Household Things
06 Oct 2019 - Richard Horridge
With the busy start to the academic year, I haven't been able to devote the time needed to the house and garden. With an (unusual) free weekend, I've finally sorted out most of the things I needed to after my new housemate (and her cat!) moved in.
First of all, one of the Buddleias needed moving - it was too close to the garden path and would eventually have made it even harder to get to the shed than it is now! It is now on the right-hand side of the bed, next to the fence, where it will remain out of the way of any passers by!
The new bed under construction, with the prominent Leylandii hard to miss
I also replanted some other bushes on the left - they were not growing well, probably due to the low soil quality.
The main issues with this area now are the Leylandii which can grow over 20 metres in height. There are four of them at the back of the garden. The best long term solution will be to get them all cut down and allow other things to grow in their place, but this will be difficult to action as I am rather fond of them. The two next to the path (which also happen to be the smallest) will have to go regardless - if they grow any larger they will make getting to the shed impossible. I will have to consult a tree surgeon in the near future.
Indoors, I have finally moved all of the unneeded furniture into the south side of the attic. This space still had lots of junk left by the previous owners, much of which I threw away (finally!).
Making use of attic space
This side also hosts tools and equipment for lighting, electricity, furniture and plumbing.
Efficient use of space to store tools
The north side of the attic holds the overflow of my stuff - paperwork, cables and crates containing mountaineering and dance equipment.
Accessible storage for my extra equipment
Overall, the attic storage is much better - it is easier to access the spaces on either side of the attic room, and storing more things in the loft space frees up space in the room. It is perfectly usable as a bedroom, though it still finds most of its use as my study, and I'm perfectly happy for this to continue at the moment!
Managing a household is an ongoing task and it can never be "complete". Improving it incrementally is all I can hope to do, but I am very satisfied with the work I've done this weekend!
