When we first moved into our home we made quite a few changes. We pulled up carpets, built a new kitchen, added another bedroom and bathroom and built verandahs front and back. Fences went up. We also put in gardens and a chook house and Hanno got a big shed to house his tools, garden equipment and any future cars our sons might have. We, although we didn't know it at the time, were getting ready to live more simply and our house and land were evolving with us.
Our standard brick house was built in the 1980s and while it kept us warm and dry, there was something wrong that I couldn't quite put my finger on. Later on I realised that our house didn't suit the type of people we were. I wanted a productive home and our house just wanted us to sit back and take it easy. When we moved here we had a lot of junk we needed to store but then we decluttered and decided to stop shopping for junk and that made quite a difference. It gave us more space.
The thing that made the biggest difference though, and it didn't require us to spend a cent, was to repurpose the new spaces to suit the way we lived. I needed cupboards for my stockpile and preserving jars. I needed space to store ingredients for soap and laundry liquid and space to sew and mend. By moving things around, decluttering and thinking in a more mindful and organised way, all those spaces, and more, were created. Our evolution had begun.
I couldn't remember my mother or grandmother needing to store anything that was surplus to their needs. However, I remembered that when the seasons changed, mum would store away either the winter or summer clothes were weren't using. In those days people didn't have extra money or credit cards so there was not much junk using valuable space in cupboards and rooms. After decluttering and stopping mindless shopping, our junk problem was resolved and we had space for everything we had. I also changed a few things in the kitchen and laundry because they were quite difficult to work in. Those changes made a difference to how I worked and how I felt about working. It started to feel good, I was beginning to see a purpose.
Our standard brick house was built in the 1980s and while it kept us warm and dry, there was something wrong that I couldn't quite put my finger on. Later on I realised that our house didn't suit the type of people we were. I wanted a productive home and our house just wanted us to sit back and take it easy. When we moved here we had a lot of junk we needed to store but then we decluttered and decided to stop shopping for junk and that made quite a difference. It gave us more space.
The thing that made the biggest difference though, and it didn't require us to spend a cent, was to repurpose the new spaces to suit the way we lived. I needed cupboards for my stockpile and preserving jars. I needed space to store ingredients for soap and laundry liquid and space to sew and mend. By moving things around, decluttering and thinking in a more mindful and organised way, all those spaces, and more, were created. Our evolution had begun.
I couldn't remember my mother or grandmother needing to store anything that was surplus to their needs. However, I remembered that when the seasons changed, mum would store away either the winter or summer clothes were weren't using. In those days people didn't have extra money or credit cards so there was not much junk using valuable space in cupboards and rooms. After decluttering and stopping mindless shopping, our junk problem was resolved and we had space for everything we had. I also changed a few things in the kitchen and laundry because they were quite difficult to work in. Those changes made a difference to how I worked and how I felt about working. It started to feel good, I was beginning to see a purpose.
I guess the obvious and easy change for us was to create garden beds and build a chook house. That change alone, while not costing the earth, equipped us to produce fresh food right in our backyard. There are many changes you might make, you just have to look at the space around you in a creative way and with a focus on sustainability.
If you haven't modified spaces in your home yet, if you don't feel that your home really suits you, work out what you can do and start changing your life. Take it slow and make some small steps. It really is a great kick start and it might be the thing you need to set you on track to a slower, simpler life.