All images and opinions are my own.
One of the inevitable tasks when preparing a house for sale is cleaning.
And, I’m not gonna lie, it’s definitely my least favourite!
In fact, I was actually really dreading it for my mother-in-laws property. Although the house itself isn’t particularly large, it’s quite vast due to high vaulted ceilings, and also has lots of fiddly rustic details. On top of this things had been a bit neglected over the years so it was never going to be a quick and easy chore.
Obviously we already had a very long ‘to do’ list, and although cleaning was always a priority, every time I thought about it my heart sank a bit. I know that’s melodramatic, but it’s honestly how I felt. I guess the strain of the past year had just left me a little more stretched than usual.
So it was such a relief when I was contacted by Fantastic Services.
They offer a wide range of home services, from regular domestic cleaning to end-of-lease cleaning, gardening and pest control, to specialised tasks such as surface honing and appliance cleaning.
Not being one to usually consider hiring cleaners, accepting this opportunity felt a little bit indulgent, but also incredibly liberating! It was like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders.
We were fortunate to have two cleaners attend the property to undertake Spring Cleaning. This is a one-off service you can fully customise to suit your needs.
Once they’d finished working their magic, and I walked inside the house, I finally felt the motivation needed to start the staging process. It wasn’t as though they had simply cleaned the house, but also cleansed my mind! Does that sound crazy? Regardless, I’d probably never felt more sane!
I’m still working through all the after photos so am just sharing these sneak peeks for now.
I’ll be back soon to share all the “proper” after pics, but I wanted to publish this post for now because if you’re in need of some help around the house, Fantastic Services has been kind enough to offer all of my readers an exclusive $20 credit!
Simply click HERE and create an account to claim your discount (ensure ‘thepaintedhive’ is entered in the Referral Code field).
Kristine I completely understand your thoughts about a cleansed mind. I know when I’m feeling stressed, the world seems better if my house is at least in order whereas a messy house makes my brain feel cluttered. The teasers look fabulous as usual; I especially loved the tasseled cushion in the first photo. I was a tiny bit concerned to see a Dan Brown novel in the mix; one of my least favourite authors ever. I managed to get through The Da Vinci Code but found the characters to be poorly developed and one dimensional. I’ll get off my soap box now and please feel free to delete the book review part of my comment if you think it is inappropriate. :)
Julie, well although I did read The Da Vinci Code at some point, I can’t really comment on it or the author (I’m not much of a book critic) and have used it here purely for the fact it’s neutral – LOL!
Yes, for me cluttered surroundings equal a cluttered mind so it’s so nice when things are in their place.
Wow Kristine, what you’ve shown us in the “sneak peek” is so inspiring. Can’t wait to see more pics. Love the brick coloured cushion too. Can you please tell me where you purchased it. Have been looking for one that colour for a while. Thankyou in advance. AND btw your talents are much better served being a creative/housestager than a cleaner (and that’s no offense intended to cleaners – they do a much needed job as we saw last year)
Thanks Linda. I love the little lumbar cushion. I got it from Target on sale for $15! It’s currently $20.
https://www.target.com.au/p/isa-tassel-rectangle-cushion/64240299
Can’t wait to see more – just from these pictures I know I’m going to love it! Just in these few pictures, I can see all the beautiful details that you always do so well! You create these spaces that are so warm and inviting.
Thank you so much Leslie :)
I’m glad you gave yourself the blessing of help with the cleaning. Lat year (and this one so far) was so difficult on many levels without the pain of personal loss, too. The sneak peeks look amazing. Cannot wait t see the rest. Thanks for sharing about that company. Take care.
Thank you Dorothy. Yes, let’s hope this year improves for everyone :)
Hi Kristine, I love your page, I get some many good ideas. Thank you, Jen
The teaser photos are amazing. That dough bowl…I’d travel to Melbourne for that! 😁 But everything looks amazing. The light in your photos is always perfect. I don’t know how you do that!
Hope you’re all ok under the circumstances.
Funny story about that dough bowl…I bought it from Etsy years ago for $80 because it was the only place I could find an affordable one (it’s bigger than it looks here). It shipped from Croatia (or something like that) and got stopped at customs because it was deemed “infested”. I had to fork out another $80 to have it treated. Still cheaper than any I had seen that size here in Australia though!
I’m glad you decided it was worth the extra DOUGH (see what I did there ;)… It’s stunning. Gotta love Etsy.
So sorry to hear about the passing of your mother-in-law, Kristine. It took me months to clear out my parents-in-laws house so I can sympathize. Those sneak peeks have me so excited for what’s to come.
Thanks Mary. Yes, it’s a long and hard process. So much stuff, and so many memories.
Wow…having a professional cleaning service clean the house was a huge blessing. I found myself play “eye spy” when I spotted pieces used in other house stagings. Looking forward your next post
Ha, ha, yes, there are quite a few pieces I’m sure many of my regular readers might recognise.
Du hast genau die richtige Entscheidung getroffen. Manchmal stehen wir uns selbst im Weg und kommen nicht auf den besten Gedanken. Aber jetzt habe ich eine ganz wichtige Frage: Kommen die Leute auch in den Süden von Germany????? lol
Herzliche Grüße an das andere Ende der Welt, Theresa
TRANSLATION:
You made the right decision. Sometimes we get in our own way and don’t get the best thought. But now I have a very important question: Do people also come to the south of Germany ?????
Greetings from the other end of the world, Theresa.
Hi Theresa
LOL, I know they do actually have international branches but I’m not sure about locations in Europe.
Thanks for commenting.
Kristine
Your work seems to be great. Continue the great effort!!
Can’t wait to see your sparkle and shine in this house. Another superb project by you! I know it will be even before we see it. Well done. Not an easy task especially after the challenges of the past year. They make this outcome extra praiseworthy.
Thanks Sonja.
Heard about them for the first time. Just visited the Fantastic Services website, and the range of cleaning and sanitization services offered is pretty exhaustive. Interface looks cool too. Thanks for sharing!
I think cleaning and preparing the house for sale is the most tiring project. It is good you get some help.