Day 3 of the makeover

Day three - Furniture placement.  Following some theory work at the hotel, we went to the house to start re-positioning some of the furniture and adding some new items.  It's starting to come together now, especially when the sewing machines came out and there were cushions galore!!

Who says women can't do flat-pack?  Here's two of the trainers lying down on the job!

Second day of the makeover course...

Another action-packed day!  No visits to the house though, whilst all the decorating is being done.  Colour training and de-cluttering theory went well, and I bought all the plants we need, getting soaked in the wind and rain!  We ended the day with simple ideas for using fresh flowers effectively:
 

The theory behind furniture and artwork placement tomorrow, before we head off to do just that at the house.

The delegate's colour schemes - before training

The delegates were asked to put a scheme together for an imaginary bedroom.  (Not for the real makeover!)  Here are some of the choices they made.  Watch how their colour confidence grows over the course!

First day of the makeover course

Had a great first day - delegates took a good look around the house we're making-over during the next five days.  Plans were made, then we all went shopping in the minibus!

What would you do with these rooms?  It's a lovely clean, uncluttered house that just needs finishing off properly.  Eight delegates had eight different ideas for each room!  There isn't a right or wrong idea, but some were better than others!

The big House Doctor makeover starts tomorrow...

The big House Doctor makeover starts tomorrow! A five day training course... Eight delegates.... One house! One very excited family. Watch this space!!

Attic de-clutter day - does this sound like yours?

Attics aren't usually the nicest places to sort out, but the one I helped to clear today was the best one yet - because of the layout of the house, the access to it was through a regular door, not a tiny loft hatch!!  It was easy to take everything out, sort it, then arrange what was being kept.


The attic was cluttered with all the usual stuff - does this sound like yours?  Lots of old Christmas decorations, old computer parts, toys belonging to grown-up children, all of their school books, boxes and boxes of what they used to have in their bedrooms but didn't want to take when they left home (!!!), leftovers from old hobbies, videos, cassettes..... etc.


A note to all adults who have left boxes of stuff in their parent's houses - go and collect it, and deal with it yourself!  I see lots of parents agonising over it. They need the space, but don't want to 'nag' you, and know you "haven't got room" in your lovely homes.

What's causing all the clutter - part 5

My fifth and final new de-clutter client last week had nothing to really worry about.  She isn't a hoarder, she doesn't have terrible clutter problems, she's just had a series of events happen over the last few years that have caused her to be surrounded by "stuff".  Caring for poorly family members has taken a higher priority than sorting the house out, and now that she has time to think about the house again, it will all come together quickly.

Lots of boxes were packed for charity, and lots of treasures were re-discovered during the day - I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Once someone is ready and committed to de-cluttering a space, it isn't a difficult process, and the rewards are incredible.  Emotions often run high, and everyone's energy runs out by late afternoon, but the excitement at seeing the space cleared has a much longer-lasting effect.  Well done L! A great job done.

What's causing all the clutter - part 4

My fourth new de-clutter client this week knew exactly why she held on to all her 'stuff' - and that of all her four children too!  When she was little, her ultra-tidy Mother sometimes 'tidied' her room when she was at school.  But that didn't mean she put the things away, she literally removed them - forever.  She gave the treasured things away!  Unbelievable.  So now, my client just can't remove anything. She keeps it all, whether it's useful or not. 

However, inspired by some of the new "Hoarding" programs on the TV, she has decided to try and sort the mess she has created.  Broken items are going, and anything genuinely no longer wanted or needed, to create proper storage space for the remaining items. It will be a gradual process, and sorting through her own bedroom with me has inspired her to keep going with the rest of the house.

What's causing all the clutter - part 3

My third de-clutter client this week wasn't really wanting to de-clutter in the true sense of the word - she needs to create space in the house and tidy it up, or her estate agent won't put it on the market!!! She wasn't ready to let anything go, she just planned to store it for use in the next home.  Of course, once she could see just how many boxes of old clothes were being taken to storage, and just how many boxes of old children's toys were being packed, and just how many items from old hobbies were being gathered together, she automatically started to let some of them go to charity.  Well done C.J.!!  We'll sell that home of yours AND save you a fortune on storage!!

What's causing all the clutter - part 2

My second de-clutter client of this week is having a major problem with books, magazines and newspapers.  They are everywhere - in every room, in every cupboard, wardrobe, under every bed, on every surface.  And the worst sign of all is that some of the magazines are still in their clear plastic covers/envelopes, from where magazines on subscriptions arrive and don't even get opened!

Bringing every single book, magazine and newspaper all together into one room is the answer.  This will immediately create lots of storage space in every room for all the other items that haven't previously fit into cupboards, so a room by room tidy-up can now start to happen.  The room with all the books/magazines/newspapers can be tackled when the homeowners are in the right mood for sorting.  They will remove anything no longer wanted, and organise what's left. A designated space then needs to be created for these items - a series of shelving units maybe, and future subscriptions need to be carefully monitored.

What's causing all the clutter -Part one...

Part one - one of five new de-clutter clients this week.

Main cause of clutter - open shelving units for storage.

In the shops they look like this:

In reality they look like this, or worse:

Open shelves are for display items only - not storage!!

The de-clutter drought is over!!

What on earth has happened this week?!! I've only had a handful of de-clutter clients in the last 6 months, everyone's been concentrating on home staging and budget makeovers. BUT, I've got FIVE new de-clutter clients booked for next week! Wow! Looking forward to it.

Position the bed correctly

Try not to position beds up against a wall. The extra floor space doesn't make the room look larger, as most people imagine. The photographs are much more appealing if the bed is a focal point in the room, in the centre. 

Position the furniture for the photos

In reality, the furniture in this first photograph felt right - sofas and chairs positioned around the fireplace.  But photographs were impossible to take, as the furniture cut the room in half.  The second photograph showed the room more clearly, and there was still plenty of space, as the room really was a good size.

I'd buy this one myself!

Take a look at this property I finished staging recently - it's great to see so many photos on the estate agent's website - it shows there's nothing to hide.
http://www.johngerman.co.uk/property/for-sale/stoke-on-trent/tudor-lodge-stoke-on-trent/1
 Tudor House

Show the rooms off to their full potential

This beautiful living room was even more stunning when the toys were tidied away.