Looking at "insta worthy" homes gets me down..

[JackSpratski]

I try so hard to keep my house nice.. but it's just, not. I don't have a hallway, just a tiny porch. No big bifold doors, no kitchen island. Walls that the plaster crumbles just by looking at it. A garage you can barely walk in as we have no storage space.

Looking at all these insta houses (the one I'm looking at at the moment is the haddon home.. they're usually working mums too.. and their houses are immaculate. I don't know how they do it.
Anyone else feel this way?

I don't think coming on here and slagging off this insta page is particularly kind.

People have different tastes, budgets, ways of generating income. You do you.

Don't like it, don't look.

And OP dont follow them if it gets you down. Only follow people who spark joy.

Anything else is masochistic.

Exactly.my home does look staged most nights cos I tidy up bit right now there is ketchup bottle on the table, teaco bag on a chair. Mug on the coffee table but before I go to bed all those things will disappear and voila staged house!

It is literally the job of the people posting these images to make you feel bad, so they can sell you stuff that they tell you will make you feel better for how bad they made you feel to start with. That is literally how they make money!

And it has been ever thus, just different media. See also the women's magazine industry etc etc etc.

Knowing that doesn't make us immune to it but it's a good reality check all the same.

So ... Don't look.

You need to stop following any page that gets you down. I can look at millions of Insta homes or people on exotic holidays and not feel bad about myself because that’s the stage I’m in now. I still don’t follow those pages though cos I don’t want all these unrealistic things clogging up my wall when I open the app. I only follow people who I know in real life and other people who cook, bake and some budget pages as these are the things that interest and add value to me really

I'm jealous of people with big houses for sure, but try and appreciate the home that I have.

I’m on a forum sharing my opinion, and it’s my opinion that it looks shit 👋

It's totally bland and characterless. And the GREY! Nothing to aspire to at all. Bet your house is far nicer, OP.

I’m friends in real life with someone whose beautiful home is on Instagram and they have many followers.

They live in a new build, so had a blank canvas and only cosmetic improvements to make. Her husband had a very well paid specialist career to pay for improvements. If you’re living in a dooer upper, or don’t have a big budget, whatever, don’t beat yourself up.

Secondly, there are rooms in their home that the public doesn’t see that are not instagram worthy.

Thirdly, their home is quite large and they have prioritised storage space, so a lot of the random clutter the rest of us deal with has a place out of sight.

If looking at them gets you down, why are you looking at them???? 🤔

I have never been on Instagram or any other platform like that (other than FB where I use the Groups to keep in touch with clubs & friends) and certainly don't post (or look at) photos of houses.
My home is my home and I do what I want to do to it, not what is in fashion or what some "influencer" says is the "in" thing.

Start looking at other things on Instagram if you enjoy a bit of scrolling, things which inspire you instead of things which make you fed up. We've started a major decoration project recently but I've not once looked at Instagram for that - I use Instagram for finding out about art and artists, crafts, language learning, films, music, scenery, comedy etc, all things that inspire me and make me feel happy.

I have no idea what Haddon Home is and no interest in finding out. But I do occasionally see pictures of "fabulous" homes in glossy mags, and what seems to make them fabulous is lack of clutter.

So I would say leave these sites alone and have a good declutter. Aim to have "a place for everything and everything in its place". A twee saying, but actually very helpful.

By all means look at these homes, but with a view to get some inspiration and nick any good ideas. Ignore the rest of it. As someone up thread said, they probably have bin juice and their teenager left the loo in a revolting state. But they won't show that!

Pinterest is a better platform if you need home decor inspiration I find!

I love the haddon home too — I wonder do you also follow me! My ‘insta house’ looks like a pigsty currently, so please don’t let it get you down.

Houses are made of bricks, homes are full of laughter and love. Having a home to be proud of is so much more important than a house to be proud of!

I feel like you notice more that’s wrong with your own house than you would do with someone else’s.
People say my house is tidy but I clean like mad if someone is coming over and still say ‘oh sorry for the mess’ 😬
Social media is fake, people and houses don’t look like that.

@Festivemoose i agree 🤣utterly boring, uninspiring and lower end. It is very clean, I’ll give it that, but not particularly any form of taste, it’s so bland.

im not on instagram and don’t follow this sort of thing - but if one is going to aspire to something chose something better than that!

It's called money op. I'm sure we could all have incredible looking houses with the right budget but for most of us that isn't an option. I try to focus on the positives, and I'm not on social media which helps. I have a nice little house, I've made the best of it that I can, but I cannot afford to do what I'd like to do with it and that's okay. Instead of comparing yourself to people who have more than you why not try comparing your house with others who don't have as much, it puts things into perspective. There will be lots of people who would be over the moon to have a house like yours (or a house full stop!)

Hmmm I didn't pick up on that but you're right

When I was a kid we lived near some very large fancy houses, my nan used to clean some of them and I'd go with her in the school holidays sometimes.

Whenever I used to talk about wanting a big house when I grew up, she'd say something along the lines of 'think how much it'd be to heat it and clean it, or how much you'd have to work to pay someone to do it'.

Honestly that's really stuck with me, whenever I occasionally get a bit envious of people with fancy homes I do remind myself that I'm happier not having the responsibility!

Also genuinely never understood why kitchen islands are aspirational, surely they just get in the way? They're so blocky and impractical!

I don’t generally look and just focus on my own life.

I know people with much larger and more beautiful houses than us and I do get pangs of jealousy but it’s fleeting and I remind myself how much I have to be grateful for. I have a house that meets our needs and now we have no mortgage so can afford lovely holidays. It’s only 3 beds and semi detached so nothing special but it’s ours and that makes us incredibly fortunate.

I don’t do instagram which helps, FB is bad enough!

How do people even earn from this? The haddon one doesn't seem to have many followers (I also don't get why you'd follow pictures of someone else's home) the back garden is nice enough but it looks like exactly what it is- a new build back garden 😂

"How do they do it?"
Very simply. They move all the crap to one corner of the room, snap a few pictures/videos of the clean area, use filters and lighting props to make it look nice (usually over-exposing images to hide imperfections). Frankly, I have better things to do with my life.

Is this just a post by the haddon women to generate views?

It’s all fake for the camera. Lots of Instagram content is fake. No one is going to post pics of a mess or tell you how they loathe their marriage but are staying for the house. It’s designed to make others envious. I see what people I vaguely know post. I know what their reality is. I know for a fact it’s all lies. I cringe because calling the husband “Mr D” when he’s been verbally abusing her for years. The kids have sunshine coming out of their arses when I know they are a pair of rude fuckers who talk to her like shit. Take no notice x

I couldn't think of anything worse than an 'Instagram' house; they aren't homes. I agree with @Festivemoose that it looks utterly soulless and with @SgtJuneAckland as to what a house should look like.

My house has got character (and mess). All these grey modern houses with nothing in them! I'd hate to live in one of them. They have no originality - they are just following a trend for minimalism. I always feel sorry for the kids who live in one.

Comparison is the thief of joy! Don't look at their homes, look at yours. Make one space nice, the way you want it - maybe it's only the top of a bedside table. Take photographs. Later, another day, do another tiny space. Photograph. You'll win.