The pandemic has rapidly changed the way we live. When the coronavirus started sweeping across continents, people started working from home. No matter the size of your apartment or house, there was no way to escape it. This has led to lots of creativity in the design of homes. What is the best way to create a working environment and a living environment in the same space? People with smaller homes needed to get creative in their approach. In this article, we will dive into creative ideas that can help you improve your home experience. 

1. It All Starts with the Color Green

Before diving into elements such as office desks and the like, creating a home experience starts with a feeling. A fresh feeling allows for better ideas to flow out of you. What better way to address a good and calm feeling than with plants? When you add plants to your home, it will not only feel cozier but also create a more calm environment.

This, in turn, reduces stress levels and makes your environment a nicer place to work in. Not to forget to mention that it cleans the air in your room, resulting in a healthier place to live. What is there to wait for? There are many types of plants you can start to explore, ranging from small to large. 

2. Modular Desks for Smaller Homes

If you have a smaller home and want to create a work environment, it is best to choose a modular desk. For example, there are special cubicles available that you can place on top of your dining table. All work-related accessories can be added to the cubicle. Once you are done with your working day, you simply store the cubicle somewhere else and start your evening.

A similar approach can be taken when it comes to a physical desk. If you place it in the corner of your room, it becomes easier to let it go once you finish work. Try to experiment and see what works for you!

3. Create the Element of Change

When your workday ends, there needs to be a transition back to your living environment. In the past, you will have a physical commute that helped you to do this. Now, you need to create this experience yourself. Of course, you can decide not to. However, research shows that transitioning from work to home improves your well-being and helps you to feel more at ease in your home. There are several ways how you can address this.

Open Up the Speakers

Playing background music when finishing work helps you set the scene, and fill your mind with fresh ideas. While you transition to having your dinner, some nice and relaxing music can help. The type of music is totally up to you: from jazz to top hits, it helps you to have a transition away from a day full of calls and work.

Block Your Agenda for 30 Minutes

A more drastic approach is blocking some time in your agenda to “commute” from work back to your home. During this time you can take a short walk, read or book or do something else you enjoyed when commuting back home. This helps you to close the day and experience your home as a living environment once again.

4. Spread Your Home with a Nice Scent

A calm environment is more than objects alone. Having a nice fragrance spreading through your home is another way of creating a calm and relaxing environment. Having a nice scent in your living and dining room helps you to experience your home better.

Spreading such a fragrance is fairly easy these days. For example, by using reed diffusers as accessories.  The diffusers can be placed on a table and retain their strong scent for a long period. When the scent becomes less, you can simply replace the sticks until the diffuser is empty. 

5. Rethink the Structure of Your Home

While it might seem like a temporary way of living, we will certainly spend more time working from home. In that respect, it makes sense to rethink how we live. Not every home allows you to have a dedicated office space, but there is a way you can make it work as part of a room. An idea to do so is through the use of accessories and furniture

Adjusting the Decor to Blend Office and Home Elements

It all depends on how you work the magic with your furniture. For example, you can create a closet where you can incorporate a small desk. Done with work? Simply close the closet and you are back in your living environment. Working with such hacks makes your home ready for the new standard in work.

This article highlights five ideas to improve your home environment in the post-pandemic home. These will help you set up your home and create a friendly atmosphere for both business and private life. There are many more ways to create this balance so start experimenting with what works for you, today!

To get more information:-

• 9 Great Items To Add To Your Living Space
• How to Design the Ideal Bedroom for Sleep
• Tips for More Effective Home Office
• 11+ Modern Wall Mounted Desk Ideas That Are Great For Small Spaces!!

Are you thinking of sprucing your home for this spring? Do you want to add a little flair to your living room or den? Are you trying to sell your house, and thinking how you could get a larger bid? Well, adding a gorgeous fireplace may just be the answer you are looking for. Fireplaces are not just going to keep you warm on a chilly night, but also provide a pretty good ambiance. Let us take a look at some of the most popular fireplace designs, and see if you catch a spark from one.

Frameless Fireplaces

These “back by popular demand” fireplaces were a huge hit, and it is very easy to see why. They are usually surrounded by beautiful marble, stone, or tile giving them a very “clean and trendy look.” A single piece or a see-through tunnel is yours to decide.

They are very beautiful, right? Imagine sitting in front of one of these with your friends and family, and more than likely, you will be gazing at this beauty. Highly recommended. Just hanging out by yourself is also perfect for this. You will be the lucky one as you kick back and relax, and more than likely fall asleep.

Versatility (Convertible Fireplaces)

You can easily see why this would make the list! Beautiful enough to hypnotize you and keep you warm and fuzzy at the same time. These are great for people with young children as they provide a sealed gas fireplace. Great for those with pets as well. Highly sought after, these are some of the top sellers. 

Whether you are watching a movie or curling up with a great book, this fireplace will set the mood just right.  With such an elegant design, why would you ever leave that room?

Architectural Interest                    

This fireplace screams royalty. The elegant design of stone will pretty much go with any decor you have going. It also offers a closed screen to help give you better peace of mind. With a room set-up like this, you will definitely become the envy of all of those who enter!!! 

Rustic and Refined

You can never go wrong with these types of very popular fireplaces. The rustic facade basically blooms from hardwood floors, making them extremely popular even after all of these years. They are very eye-catching due to the stones that you can surround them with.

Stones of all shapes, colors, and sizes are recommended to give your fireplace that look that will stand out from those others in the crowd. They vary in size, color, and shape so you should never have a problem picking out your perfect design. You just cannot go wrong with these!!

Gas Fireplaces

When most people think of fireplaces, wood will pop into their heads. Gas fireplaces are becoming even more popular these days. In the past few years, they could usually just be found in a rectangular shape, but nowadays you can find quite a bit of them a little more square.

Adding a mantel and a rug would certainly brighten the place up quite a bit. As you can see in the above picture, the bright and dark colors will make one focus on the flames. Quite the eye-catcher, right? 

These are quite smaller than the wood fireplaces but are just as good. It really will depend upon your choice of decor and what you would rather have.      

Electric Fireplaces

Electric fireplaces are something that is not to be left out! They also have many beautiful designs and can really make your home much comfier. Professionals know that fireplaces can a very powerful impact when placed in the correct room.

Electric fireplaces work, as you may already know, by using electricity to produce lifelike flames. You may be wondering how much that is going to stack up on your power bill, right? It will really come down to how large it is, and how often you use it. 

On average, it will cost around $10.80 per month to run one. Pretty nice, right?. They will make any room you decide to put one in so much more beautiful. They used LED lights to make the flames look ultra-realistic. 

These have become extremely popular, especially in the last five years. They are very easy to use and maintain since they require no clean-up. Just the flip of a switch. Plus, with a realistic electric fireplace, you’ll get all of the ambiances of a crackling fire without any of the mess.

There are plenty of options out there. What it will come down to is the size of your house, what room you are wanting to put it in, and how large you want it to be. Do you also want to surround it with marble, tile, stone, or something else?

Whichever type of fireplace you prefer, you really cannot go wrong. You may be wondering about the cost of each, and also the surrounding decor that you can add with it. Marble will hit your bank account pretty hard, but if you can afford it, go ahead! Make your home pop brightly!!

If you are on a budget, the electric fireplace may be the best option. Choosing this will not hurt your wallet too badly, and will instantly transform your room into a fireplace that no one really wants to leave.

Fireplaces for a Welcoming Vibe

Fireplaces are also great for all sorts of family activities. Whether playing a board or card game, catching up on each other’s day, or going over the dreaded homework assignments, these luxury items can make your house feel so much more like home.

They have a certain “welcome to our home” type of feel to them. Luxury, beauty, a very comfy feel, warmth, and so much more can be added to these. Fireplaces have always had a huge impact on the look of any house, so why not yours?

Read more:-

• 20+ Trending Fireplace Tile Ideas to Spruce Up Your Home
• Painting A Stone Fireplace
• Add a Design Statement: 10 Fireplace Remodel Ideas
• 5 Fireplace Ideas for a Comfortable Winter Night

Covid-19 has affected the economy in disastrous ways, but the real estate business still stays afloat due to the ever-growing need for housing. The pandemic’s after-effects have been prevalent everywhere, making it a little difficult to analyze what is to come. However, the real estate predictions have still managed to stay on top of all the businesses, which helps professionals assume many good things.

The year will bring many positive changes, and the ill effects of Covid-19 will slowly subside. The recovery may be slow, but it sure will be constant, which will help boost the economic sector. Within commercial office spaces, the trend toward open-plan layouts and densification might reverse sharply. 

In case you are looking to invest in properties, to get an idea of the biggest changes in this year. Here are some predictions that the real estate sector may undergo this year. 

Increase in Property Demands

The year has opened new gates for employees worldwide, which will increase the migration of the employees. This can lead to people looking to invest in rental homes or even buying a house altogether. As per experts, there will be a huge rise in people moving to bigger cities searching for jobs, which will increase the demand for properties. 

House Prices Up, Rent Price Down

The market will see an increment in the prices of buying a house, whereas rent prices will see a significant fall. The economic sector is improving from a huge collapse, and it will take some time to get back to normal. After the pandemic, many working-class people returned to their hometowns due to the work from home implementation.

This has led to property owners desperately looking for tenants, hence the decline in rent prices. If you are looking to rent an apartment, now may be the right time to do it. You can always take help from a real estate agent for the best assistance. 

Metro Cities Experience Decline in Population Growth

It is costly to live in metro cities in the USA, and someone who isn’t earning a significant amount of money may find it difficult to live in these megacities. This will act as a boon for non-metro cities as many people moving to such cities and towns for work.

The Poor Will Get Poorer

Pandemic has left the whole world stagnant, and most small-scale industries have suffered losses that led them to shut down. This has led the lower socioeconomic class to suffer the most, and many people are now completely jobless. Whenever the market opens,  it is difficult to say what is in store for the businessmen and workers. 

Work From Home Surges 

Work from home has become a common trend as the second wave of Covid is all set to hit us. It is predicted that offices will stay shut this year, and companies will resort to the remote working plan. However, this has been a huge money-saver for companies as they can cut numerous costs but comes as a bane for the real-estate sector as people will move back to their hometowns to save money on rent. 

Interest Rates Will Be Low

As interest rates are likely to stay low throughout the year so people can take mortgages or loans. The economy is getting back to normal slowly, but the Federal Reserve will be lenient with anyone reaching out for loans with low interest rates until then. 

The Use of Al-Driven Geospatial Analytics Will Increase

From sale/purchase, valuation of properties, and planning and risk analysis. In 2023, AI-driven geospatial analytics will be the need of the hour. Why? Because it is an affordable and quick way to provide location-specific rental predictions. 

If you are planning to invest in a property and don’t know if it’s the right choice to make, you can contact the real estate experts at myHomeSpot for the best assistance. If you are planning to sell your home, rely on the experts in the industry of selling your home for the best possible price.

The Interest in Real Estate Syndications Will Increase

There are more and more opportunities to invest in real estate. Real Estate syndications offer passive investors a relatively low entry barrier with minimum investment starting from $50,000. Sometimes syndicators allow even for lower amounts. The advantage of real estate syndications is that you invest in actual property assets, unlike REITs, where you invest in a company.

Syndications offer 8-10% projected cash-on-cash returns per year with a hold period of five years and projected profit upon sale up to 60%. Real estate syndications are an excellent choice for long-term investors who want to build stable passive income and create generational wealth. Now, with new real estate investor portals coming up, passive investors can search for syndicators and deals, vet them and find suitable investment opportunities.

Explore Further

• Our Predictions for Flooring Trends in 2024
• Maintain Your Rental Property Using These Tips for the Best Upshot
• The Real Estate Market in New York City
• Why Rent When You Can Buy Your Own Home?

Several factors can cause a roof to leak. Unfortunately, most building owners tend to ignore these factors and focus on blaming the roofing contractor. This is why professional roofers like Roofs for life, Inc roofing in Bradenton, make sure to educate their clients on factors that can affect their roofs or cause roof leaks.  

For example, if you install an HVAC system on your roof, you should always be on the lookout for roof leaks. This is because the seams around your HVAC unit support platform can crack after a while. This happens to be the most common cause of roof leaks in most buildings with HVAC systems. 

The HVAC support platform is designed to sit about three feet above the roof. This means the platform is vertically wrapped up with roofing material. Over time the phenomenon of wear and tear expects to set in when the material begins to bend. This will lead to cracking of the roofing material and cause the roof to leak. 

Roof leaks in houses can lead to the following damages:

• Chemical emissions from building materials.
• Destruction of windows, doors, and other household timber items.
• Rotting or rusting of roof trusses due to constant exposure to dampness.
• Increase in mold and bacteria growth.
• Dry rot create by damp wall plasters. 

To avoid these problems, you need to find the source of your roof leak and have it fixed on time.  

Here are some HVAC problems that can lead to roof leaks. 

Uncovered Ductwork

It is inefficient for ductwork to install on the roof itself. The reason for this is that it is difficult for expose ductwork to remain watertight. Having exposed ductwork will cause water to slip through the seams quickly and find its way to the vents. This is bad for your ceiling and also dangerous for your health. Once the ceiling is wet, it gives room for mold or mildew growth, which will, in turn, affect your health.

Masonry

The long-standing relationship between HVAC and masonry professionals is the reason why it is important to pay attention to this. Bricks will use in the construction of HVAC system platforms. Over time, these bricks can become porous, especially in older buildings. When this happens, water passes through them, leading to leaking roofs. Misidentifying leaking brickwork as a possible roofing leak cause is very common. For accurate identification, you should talk to an expert. 

Leaks From Drain Pan

Another common cause of roof leaks involving HVAC is damaging the drain pans. This is an issue that can easily resolve by a roofer if identifies quickly. 

Skylights

Skylights sit on a curb, which is similar to those designed for HVAC units. However, skylights’ curbs are relatively small compared to the ones used for HVAC. Their mode of construction is similar. Meaning, the roof tiles, and bricks used in constructing them can crack. So if you have a skylight and are suffering from a roof leak, you should endeavor to have the skylight looked at. 

It is advisable to perform regular inspections on all items and structures positioned on your roof to detect any damage that might lead to leaking. You should employ the service of a professional to perform these inspections.

Clogged Condensate Line

When removing moisture from an HVAC system, the air usually pushes over the air conditioner coil. This is where the condensation happens and transfers into a condensate pan for collection. In case the primary condensate pan fails, there is a backup option. If you notice wetness around the lower parts of the units, the line is likely clogged.

In order to avoid total damage to the line and prevent the condensed water from leaking into the roof, you must reach out to a professional. They will help locate the clog in the line. A clogged condensate line can lead to mold infestations and other kinds of water damage.

Condensation in the Air Ducts

Condensation forming outside and inside a poorly insulate duct can lead to water leakage. To prevent this, you must ensure that your air ducts are adequately insulated. For an effective insulation job, it is best to hire an expert.  

Clogged Filter or Dirty Evaporator Coils

Having a dirty evaporator coil or clog filters can also lead to leaks. This is because these two problems lead to airflow restriction. As such, air and vapor find it hard to leave the system the right way, leading to a clog. 

When inspecting your roof for leaks, it is important to check any structure that penetrates the roof or is attach to the roof. Also, all inspections should consider by a professional and should do at least once annually.

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