We know the difficulties that come with home maintenance and it’s no surprise that often times upkeeps are set aside and replaced with fun activities. However, this may lead to clutter and a false presentation of your home.
So, we’re here to remind you that by doing your due diligence you’ll be getting the most out of your home. After all, you never know when you might want to sell and with our insights you can get the most value for your home.
Table of Contents
- Creating Space
- Revisting the Home Office
- Recycling, reusing or Disposing of Electronics
- Avoid Renovation Frustration
- Managing Excessive Rain Run-Off
- Deck & Balcony Resurfacing Options
- Patio Protection from Summer Sun
- Is this your Year to Get Gardening?
- Watching Out for Changes in the Multifamily Real Estate Market
Creating Space
Anyone who’s had to adjust household living spaces since last spring knows the importance of addressing all the things that get in the way of working, studying or enjoying leisure activities at home. Yet we often fail to realize how our busy schedules can be compromised by disorganization in our homes.
Fortunately, efficiency experts offer simple solutions that can go a long way towards improving productivity and freeing up leisure time. It starts with reducing clutter – not just in a workspace or family room, but throughout the home.
For example, consider the clothing, shoes and other unneeded items that haven’t been used in a year or more. By removing these items, you’ll create extra storage space in closets and cupboards for the things that get in the way of your day-to-day routines. You’ll also be better able to envision how you might repurpose a room for new priorities, such as a study area, work- from-home office or backdrop for conference calls.
No matter how we use our homes, if we can create space for adjustment, we’ll be better prepared to meet changing needs.
Revisiting the Home Office
Recently, more and more households have had to make room for online workplaces, putting added demand on physical spaces dedicated to home-office use. This can become a stressful situation, especially when – due to room restrictions or wi-fi signal limitations – more than one adult or student is required to use the same spot to engage in frequent video conferencing.
Optimizing the space is critical. As much as they need access to smart technology, users also need a workspace with a clean desktop or table. Saving files in digital form as much as possible will help keep the work area clear, and make subsequent meetings less stressful.
For a backdrop, a simple blank wall is fine. But, if you’re choosing a bookshelf, minimize visual clutter that may be too distracting or revealing. If you need to block off background views due to other private family activities, consider a portable room divider or “dressing screen”. It’s a simple solution that protects privacy and serves as a psychological barrier to keep assignments out of view when the workday is done.
For those more technically inclined, many of the video-conferencing apps offer “virtual backgrounds” that can place your home office in an endless set of locations, from international sites to outer space vistas.
Recycling, Reusing or Disposing of Electronics
The more sophisticated computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones become, the more they are reliant upon rare minerals and sometimes toxic chemicals to perform. As consumers, it’s something we are not usually concerned about – until it’s time to dispose of them.
When that time comes, you might consider approaching local school organizations or community centres to see who might have a use for unwanted electronics, or contacting charity programs that collect outdated computers, tablets and cell phones for village schools in third-world countries.
If neither of those options is feasible, and you are convinced your devices will be of no use to others, consult with your local municipality to determine where and how to dispose of e-waste. They may have a program in place to safely dismantle and dispose of the equipment and could direct you to a drop-off site.
You may also find that some local electronics retailers will accept old items for proper disposal, especially if you are a customer. Regardless of what you decide to do with old devices, make sure you have erased all personal data from the hard drive, memory chip and/or SIM card.
Avoid Renovation Frustration
At any given time of year, there are homeowners looking ahead with an eye on a home improvement project. These projects can be an exciting proposition, but they can also lead to a unique level of anxiety.
Last spring was perhaps the pinnacle of the challenges that can be faced when renovating. Projects were delayed across the country, initially due to the unexpected closures of lumber mills, and then as factories and distribution facilities became affected. As a result, there was an enormous back log, creating an overwhelming demand for a range of building products, from plumbing parts to power tool rentals.
The lesson learned is to be cautious when planning any renovation projects for 2021 and beyond. From a simple do-it- yourself fixture installation to a professionally designed kitchen makeover, do your due diligence before you start. Check that the supplies you need are readily available, confirm your pricing and book a reputable contractor.
With the right planning, some room for flexibility in your schedule and a qualified contractor on your side, you’ll have less anxiety and your project will soon be more than a dream.
Managing Excessive Rain Run-Off
Every year, major storms seem to get more intense and less predictable, even in some areas where dry weather is common and drought can be extensive.
Knowing that a storm’s volume of precipitation can put enormous strain on a property’s landscaping and the building’s foundation, it’s important to ensure that all rain falling on the entire area of a sloped roof gets properly shed away from the building’s perimeter. Without an extensive eave overhang or gutters and downspouts to direct the water away, the soil around the foundation is susceptible to erosion.
As an additional precaution, it’s important to ensure that the area around your foundation is impervious to excessive rain and that it slopes away from the house. Likewise, the soil beyond this perimeter needs to be able to handle the volume directed towards it by the eave extensions or gutters and downspouts.
Considerations include a grass lawn, or a flower or rock garden. Further away from the home, it’s important to know that your street sewer, road ditch or culvert can handle excessive volumes of water – and to understand what might happen if it overflowed or backed up. If your road drainage system is questionable, consider discussing it with your municipality.
Deck & Balcony Resurfacing Options
If you have a raised deck, rooftop patio or walk-out balcony that is in disrepair or is no longer an appealing setting for outdoor relaxing and entertaining, you might feel the need to fully replace it.
However, depending on the surface, you may be able to consider a makeover, where your existing material is covered by a substrate (usually installed plywood sheathing) and coated with a waterproof membrane that is comfortable underfoot and available in a variety of colours and patterns.
These types of resurfacing options can be successfully applied to outdoor living spaces that are made from traditional wood decking with open slats between boards, or interlocking tiles that may not be impervious to water. Aside from avoiding a complete replacement, added benefits include a surface that’s smooth, continuous and easy to clean, and also protects against water damage underneath.
However, professional installation is critical, because it’s important that the membrane is intact, and that there is a carefully graded slope to ensure that ponding does not take place during and after a rainstorm.
Patio Protection from Summer Sun
When the summer heats up, there will be times when we’ll all appreciate having shelter from excessive exposure to direct sunshine, but that doesn’t mean we’ll want to dash indoors.
So, if you have outdoor space that gets so much sun that it prevents you from enjoying it to the fullest, it may be time for an investment that will give you more shade – and more opportunity to enjoy your property. In addition to the obvious patio umbrella, you might consider a retractable awning with a privacy canvas
or bug screen, that will create a more inviting outdoor space for casual meals, relaxing or an out-of-office workspace.
For a more permanent structure, a thoughtfully designed gazebo or pergola can contribute a great deal more to your outdoor living space. Not only will it provide shade cover, it can also add enhanced visual appeal and offer the flexibility to grow plants
or hang a veil for privacy and atmosphere. To add to your new outdoor space, consider an overhead fan or a misting system that can deliver a light, cooling spray.
Is this your Year to Get Gardening?
Whether you have a large backyard or a modest balcony, gardening is fast becoming one of the most popular pastimes across the land. Homeowners have become more focused on their property’s appearance and productivity, while also recognizing how gardening can contribute to a healthy lifestyle.
Whether you are interested in nurturing beautiful blooms and bushes, or cultivating home-grown herbs and vegetables, a little planning will give you lasting enjoyment. One of the first things you need to do is to identify your microclimate in order to determine its suitability for growing specific plants.
Similarly, it’s important to know the hardiness of your preferred plants, and how much sun and shade they require. Make sure your soil is conducive for optimum growth and supplement with appropriate nutrients as needed. Be prepared to back up nature’s rainfall with a reliable source of supplementary water, either manually or through an automatic system.
Now that you’ve done your prep work, the true pleasures of gardening begin – but don’t think it’s an easy hobby! It takes hard work to keep the weeds at bay and your garden on track, but you’ll see the fruits of your labour grow before your very eyes.
Watching Out for Changes in the Multifamily Real Estate Market
Homeowners are almost always curious about the true value of their property. For many reasons, it’s a good thing to know. However, most homeowners don’t have the tools and expertise they need to fully understand what their home is worth in the current marketplace. That’s because there are many underlying factors that need to be considered and many are in a constant state of flux.
For example, it’s critical to acknowledge that 2020 was a year like no other, so examining year-over-year statistics must be done from an analytical perspective. It’s also important to distinguish trends that have emerged in reaction to the anomaly of a pandemic from those that will sustain well beyond recovery and affect long-term real estate values.
One view expressed by some sociologists suggests that the next generation of homebuyers may avoid smaller urban properties in favour of more expansive suburban and rural living spaces, especially if they can work from home.
Other experts predict aging baby-boomers will avoid retirement homes, potentially keeping family-size homes off the market longer. Meanwhile, every micro-market has its own factors that can’t be ignored – and every property has its own unique desirable features. If you want to know how all the variables might affect your home’s value, let’s have a conversation.
