Strange & Unusual Houses

[Hazey_Jane]

I remember that Arrietty. How is the situation these days?

[Zoomer]

Yeah, I can only feel sorry for the person/people that live there.

I hope your sister is better these days, Arrietty.

[Margo]

It’s very sad when that is someone’s ‘normal’, isnt it?

I remember Mr Trebus well, he was a lovely old chap and I felt very sorry for him when the authorities intervened, even though it was necessary…

[ParisGal]

I don't know - I have a (non-immediate) family member who used to live not too differently to that. While she was a bit embarrassed about it, and was conscious that it made aspects of her life very difficult, she didn't fit the depression or fairly severe mental illness models that people generally slot into when you see hoarders programs. She had two kids, who mostly lived a relatively normal life with friends and after school activities etc. There were periods when it got worse, and she had the support of the whole extended family so even in good times there were plenty of weekends at aunty A's or two weeks with Granny. The family did keep trying to intervene, which perhaps prevented it from getting to the levels seen in that house, and I'm certainly not pretending she had good mental health, but it certainly was "normal" for her.

[smalex]

My FIL is nowhere near to this sort of level, but he lives in a smallish one bed flat- most of the furniture he has was from his marital home (and relationship that ended 20yrs ago), so a three piece suite, full 6 person dining table, sideboard, dresser etc- its all very shoehorned in anyway, and things like the sofa are ludicrously worn out now. I haven't stepped foot in there for at least 7 or 8 yrs, because I refuse but S took W there the other day for the first time since covid, and even as a 10yr old came home openly agog and horrified at the 'mess'. Piles of newspapers everywhere, things everywhere, half eaten packets of sweets lying around covered in a thick layer of dust (as everything is). Genuinely difficult to walk around in the narrow pathway left. S helped him do a big clear out about 4 yrs ago, but to no avail. There is absolutely nothing wrong with his mental health or personal hygiene (in fact, he's always absolutely immaculate) and he's entirely able to look after himself and always has been.

It reminds me a couple I met once, similar age. She was immaculate, pearls, smart clothes, but the house was shambolic, just stuff everywhere, letters all over the floor, old meals left hanging around. The wall around the kitchen bin, where they must throw tea bags and waste into it, was this massive, revolting, crusted splash zone, it was obviously never wiped, never repainted. Honestly it was vile. I couldn't frame it with these people who took pride in their appearance and were interested in developing their home. They didn't acknowledge it at all.

[rosy]

It was normal to me growing up, particularly after my father left, but when my mother married my stepfather he forced my mother to keep it mostly limited to the spare rooms (we had a big house) when we lived in London and then the garage when we moved to Yorkshire. Mostly stuff and dust, not dirt or meals though.

After she died, though, he started hoarding too, but not for long as he remarried quite quickly and his wife sorted it all out. Which was fortunate for my younger siblings.

[sally maclennane]

My FIL is nowhere near to this sort of level, but he lives in a smallish one bed flat- most of the furniture he has was from his marital home (and relationship that ended 20yrs ago), so a three piece suite, full 6 person dining table, sideboard, dresser etc- its all very shoehorned in anyway, and things like the sofa are ludicrously worn out now. I haven't stepped foot in there for at least 7 or 8 yrs, because I refuse but S took W there the other day for the first time since covid, and even as a 10yr old came home openly agog and horrified at the 'mess'. Piles of newspapers everywhere, things everywhere, half eaten packets of sweets lying around covered in a thick layer of dust (as everything is). Genuinely difficult to walk around in the narrow pathway left. S helped him do a big clear out about 4 yrs ago, but to no avail. There is absolutely nothing wrong with his mental health or personal hygiene (in fact, he's always absolutely immaculate) and he's entirely able to look after himself and always has been.

This sounds very much like my dad's house and like your FIL, he had no issues looking after himself. I did the same as S, helped him clear it out, I also got a cleaning company in when he was in hospital for a month and another time when he was back in hospital, J and I gutted the whole place but each time he just let it slide again. I'm far from neurotic about cleaning or housework but it made me feel quite queasy. However, I'm sure my dad would have happily let me clean it every week if I'd been willing to do it. He was of a generation where cleaning was women's work, and I think he just didn't see it as a problem because it didn't bother him. I refused to take anyone there, if family visited I would always arrange to meet him for dinner with them because rightly or wrong, they'd have held me responsible (at least partly) for the state of the place.

[smalex]

Oh yeah, he was very willing for S to sort it out for him, it wasn't as if he had emotional attachment to the piles of unopened junk mail. He just CBA to sort it himself and it obviously doesn't bother him. We're never 'invited' there, S sometimes pops over, that's it. I know more about this than S does, because MIL told me on the quiet, but he basically checked out of bothering when they were married- if she wanted to redecorate he was said 'you can if you want, but I'm not helping' so I think he checked out of doing anything like this a long time ago. The next five years could be very difficult as he gets older :cry:

[smalex]

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/ ... el=RES_BUY

This one's quite Spesh

[Rebel Pebble]

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/ ... el=RES_BUY

This one's quite Spesh

Oh dear - so much - where to start? :lol: I'm going to plump for the bathroom which looks like they just rooted through Topps Tiles' bins, plus why does such a tiny bath need two shower curtains. :))

Also, front and back gardens yet the place seems to be festooned with bikes in annoying, in-the-way places.

[smalex]

I thought the kitchen was some sort of random store room at first glance!

Special mention to the 90s wallpaper border and big tiger ...er...throw?

[Rebel Pebble]

I thought the kitchen was some sort of random store room at first glance!

Special mention to the 90s wallpaper border and big tiger ...er...throw?

Presumably covering up another upended mattress.

And what on earth is on the wall around the window in the only sleepable bedroom? It looks like lots of little bamboo blinds. WEIRD.

[rosy]

That is very odd.

[Rebel Pebble]

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/ ... el=RES_BUY

"Fully Refurbished" - meaning deprived of any and all individuality and character and, quite literally, colour. In particular the garden where god forbid anything green might be spotted. :ella:

There are two more flats advertised from this conversion job. They are all just as charmless.

[Little My]

I actually really like that, Rebs. In a blank canvas sort of a way. Mind you, the bathroom tiling is awful. It's a shame that wasn't completely plain too!

[Rebel Pebble]

I know the grey blank canvas interiors thing appeals to a lot of people (not me) but it's what they've done to the outside that i really loathe.

If you look at Streetview you'll see from what's around it that it was originally a brick fronted house, with a bit of detail and character. That rendering stuff is a current fad that I really dislike. And the completely paved over, greenery-free garden.

[Ruby]

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/ ... el=RES_BUY

"Fully Refurbished" - meaning deprived of any and all individuality and character and, quite literally, colour. In particular the garden where god forbid anything green might be spotted. :ella:

There are two more flats advertised from this conversion job. They are all just as charmless.

I hate that. I think it's horrible.

[smalex]

That treatment is so the done thing these days isn't it. Im really bored of it. It'll be like the Pebble dash/ stone cladding of the future. I absolutely loathe K Rend and the like (which I presume is what that is covered in because its the look) because it discolours so terribly, pretty quickly.

I thought 585k was quite reasonable though...until obvious I clocked it was for a maisonette!

[Rebel Pebble]

It'll be like the Pebble dash/ stone cladding of the future

Yes!

[baargain]

The bathroom is making me laugh. I'm trying to get mine redone and am looking at shower panels. I should put the same one on EVERY surface :lol: marble cube!