How soon after moving is your house completely in order?

[Cher]

Aug 28, 2018 11:45:58 GMT -6 spicysalmonroll said:

Aug 28, 2018 11:39:02 GMT -6 Cher said:

I have never had furniture come in a week or two. I ordered outdoor furniture in April, it comes tomorrow. I ordered a playroom couch, lead time was 6-10 weeks. Sometimes it’s backordered, there’s an issuer with the supplier, whatever. Screaming at them isn’t going to change that.

Sorry, I just clarified above. A known lead time is one thing. If they tell me from day one that it's in stock and coming next week, that's when I'd be like WTF. 
Again, I got my outdoor sectional in 5 days because I order from big box places, nothing customized. 

My Crate and Barrel outdoor furniture was supposed to come early May, then it was backordered. This is really not uncommon with furniture.

[soup]

Aug 28, 2018 11:25:54 GMT -6 sterling said:

Aug 28, 2018 11:02:19 GMT -6 soup said:

My house has never been and never will be in order.

Ok, I will edit to say that it was neater when I didn't have children.

But this place is never going to be like that again.

I'm not even going to pretend there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

[gussie]

Aug 28, 2018 11:37:29 GMT -6 Cher said:

I moved in January. Most boxes are unpacked, except for boxes that are sentimental stuff that doesn’t go somewhere but in a box. My move-in projects are still on-going, I’m ramping up to start a new round of projects. In fact, I will probably be under some form of construction for the next five years. At least.

Any furniture I have is out but I’m not rushing to buy new furniture. Furniture is fucking expensive. When I have the cash to do it, I’ll do it. Therefore, most of my decor isn’t hung up. I don’t know what the layout of my room will be with the new furniture so I don’t want to start putting holes in my wall.

I’m not going to bankrupt myself rushing to get it done or buy things just to buy things and not be thrilled with the result. This is my forever home. I have time.

This is so true about the furniture. We were so gung-ho to replace everything that we spent an insane amount of money all at once. Then we took our time looking for a dining room table, and I'm still looking for a bedroom set, and I am finding much better deals. I really wish we would've just waited and spread it out a little. It would've been nice to have that money in the bank. 

We also decided to pay off my student loans a week after we moved in. Most expensive year ever. 

[gussie]

Wayfair is great about sending stuff fast, but I don't love not seeing furniture in person before I buy it. Or at least something similar.

[Cher]

Aug 28, 2018 11:50:11 GMT -6 gussie said:

Aug 28, 2018 11:37:29 GMT -6 Cher said:

I moved in January. Most boxes are unpacked, except for boxes that are sentimental stuff that doesn’t go somewhere but in a box. My move-in projects are still on-going, I’m ramping up to start a new round of projects. In fact, I will probably be under some form of construction for the next five years. At least.

Any furniture I have is out but I’m not rushing to buy new furniture. Furniture is fucking expensive. When I have the cash to do it, I’ll do it. Therefore, most of my decor isn’t hung up. I don’t know what the layout of my room will be with the new furniture so I don’t want to start putting holes in my wall.

I’m not going to bankrupt myself rushing to get it done or buy things just to buy things and not be thrilled with the result. This is my forever home. I have time.

This is so true about the furniture. We were so gung-ho to replace everything that we spent an insane amount of money all at once. Then we took our time looking for a dining room table, and I'm still looking for a bedroom set, and I am finding much better deals. I really wish we would've just waited and spread it out a little. It would've been nice to have that money in the bank. 

We also decided to pay off my student loans a week after we moved in. Most expensive year ever. 

Yes. This go round I’m going to work with an interior designer and do one room at a time, slowly. I have no desire to use my savings for window treatments and light fixtures, just so people don’t judge me for not being “done”.

I also renovate every room, I don’t just put out furniture and hang a picture. So my definition of done is probably different than others. I’m never going to be done.

[foxmulder]

I put everything away immediately and hang up pictures, etc. I’m always re-arranging and resdedigning, but I like things organized from the get. I use command strips for pictures. Unless it’s art I don’t like to put holes in the walls. We built our house though so everything is ready as far as paint, fixtures, etc. so that probably factors into how everything is set up. I’m not planning on remodeling anything. We do have small projects (we just did built-ins in the living room) but there won’t be major changes for many years. I certainly don’t judge anyone though if they want to leave rooms empty or whatever. Everyone’s definition of liveable is different.

[sterling]

Aug 28, 2018 11:49:54 GMT -6 soup said:

Aug 28, 2018 11:25:54 GMT -6 sterling said:

Ok, I will edit to say that it was neater when I didn't have children.

But this place is never going to be like that again.

I'm not even going to pretend there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

Well, that I understand. The lego based decor I have in our living room is not my choice. 

[jaidit]

We moved last September and it was a month including painting and new furniture to arrive. But, our place is small and I don't have any spare rooms to shove boxes in, out in the open they would annoy me.

[sterling]

I will say, moving twice in a year really helped. Our rental this year was only 1200 sq ft, so we got rid of so much extraneous crap. It made unpacking at the new house go much faster. I just need to get our master bedroom done, tackle the the basement storage stuff, and hang pictures. It could probably be done in a couple of days if I had uninterrupted time... which does not really exist.

[Cher]

Fwiw, I have furniture in every room, except the basement, and very few things on the walls. Where does that put me on the liveable scale?

[McBenny]

I do think the size of the house means something as well.

Ultimately, there is no life prize to unpack faster.

[soup]

Aug 28, 2018 12:11:41 GMT -6 Cher said:

Fwiw, I have furniture in every room, except the basement, and very few things on the walls. Where does that put me on the liveable scale?

Very liveable.

I'm of the opinion that lots of people put too much stuff on their walls.

[Cher]

Aug 28, 2018 12:13:56 GMT -6 soup said:

Aug 28, 2018 12:11:41 GMT -6 Cher said:

Fwiw, I have furniture in every room, except the basement, and very few things on the walls. Where does that put me on the liveable scale?

Very liveable.

I'm of the opinion that lots of people put too much stuff on their walls.

Agreed. And then we judge them. It’s a circle of home judgers.

[flamingo]

Aug 28, 2018 11:55:54 GMT -6 Cher said:

Aug 28, 2018 11:50:11 GMT -6 gussie said:

This is so true about the furniture. We were so gung-ho to replace everything that we spent an insane amount of money all at once. Then we took our time looking for a dining room table, and I'm still looking for a bedroom set, and I am finding much better deals. I really wish we would've just waited and spread it out a little. It would've been nice to have that money in the bank. 

We also decided to pay off my student loans a week after we moved in. Most expensive year ever. 

Yes. This go round I’m going to work with an interior designer and do one room at a time, slowly. I have no desire to use my savings for window treatments and light fixtures, just so people don’t judge me for not being “done”.

I also renovate every room, I don’t just put out furniture and hang a picture. So my definition of done is probably different than others. I’m never going to be done.

Agreed.

I find that it sometimes takes being in a house for awhile to figure out how you truly live in the space. I've worked with many clients who impulsively bought a ton of furniture to fill an empty house, and ended up coming to me a few years later b/c things were not working for whatever reason. Same goes for renovations, to an extent.

We've been in short-term homes up until now, but our next house will be our last for awhile. While I am always 'in a hurry' to get our previous homes fixed up--b/c I knew they were temporary, so I had a defined amount of time--I plan to take a more intentional approach with our next home. I can be more comfortable investing and customizing knowing we aren't packing up in 30 months. 

With all that said, I still want stuff unpacked and put away quickly. DNW clutter and piles of stuff around. That, I can do fast. 

[spicysalmonroll]

Cher True, I guess my original question was more just your house being in working order/ usable items where they belong/ willing and able to host a guest if you so chose. Not the overall renovation, satisfaction with what you have aspect.

[flamingo]

Aug 28, 2018 12:22:32 GMT -6 spicysalmonroll said:

Cher True, I guess my original question was more just your house being in working order/ usable items where they belong/ willing and able to host a guest if you so chose. Not the overall renovation, satisfaction with what you have aspect.

Yes. Definitely a big difference b/n "put in order/livable" and "long-term finished product"! 

[McBenny]

I judge too high. I hate when people hang shit too high. Don't you watch HGTV?

[foxmulder]

Aug 28, 2018 12:27:12 GMT -6 McBenny said:

I judge too high. I hate when people hang shit too high. Don't you watch HGTV?

This is such a common problem. I do not want to look up at your picture. I’m very short though, so maybe I hang things too low? 😂

[emma]

Aug 28, 2018 11:51:25 GMT -6 gussie said:

Wayfair is great about sending stuff fast, but I don't love not seeing furniture in person before I buy it. Or at least something similar.

i think this depends on the item. My wayfair order took 10 weeks. 

[soup]

I will say that I am very proud of my deck. It is an oasis compared to my gross interior.

It took me two years to get all the plants in and grown and to acquire the dining table, chairs, sofas, chaise, side tables, pillows, and decorative elephants.

[sheilathetank]

I really need to work on decor. I see all these great ideas on Pinterest but they involve surfaces such as a mantle or rarely used dining room table to put shit on which we don't have. Almost everything in my house is used daily for something so i don't have many blank surfaces I need to fill in.

[earlybirdz]

I unpack within a week but we have 2 bedrooms completely unfurnished and I don’t think we will even bother.

We could still use some more decor, but I wait until I find things I really like.

[Cher]

Ive been in many houses where there was nothing in a room or two. Most people I know move to my area from the city. Going from a small NYC apartment to a single family home is a huge change and financial undertaking. In almost ten years of living together, we never had any sort of dining table until we moved out of the city. Maybe it’s regional, but an empty room in a fairly new house, doesn’t even register to me.

[McBenny]

Aug 28, 2018 12:41:43 GMT -6 Cher said:

Ive been in many houses where there was nothing in a room or two. Most people I know move to my area from the city. Going from a small NYC apartment to a single family home is a huge change and financial undertaking. In almost ten years of living together, we never had any sort of dining table until we moved out of the city. Maybe it’s regional, but an empty room in a fairly new house, doesn’t even register to me.

Our current house is like 1000 sq ft bigger than our last one so yeah we had empty areas.

[emma]

i dont think paining and furniture replacement counts as part of having your house ready after a move. I usually move with my current furniture and then replace over time as my tastes change, same with paint and decor.

[emma]

soup, your patio is gorgeous, i has much jealousy

[Cher]

Aug 28, 2018 12:45:59 GMT -6 McBenny said:

Aug 28, 2018 12:41:43 GMT -6 Cher said:

Ive been in many houses where there was nothing in a room or two. Most people I know move to my area from the city. Going from a small NYC apartment to a single family home is a huge change and financial undertaking. In almost ten years of living together, we never had any sort of dining table until we moved out of the city. Maybe it’s regional, but an empty room in a fairly new house, doesn’t even register to me.

Our current house is like 1000 sq ft bigger than our last one so yeah we had empty areas.

Totally get that. In our first house from the city, we basically lived in the basement for the first two months because that was the only room with furniture. We used to affectionately call ourselves “basement people.” 😂

[sterling]

Aug 28, 2018 12:27:12 GMT -6 McBenny said:

I judge too high. I hate when people hang shit too high. Don't you watch HGTV?

Except for curtains. Those I judge when hung too low.

[soup]

Aug 28, 2018 12:48:49 GMT -6 emma said:

soup , your patio is gorgeous, i has much jealousy

Thank you! It is currently the only gorgeous part of our home. LOL.

[emma]

pictures should be eye level so if you are 6ft tall obviously they are going to be too high for someone that is 5ft 3.