby, it stays looking tidy for all of 5 minutes. I've no idea how people keep everything looking pristine. As for decorating we've not long finished the last room and the first rooms done look shabby again now. As it happens we're having an extension soon and every room except the bathroom and ds4 room will need redecoration. It never ends

[SerenDippitty]

What's the phrase?

"Only dull people have immaculate homes."

Or

“Better a house unkept than a life unlived”

[BeatrixPottersAlterEgo]

@thenightsky i bloody well hope he is intending to replace it!

[Ravenclawgirl]

I don't trust houses that look immaculate. It makes me think the people who live there have no soul

This

[Weebitawks]

Well we moved into our house when in was new 3 years ago, so everything was pretty spot on when we moved and it was just a case of decorating it to our taste. The walls were white so we didn't have to rush around.

Some of the walls we haven't painted are quite grubby

I most definitely pick a good spot for video calls.

[NotMeNoNo]

My video calls have a carefully staged and tidied background. If I turned the camera the other messy side of the room would be revealed. Dont be taken in by staging or virtual backgrounds!

[Bluntness100]

I’m not sure all the slinging of insults at folks with nice homes is having the desired effect to be honest, I’m fairly sure it’s back firing 🤣🤣🤣

[cyclingmad]

Or maybe those with immaculate houses just keep it that way, it isnt hard to do if you sint have much stuff cluttering up areas and I clean as I go. When I use something I out it back instead of leaving it lying about

Doesnt mean I dont have a soul I just do things differently

[PipGirl404]

Comparison is the thief of joy!

If you're happy in your house and it's comfortable and you enjoy it - stuff it looking perfect!

I have what folk would call a "show home" type house. It's always clean and immaculate but that's because that is what makes me happy - but that changes! Some weeks it's a shambles and there's stuff everywhere and I just can't be arsed with it being tidy.

Roll with what makes you happy at the time is about all we can do.

[SerenDippitty]

I do a weekly Pilates class via zoom and I make damn sure all that's visible is my fireplace.

[geojojo]

We bought recently and bought a project because of its potential and amazing location. We don't have enough savings to make it perfect now so it will be a slow renovation, however I am getting really into interior design and have found ways of doing things cheaply and learning new skills. Before this house I wasn't massively bothered about how my house looked as long as it was clean and tidy and would have rather spend money on holidays or clothes. I follow this guy on Instagram who said that you should just put things in your house which bring you joy rather than to be fashionable or please others. I'm trying to live by that! As long as you are happy - people prioritise their money in different ways.