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cimoreneDo you ever start to think that there are too many floors and walls and objects and surfaces in your dwelling and that's why you always feel like you can't keep it all clean enough, because you don't have time?
And then start thinking, Well, how much stuff would be the right amount of stuff? How many square feet?
And end up determining that like, it doesn't have to be as small as a studio apartment, because it's okay to have a bedroom, but like, really the most space you and your partner have enough energy and organization to keep tidy enough that it doesn't bug the FUCK out of you and clean enough that it doesn't depress you would be like... 65 square meters (about 700 square feet) but preferably less?
(Our flat in downtown Turku was that size, but honestly I think it was slightly too big. Our last flat before we moved to Pargas, the one that was way nicer, had a spare room, and a spare room was already DEFINITIVELY way too much space for stuff and consequently too much stuff. Honestly our first flat when I moved to Finland, where we only lived for a year, was like 45m - less than 500 square feet - and that was definitely cramped in terms of trying to arrange the furniture, but it was a good size! It was a size that wasn't a strain to clean.)
Obviously our house now has way more stuff in it, as well as more rooms. The area of JUST the downstairs would be manageable, but that isn't practical obvs. Throwing away a bunch of furniture and stuff would HELP, since it's easier to clean a room without stuff in it, but (a) we both have ADHD so a room that doesn't have stuff in it will just fill up with clutter if it's not hermetically sealed and (b) it's still too many floors and walls! And floors and walls get dusty!
We did work hard to declutter and threw away a lot of stuff last summer, but I still find the crowdedness (due to the ratio of furniture to floor) oppressive and conducive to ADHD Impossible To Clean This syndrome.
I fantasize regularly about living in a little apartment but with our current nice big kitchen.
And then start thinking, Well, how much stuff would be the right amount of stuff? How many square feet?
And end up determining that like, it doesn't have to be as small as a studio apartment, because it's okay to have a bedroom, but like, really the most space you and your partner have enough energy and organization to keep tidy enough that it doesn't bug the FUCK out of you and clean enough that it doesn't depress you would be like... 65 square meters (about 700 square feet) but preferably less?
(Our flat in downtown Turku was that size, but honestly I think it was slightly too big. Our last flat before we moved to Pargas, the one that was way nicer, had a spare room, and a spare room was already DEFINITIVELY way too much space for stuff and consequently too much stuff. Honestly our first flat when I moved to Finland, where we only lived for a year, was like 45m - less than 500 square feet - and that was definitely cramped in terms of trying to arrange the furniture, but it was a good size! It was a size that wasn't a strain to clean.)
Obviously our house now has way more stuff in it, as well as more rooms. The area of JUST the downstairs would be manageable, but that isn't practical obvs. Throwing away a bunch of furniture and stuff would HELP, since it's easier to clean a room without stuff in it, but (a) we both have ADHD so a room that doesn't have stuff in it will just fill up with clutter if it's not hermetically sealed and (b) it's still too many floors and walls! And floors and walls get dusty!
We did work hard to declutter and threw away a lot of stuff last summer, but I still find the crowdedness (due to the ratio of furniture to floor) oppressive and conducive to ADHD Impossible To Clean This syndrome.
I fantasize regularly about living in a little apartment but with our current nice big kitchen.
