How to Get a New House Without Moving

I love my house, really I do. We live across the street from a park. We have a living room and a tv room, which is pretty cool. The bedrooms are HUGE. It's about fifteen years old, which means that we don't have a lot of repairs to make. But it also means there's not a lot of character. We have a townhouse, which is great because it takes about forty minutes to mow. But it also means there's not a lot of room for the kids to play.

Periodically, I look at houses that are listed online and I dream about moving. I love seeing the different styles of houses, and what the lay-out is. I would love to have some land for the kids to run and have some animals and a garden. I can become quite discontent with what I currently have and where we live.

Recently I realized what it is I like about looking at those pictures. I love that they're all clean! The paint isn't in need of a touch-up. The dishes are all done. The toys are all put away. The table tops are not buried under mountains of stuff. There are not boxes of more stuff piled in corners. I had a revelation. I don't need a new house, I need to get the junk out of the one that I have! A new house appeals to me because of the thought of everything being fresh and clean. Well, I can replicate that here!

So I have been on a mission this week. The kitchen is being cleaned and organized. Stuff is being thrown out. (I have done this to the kitchen before, so this was an easier room to start with.) I will progress through each room until all of my stuff has been gone through and determined if we really need it. I'm dreading the closet that goes under the stairs and the decisions that will need to be made with that stuff... But I'm looking forward to a clutter-free home. Here is the main "working" counter. You can see how cluttered it was in the above picture behind my son's head. :) I moved my mixer and blender under the cabinets and got rid of a few items that have been stored (and not used). It's actually been fun to clean up after dinner this week!

I'm excited to see where this takes me and my family. Already, the kitchen feels lighter and airier. It's pleasant to be in there whether I'm working or resting. I can't wait for that calm, relaxing atmosphere to overtake my entire home! Do you have any other tricks for making your house the home you want to live in? I'd love to hear them!