Weekend Makeover

by Don Aslett

A pragmatic, step-by-step guide to streamlining and beautifying your home, from garage to attic and beyond, allows homeowners to take charge of their spaces one room, closet, and obsession at a time all in one weekend. Original. 35,000 first printing.

Genres: Nonfiction

214 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Stacia · Rating 3 out of 5]

My "light" reading often seems to consist of reading decluttering books, lol. I guess the thought of cleaning house, taming clutter, & tossing things makes me feel refreshed & light. (And it often motivates me to trash or donate plenty of things from my home, just as it has done in this case.)

I think Aslett was among the forefront of writers talking about decluttering (which is now popular today in the minimalism & simplicity living trends). He makes a good case for starting now, this weekend, on your decluttering. His premise is that you'll never find free time to do it & that someday will never emerge. Just dig in & start & the momentum will keep you going.

There is one sure thing about clutter. It is not just going to go away by itself. It has never been known to evaporate or dissolve, and very few robbers are likely to take it. And the good fairy with the magic wand is probably at Wal-Mart buying more clutter herself. So what is yours is yours and will remain yours until you take command of it.

He ranges from the whys of clutter, to why decluttering is good for you (& others), as well as some detailed lists of items to consider/look for when decluttering.

A worthwhile read in the realm of decluttering books.

[Kaye Sivori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved, loved, loved this book. The only reason I didn't give it a 5 was because it was a how-to book? When I read a book I want a story? Anyway, Don Aslett is funny, logical and made me see life in a whole new way----look out trash collectors and recycling. I'm determined to get rid of some of my stuff before I dye!!!

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was ok. Good guidelines if you can get past all the stories, reviews and rambling. The author was also big on decluttering yourself (aka weight loss)... I didn't fully read this was, but skimmed it for the main takeaways.

[Audra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because I needed a refresher on cleaning and organizing. I had started de-cluttering my house again and needed some motivation. This book was great for that! Most of the De-cluttering and Organizing books are the same but I really liked the testimonials and how Don Aslett put things into perspective, such as how much clutter costs you and how if you lose the clutter you lose the weight.

I also liked the suggestion to keep a notebook and pen with you while you work because as you clean, ideas will come to you. This happens to me when I clean, I get lots of ideas about other areas of my house and what to do with the stuff I come across. Sometimes I get ideas about blogging and even other times I get creative ideas about handmade items, but it didn't dawn on me that was why I was getting the ideas until I saw it in writing! I didn't think to have a notebook and pen handy to write my ideas down. Perfect solution!...and you don't have to quit cleaning to jot down a short note.

It is definitely a de-cluttering book that should be read.

[Mrs. Melaugh · Rating 2 out of 5]

In general, I am a fan of books on how to reduce clutter and better manage time. That said, this book was not particularly helpful. Most of the chapters were padding that talked about why you should reduce clutter. Really? Anyone who picks up a book like this most likely already knows that it would be better to have a clean house and that they should start now to accomplish that. Also, the subtitle: Take Your Home From Messy to Magnificent in Only 48 Hours is not substantiated within the book where it actually tells you that you will need to choose particular areas on which to focus each weekend and that the entire cleaning process can actually take many weekends to accomplish.

[Dr. Kat]

eh.. not impressive. gives tips to declutter by getting rid of junk (trashing, donating, etc) mostly a motivational type of read and not a reference for cleaning/renovating/organizing.

[Holly]

NOTE: This book is just an "updated" version of Lose 200 Pounds This Weekend.

[Jeanne]

awesome! I needed this

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good information but not as good as many of his previous books. Or maybe I've just read too many. Great sense of humor. Very motivational. Life could be better.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light reading from a man who has spent the past 50 years in the cleaning industry. Picked up some decent suggestions.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Completely side note - interviewed him years ago back in my days as a freelancer - and he is pretty much the nicest guy I ever had the pleasure to interview.

[Sanjiv · Rating 2 out of 5]

Practical if cliched advice. It certainly helped me realize which possessions were holding me back.

[Bonita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gets me going on all the closets, shelves, counters, etc that need attention. I can't wait to get started.