To ask how much I can realistically achieve in 4 days?

[Ajaxe]

I'm off work for most of next week.

I have what feels like 1001 jobs to do at home. I started making a list but it was overwhelming...but to give you some idea:

I started decorating my hallway and stairs last year but never finished it, I need to gloss all the woodwork on the stairs, paint all the doors and architraves, need to do some filling round one of the door frames...

I need to completely decorate my spare room (which I use as an office) and another room downstairs needs doing, and there's some other finishing off/touching up to do in the living room.

Then I've got a load of stuff in the box room (some pots I got to recycle, other things that need fixing or throwing away, the whole room really needs a Good clear out.

Then outside my garden is a mess, a lot of it I won't be able to do as I don't have tools but the stuff I could do is mow the lawn, strimming of some other patches, my decking needs oiling and I also need to stain all my fences. Oh and jet wash all my front driveway/weed the edges and so on.

Plus the whole house could do with a bloody good clean.

I look at that list now and already feel overwhelmed and have no idea how or where to start. I don't want to waste this time off like I did my last break and end up achieving nothing, just wasting the week sitting around on my fat arse.

So if you were me where would you start and how much do you think a fat, slow person like me could reasonably expect to do in the time available?

Unless they did it all in the style of Pollock's Chuck the paint at the wall artworks

@idontlikealdi

Nobody decorated their whole house in a week!

I couldn't believe it when I read it either, but I've seen a few people say it, and then it makes me feel ever so slow when I struggle to do a room in several days.

I am going to see my DP (we don't live together) next weekend, so that will be like a mini holiday, I want to use this time off work wisely/usefully.

I know I won't get it all done but I would like to feel I've made some progress. Hopefully.

Gawd relax with yourself OP.

No person has decorated a house to a reasonable standard on their own.. It's not realistic at all!

What is on your mind most? Guessing recycling-easy. Finish hall. Feet up.

@RudeAF

I would start with the cleaning and sorting. No point painting dirty/cluttered rooms.

I was going to post the same - Clear the decks always before thinking of decorating or you'll just become overfaced.

you spend a lot of effort comparing yourself with others. Tsk Tsk

Sounds like you have recognised decking as truly most urgent job; also weather dependent, so if the weather is good, I'd go for that.

As long as you are using the time productively then you are making progress which is all that happens in any home. Progress not completion.

Don't allow yourself any TV viewing time in the 4 days and limit social media/MN time to max. 20 minutes every 4 hours. You'll be amazed how much time you have.

Hire a decorator and a cleaner.

No one decorates their whole house in a week! That job list would be months and months round here, and there would definitely be professional help for at least half of it. And I have a cleaner every 2 weeks.

Can you pay someone to do any of it?
Otherwise I agree- finish one area and do some tidying and that’s probably realistic

Pay people do so some of the aim is to get the jobs done and you can afford it

Have you got friends and contacts who are good at any of the things you need doing? Can you offer them something in return that that might need or just ask them for help!

Can you afford to subcontract one or two jobs out OP? Sometimes the biggest treat Incan give myself is another pair of expert hands- to paint the hall or swish the decking and garden spruce?

Focus on 3 things eg finish hall and living rooms, do decking, empty clutter

Break them down into their elements.

Deck - need to jet wash, dry 24 hrs, sweep then coat.

Hall - prep work for filling, paint

Declutter - dump runs etc?

Then schedule them eg

Do all internal filling and pre painting prep
While that dries, jet wash deck
While the deck dries, start decluttering.

day 2
Do deck
Declutter

Day 3
Paint hall, stairs living room. Go into day 4 if needed.

Day 4
I'd rest if I'd got through all of that

I painted all of my place, including ceilings a couple of years back. I didn't want to rush so allowed a week per room. Wash walls on day 1, paint ceilings on day two, first coat day 3, second coat say 4, doors and trims day 5. Not stressful and got through it all pretty quickly.

Find what is annoying you the most. Chunk it down into required elements and then work out a timeline so while one job is on pause due to drying, you're doing something else.

I wouldn't miw while you're painting inside - it will make dust. Mow later in the week if needed or on the 4th day if all painting is dry.

The thing with HUGE lists is they feel so overwhelming which is often why they don't get started! (That's my excuse!)

I found what helped was to stop leaving things to time off and make small weekly tasks.

So next few days recycling, tidy, jet wash patio and oil.

Painting can be done any time of day to music or listening to a bbc sounds or something so I'd try that over a few evenings.

Then take each task and add 1 per weekend for next few weeks. After each task add a reward for yourself.

It doesn't need to be whole days each week. It can be just "mow the lawn" or "paint 1 wall".

I'd go with the recycling and cleaning - no point in decorating around grubbiness and unnecessary tat.
If the decking needs doing, split that with the cleaning, to give two distinct tasks each day - and plan in some down time things you WANT to do,

Do what you can this week, but thinking longterm I make lists of things I have done rather than to do lists, as it makes me feel more motivated! I am currently decorating my house from top to bottom and I have a spreadsheet of the jobs I achieve each month. So for example under August I have listed painted garden fences, glossed bathroom door and fitted a blind. It works for me as I dont want a month left blank, and I can look back and see my progress.

pick one really small/easy achieve tsk.you have all the time in the world?

I have had a week off . Homeschooling secondary age child Monday. This was my week

Monday.. cleaned tidied upstairs, gym washing

Tues Did some stuff in the garden, cutting back some planrs, moving suff around, gym. Did some reading i needed to do in the sun, wasjinh

Wednesday, painted hall, removed child locks upstairs, cleaned out. G.pig, mowed lawn.
Thursday
Paperwork, general cleaning tidying cleaned out the cleaning cupboard,

Friday
woodwork, returned parcel, pub with friends.

My kitchen needs a good clean through in the morning and i need to do ironing but feel like i have acieved a lot.

I also find if i get up and start i am far better than if i sit around for an hour.

Do factor in some nice stuff too.

I also quite often for the tip load it up the night before then it seems to break the job down.

You do have far more stuff anyone can achieve in a week.so i would do the clearing out first, decking on a nice day, do the jobs that can be finished off. Decorating the office unless just painting walls is too big considering everything else you need to do.

I would sort the garden out and then just keep on top of any other little tasks like lawn mowing until its not needing doing. That way, you know it'll be good for ages and will be something to enjoy in the Spring.
Gloss painting can be a job over a weekend or two when the weather isn't good.
If you have enough annual leave, perhaps book some more and pencil in another task for then so you can mentally tick that off ( for example to finish hallway and snagging in other rooms that are almost finished)

Day 1 jet wash the deck and work on the box room
Day 2 oil the deck, work on box room and general cleaning
Day 3 gloss the wood work in the hall way and general cleaning
Day 4 alternate cleaning and gardening depending on your mood

Then over the next month keep on top of cleaning during the week and devote one day per weekend to filling round the door way and painting the hall way doors
Then have a rest for a month (other than keeping on top of cleaning).

Then look at another job on your list.

One thing that I find really increases my productivity is to get up early. I normally start work at 7.30 so it's tempting to have a long lie at weekends. But actually, if for at least two of your four days you get up at 7 and start working after a quick breakfast is amazing how much you can get done by late morning. Then you've got time to sit and enjoy a coffee and a rest, already feeling like you've made a good start on things, before getting another decent chunk of stuff done before lunch and again in the afternoon.

The suggestions for lists/priorities are great, otherwise it's so easy to fiddle around and get distracted. For me personally I'd do the hall (even though I hate painting with a passion) because it's something you'll see everytime you come in the house straight away. First morning do all the prep work, break, paint a few hours. Afternoon clean one room. Second morning second coat first thing, mow lawn if dry, treat yourself to a visit to a cafe or something, come home and tidy another room.

You sound like me OP. I struggle to get started, and I have a poor sense of time so it’s hard to judge how long things take (longer because I waste the energy I could have used doing them to sit thinking about them!).

Take before and after pictures every couple of hours so you can see your progress. And why not post them here so we can cheer you on?

Ah OP
First of all enjoy a rest for a couple of days maybe a bit of laundry on and more tea. Even have it in the garden in the sunshine if you can.
Just gently tidy the main untidiness and get charity shop bags, bin bags and rubbish cleared.
Tackle the other stuff when you start seeing the wood for the trees.
Buy the paint and get the tools ready for when you're ready
Even if it's at Halloween or Christmas you can do it 🙂

I would do the work in the garden. Protecting the decking and fencing will help it look better and be protected over the winter, and doing the grass now while we are over the summer means it will be a much smaller job to give it an autumn tidy up.

It's the best time to tidy up the garden because weeds won't grow too much now so it should be looking good once we come into spring and won't feel like you are starting next year with a massive task on your hands.

I would do the indoor decorating anytime there are a spare few hours.

Some sound advice here.
Never start one messy project until the first is complete. Finish one job first.
And clearing junk/tidying should always take priority over decorarting.
in your position I would tackle cleaning and sorting first, Take stuff to the dump get your house in order. Decorating while things are in disarray is crazy.
If you can achieve that alone then that would be good.
Second priority would be to cut the grass.
Third and only if you have time would be to finish the living room. I wouldn;t even consider starting new decorating projects.

It's OK to take your time, as long as you keep at it.
I am planning to decorate ( just painting) my living room soon. But preparing to do that task takes time.
Every day this week i have pulled out one large piece of furniture, picked up any stuff behind, vaccumed and washed the skirting. Yesterday it was just a unit I tackled, pulled it out, cleared and cleaned behind, emptied all the drawers, sorted all junk in them- stationary, old paperwork, chargers, nail polish, takeaway menus, all the things that had just been stuffed in there. I threw a lot of stuff away, found homes for others, wiped out the drawers and put everything away neatly in proper places. - This is part of my decorating project. I have two large pieces of furniture to go ( done four) before I will even think about getting out the paint.
It means when painting time comes the job is much easier and quicker.
Work on decluttering, everything will be clearer when things are organised. Marie Kondo on Netflix is great watching right now!
Do you live alone?

Who are these people who re-decorated their homes in a week and how did they do it? Sounds like bollocks unless they got someone in, are professionals themselves or it's a couple who did absolutely nothing else all week. You have to prepare and do a couple of coats and give it time between etc so I dunno where the time for all that would fit in. Plus if you're on your tod moving the furniture around to get at stuff takes time.

Personally I'd do the room that will bring you most satisfaction.

I might do the home office if it's grotty if you spend a lot of time in it, say if you WFH a lot.

But definitely pick one project to do out of them all.

If there are a couple of quick wins, like mowing the lawn which can make a big difference to how things look outside without taking forever (unless you have a huge lawn ) I'd do one of those first to kick you off.

That is a huge list of tasks and there is a lot of painting/oiling/staining to do, which can be tedious. However, once you start, if you have a good audiobook or podcast, it can be a bit meditative and almost relaxing.

How long it takes, depends on how big your hall/deck/fence/rooms are. I did my living room by myself earlier in the year. Painted skirting, walks and ceiling. It’s a fairly standard 3.8mx4.6m room with high ceilings. It took two full days working from about 8am-6pm which was far longer than I thought it would take me, but the ceiling was the really painful part that I wish I hadn’t bothered with. I listened to an audiobook which was gripping and about 22 hours long and helped to keep me going. I also found that achieving that and seeing how amazing it looked motivated me to get on and do other decorating jobs in quick succession that I’d been putting off.

It’s also worth noting, I had a painter do my dining room which is a slightly larger room. He did the whole thing in a day and it looks good, but close up, my work is more painstakingly anal a bit neater.