All Dressed Up and Ready To Go

The last few weeks, spent getting my house ready for sale, have been a huge challenge. A feat completed through a lot of help, determination and frequent rest breaks. I’d paint a panel of fence and then lie down for an hour and then go and weed the garden for half an hour and then lie down again. Having a problem with energy levels due to long standing health issues means I can only accomplish a certain amount in a day. Planning has been a major help. Week one was getting the fence painted and weed the garden.
Week two I focussed on decluttering the inside of my home, removing unnecessary furniture and setting up the study as a double bedroom and moving my desk to the third bedroom with a single bed. I completed an artwork for that room and hung it up. My sister and brother in law were a great help moving heavy furniture out to the garage. Sam helped me move the lighter pieces like Kmart bookcases and my antique dressing table. Together we made lots of trips to the charity shop and donated a lot of linen, pictures and books.
Week three I focused on cleaning. I had the windows washed and have general maintenance around the house completed and dress the garden and home. My sister was amazing. She helped me clean out the crystal cabinet and washed all the crystal. She went over the antique timber furniture in the house with cedar oil giving it a deep rich lustre. She helped me in the garden too. She planted some daisies in the front yard and moved an Azalea from the back of the bed to in front of the pond where it could be seen. She also lent me her gorgeous red wingback chair to add character to my otherwise neutral colour scheme. Sam vacuumed the house meticulously. I love to watch that man vacuum. He also decobwebbed the entire house inside and out. I washed all the curtains and spring cleaned the bathroom, laundry and kitchen. In the garden I spread mulch on the beds and resurrected a climbing rose archway that had blown down in the gale force winds Melbourne had last week.
Sunday was the last day before the photographer arrived. The courtyard was swept; the pots moved to the garden bed. It opened up the space and filled the beds creating a lush oasis. The pillows in the loungeroom were carefully chosen and the master bed was dressed with enough pillows to please a princess. The house was ready.
 
Now the photo’s are done and I have little more to do other than a little general tidying up for open for inspections, I have time to enjoy the results of all the hard work.   I wake in the mornings and walk around my home and love the way it feels. I hope the next owner is able to love it as much as I do. In making this home lovely for them it’s helped me accept it's time to pass it on. The house is all dressed up and ready to go, and I am ready to go too.