Let’s face it, you’re probably looking for more. We’ve all been staring at the same four walls for the last year now, and while you might have renovated, remodeled, or come up with some great project ideas like the rest of us. No matter the color of the walls, the time we’ve spent inside due to health concerns has crept its way into remodeling and renovations nationwide. Whether you or your loved ones are more at-risk than the average individual or you just want to ensure you’re maintaining public safety precautions in the home, here are some of our best ideas to do just that:
1.Increase ventilation: No one’s ever complained about a nice cross breeze. Opening your windows or sliding glass door more frequently, or regularly changing out your air filters, can keep your home well ventilated to reduce the spread of any virus. Because not everyone can run the air conditioning consistently to keep air flow circulated, lower cost ways that can save you money in the long-term include installing sliding glass doors like those that we offer or updating windows to reduce air slips when they aren’t being used for ventilation. Find a local contractor, look at your local Lowe’s or shop online to find out what works for you and allows for easy access to promote air flow!
2. Organize and disinfect: If you’re not an A-type organizer around the home, don’t worry, there’s always an easier way to keep the house organized. There are hundreds of resources on the internet to help you minimize clutter around the home and keep spaces clean! And if that still seems overwhelming, don’t be afraid to just get started! If you need help doing so, check out our recent blog on decluttering your home. The cleaner the space the easier it will be to sanitize and disinfect, keeping you and your family safe and healthy.
3. Choose Antimicrobial Items: More homeowners than ever are purchasing items that are copper, brass and bronze, because of their natural antimicrobial properties. Searching at your local home goods or interior design store to find doorknobs, cabinet handles or other commonly touched fixtures can allow you some great deals on small items that can reduce the spread of viruses in your home just through installation.
4. Touch-Free Technology: If you don’t own a Nest home device by now, this may be the biggest sell for them yet. The touch free devices allow you to control lights, internal heating and air conditioning. While it may seem unnecessary to throw money at “smart” home technology, the touch-free access to control your space, long term savings through regulating temperature and light use, and the touch free access make it seem like a proper investment.
5. Basic At-Home Maintenance: While we all hope that our time indoors will reduce as the spread of the virus is going down, you can never be too prepared for the next time we may shelter in place. It’s incredibly important that you keep up with your current appliances, piping, and ensuring things like slippage from older windows don’t catch you off guard! Consider calling in a local contractor or peruse your local hardware store to find great deals on any maintenance you may need to take on as a small project.
None of us can assume what our future will look like and as we start to grasp the “new normal” of a post-COVID world, a majority of renovating homeowners are looking to reduce the potential for illness spreading in the home. So do your research, shop around, and try out some of our tips to help you live a healthy and happy life in your home.