I've fallen out of love with my house

[Misty9]

It's a perfectly nice 3 bed 1930s semi and has a lovely kitchen extension and recently landscaped garden. But, like a stale relationship, I'm only seeing the negatives and annoying 'quirks' now. We've been here 4 years and I'd welcome a move but dh is adamant we're staying.

Help me fall back in love with it! Tips to rekindle the 'feeling' are desperately needed please. Or can you never go back once at this stage?

Yes that’s the layout fluffy - except the dining room is knocked through to the sitting room and still a bit separate from the extension (and used as a playroom). It’s more the latter category of stuff - bedding, towels, clothes, craft stuff etc, which is lacking storage. There’s nowhere to put storage on the upstairs landing or bathroom so we have all that stuff in our room. The layout of the kitchen/diner isn’t great so we have chairs stacked for when needed, and multiple other items which seem to lack homes! We don’t really use the loft much as dh believes if it can go up there, it can be gotten rid of we have been known to buy things more than once after getting rid of them...

Our furniture seems big sometimes and I really don’t have many clothes but we don’t seem to have enough storage for all summer/winter wear etc. We need a decent carpenter and lots of ideas! But it’s so difficult to get tradespeople to even return calls...

I’ve contacted a couple of interior designers to get some professional input but am finding dh’s lack of enthusiasm tends to kill mine.

Do you use the space under your beds for storage? Vacuum seal duvets/pillows/spare towels.

The things that should be stored in loft: suitcases, Christmas tree decks, anything truly seasonal- camping equipment etc

Currently have a divan bed so that’s where all the towels and bedding live - but we’re changing it for a smaller one (sk) so god knows where it’ll all go then! Our loft hatch is too small for the suitcases to fit up there (!) but the Xmas decs are allowed up! Hatch is too small for anything but small boxes, and enlarging it would be expensive and is yet another job for the list.

It does sound like you need to declutter and then get suitable storage.

There were 6 of us in a mid terrace 3 bed - 18' x 22' until the youngest was 9 it is certainly doable!

Making the hatch bigger (with integrated ladder etc) should only take a few hundred quid. It made a huge difference to be able to store stuff until we stopped missing it (and then chucked it out).

Built in wardrobes across one wall of a room should give you enough storage for both clothes and towels/bed linen etc - or better still, spread bed linen out into the bedrooms it is used in

We were very strict with towels and bed linen, how much do you really need? Same with clothes be ruthless- we washed most days and 3 DC sharing a wardrobe with 2 rails in it, one chest of drawers. Even less when they started school!

Yes, the declutter will continue tomorrow! It’s only 2 sets of bedding for us, the kids have theirs in their rooms, then hand towels and swimming towels. I do need to chuck some older ones out though. Built ins are tricky due to awkward sized room. Maybe I’ll post some pics of our room tomorrow and get ideas?

Thanks for all the input so far :)

If the radiators make furniture difficult consider changing to tall skinny room height ones. You need floor to ceiling storage wherever possible.

Your house sounds very similar to my old house except our reception rooms weren’t knocked through and we had a loft conversion. I agree that storage can be an issue as if it’s like my old house, it’s very efficiently built to maximise room space but has no “in between” space or nooks and crannies so stuff ends up in a million different places, + there’s no (eg) airing cupboard or similar. It does sound like reconfiguring your kitchen might help. Another possibility might be: it sounds like your knocked-through room is next to your kitchen extension but with a wall between them. Could that wall have a full wall of slim cupboards built onto it, either on the living room side or on the kitchen side, whichever leaves you with more space?
Also: what’s your laundry situation - do you find yourself with it always in the way?

Rad is under the window - it's the differing ceiling heights, chimney breast and box bay which make it awkward!

Yep - the clothes horse is a pain! I'd like a pulley style one but not really anywhere suitable to put it. The old kitchen is on the other side of the dining/playroom and the extension comes out from both. I think a redesigned kitchen might help lots too as currently the old kitchen area is poorly laid out.

Could a pulleymaid go on your upstairs landing or would that block the loft hatch?

Not enough room I don't think. Also issues with damp upstairs so might make it worse. All ideas appreciated though! :)

Could you, when reconfiguring the kitchen, create a utility corner with some storage?

I am FAR too over invested in your house!! I’m obsessed with making space work!

I really want a floor plan with current furniture lay out.... we can help you with this!

If you’re getting rid of your bed for a smaller make sure it has good inderbed stiorage or is the lift up kind.

Do you have the tall 236cm Ikea wardrobes?

I would get the loft hatch enlarged for sure and an attached pull down ladder so you can store suitcases and similar up there.

Not in your current budget, but I would do a loft conversion to add a master with ensuite plus lots of built in eaves storage. Add a utility room/airing cupboard on the first floor with what's left of the box room after you've got stairs up to loft with powerful extractor fan (plus may need to pinch some extra space from another room). Children's rooms are both good sizes then and I'd get them both built in wardrobes for ALL their stuff. On the ground floor, I'd make sure there was plenty of hall storage (under stairs, in stairs etc). I would have a dedicated adult room downstairs where you can shut the door on the clutter. I would also re do your kitchen to make it work for you.

Cheaper than moving! I do think your DH has to be flexible on budget if he's refusing to move

Floor plan of downstairs with extension drawn on (badly!) - the right hand side has patio doors too. Now knocked through/open to original dining room. Ibe also drawn in existing worktop and breakfast bar. Will work on upstairs one... :) have had massive clear out of linen and towels though

angry that's exactly what we've considered although stairs would.likely come off our bedroom as it's big enough to lose space. But I'm not sure our roofline will make anything more than a small sloping room feasible...

second me too! I welcome your investment

Bedroom floorplan and layout - for you fluffy wardrobes are not 236cm...anyway to hack them to that height?

Are there any similar style houses up for sale in your area? Could you have a look at them online and see what they have done that you could do to improve storage/functionality etc. If you have a lot of clutter in the house that is rarely used but needs to be kept, then really enlarging the loft opening might seem expensive, but will represent excellent value.

Similarly, if you need to alter the house because you can't afford to move, then don't worry about making the changes that will affect the value of the house at sale, but about the improvement it will bring to your day to day life.

You could do a love it or list it style approach with your DH without going on the show. Sit him down with a list of everything that needs to be done for you to be happy living in the house, and what you could get elsewhere for your money if you moved to a location that was still practical considering commutes etc.

wardrobes are not 236cm...anyway to hack them to that height?

Nope... but buying new ikea PAX wardrobes is a LOT cheaper than moving! :-)

Haha Op your house is just like mine!

The space labelled kitchen we turned into a utility room (so have a ceiling clothes airer) and have a big cupboard in there for storage of cleaning stuff, tinned/packet foods etc etc.

We have ikea cube shelf unit down the right hand side of the extension which holds some toys, plus other stuff. We have enough space for a dining table on the right of the extension, but if you don't I agree that taking out the breakfast bar would help (we like ours as eldest can sit doing homework while we're getting food sorted.

In the original dining room we've turned it into a snug, sofas, throws, tv plus a cupboard of toys in the corner. We spend most of our time as a family in there.

The lounge is a mix of more toy storage (big stuff like mini ball pool, wigwam etc but also has music stuff etc. Two cupboard in here to hold other stuff - bureau for paperwork and sewing stuff.

Any of that help?

Wow, that's a lot of toys curtains ! Yes, I think it would make more sense to have the original kitchen area as a utility. We've removed the radiator in there though so we could move the fridge so drying clothes is now more tricky. I like the sound of your snug area....we could do something similar and combine it with the kids stuff. There technically is room for a table but it is then in the way of the patio door opening. The kids use the breakfast bar all the time as it's the right height for them, it's just a bit too wide and constantly getting cluttered.

Food for thought...

fluffy yes, definitely cheaper!

Misty9

Yes, I have - fallen out of love with my house. Been here 5 years as well.

So, last year I paid for professional decorators to come in and redecorate the rooms that I loved the least. It has helped.

This year, the budget will be going on doing the garden up, by professionals.

Slowly, very slowly, I am starting to at least like my house again.

Like your DH, my DH is adamant that we are not moving again, but he has good reason. It took my 7 years to persuade him to sell our previous house, and I promised to not want to move again. And I chose this house......

Also like you, I moved a lot. DP's were in the Army.

DH has agreed to all new furniture etc etc.

I will meet him half way....for now.