Journal – July 1 2024
A Week in My Life, 1st July 2024
How are you coping with the Winter?
I am feeling envious of my daughter Tam who has moved to Karratha in WA, It’s 17 over there and 1 here as I type! 1 degree and according to my phone, it also feels like 1.
You may laugh but I am temperature checking numerous places to see where is colder than here. There are not too many places in Vic that can win that award. Staying warm is becoming a priority, too many years standing outside at Open Homes maybe?
I still love going to Open for Inspections. The excitement of buyers exploring a potential new home, their concern about competition, each with their own shopping lists. What one buyer loves another points at in horror. There is no one home fits all/suits all.
When we are prepping homes to sell (and yes, I get involved in all that) it’s part of our discussion. Each room should tell a story. It shouldn’t overwhelm with ‘your’ story’ but it should tell a story. For example: this is the room where you can host wonderful dinner parties with friends, the open fire can crackle away, the wine can flow and the food is less important than the conversation. Yes, it’s a dining room. Does anyone still have dinner parties?
I used to love going to a dinner party but hosting was a bit of a nightmare. Thinking of what to cook (and there were far few allergies or food preferences back then) and once you worked out the menu you had to try it a few times to gain proficiency before feeding to your guests. The horror if it was horrible or even worse, if it made them sick!!! I was not a great cook and it was frightening for me and probably for our guests!
I digress. The story is important. Whilst we want people to create their own dream, imagining the home as their own, some need some help with visualisation. A bedroom could possibly be a home office or extra living. The infrequently used dining room could become an amazing library (my dream home has a library, plus a preferably not real fireplace. I want the ambiance not the work).
Even the garden should continue with the story. Our home and our garden currently scream ‘chaos’ however they also hopefully, appeal to families or people who want a casual Hills lifestyle where the emphasis is on life and not glam and fancy. They can have dogs, cats, horses, the property is fully fenced. They can have pool parties and outrageous 50th birthday parties (been there, done that), they can also have space from each other if they want.
When you look at your home, what story does it tell? What story would you like it to tell?
The Great Decluttering Continues
I am beginning to wonder if I should be sorting or just packing it all or throwing it all out.
I feel like I am in a neverending loop of opening a cupboard and despair rising.
It’s getting there.
Please be assured that this is normal. Okay, so not everyone hangs onto EVERYTHING (too many cupboards in this house). For those of you who are like me, you are not alone if you are decluttering in preparation of selling or just because its time for it to happen.
It takes energy, time and thought.
When I am feeling the overwhelm, I go into our garage and see the ever increasing mountain of packed crates and our dining room with the Op Shop pile growing just as fast.
If you want guidance or sympathy or someone to cry with over all your stuff then please give me a call because I truly get it now!
