Stuck at Home? Plan Ahead!

Many of us are stuck at home during the global pandemic of COVID-19. While that may be inconvenient, it does offer certain advantages. For one thing, it allows us to slow down and truly notice our home for perhaps the first time.

During ordinary times (ie. before the coronavirus crisis), it was easy to take our homes for granted. We were so busy rushing off to work, to school, to social events, and other places that we barely had time to notice the condition of our bathrooms, our kitchens, and other areas of our houses.

But now, we’ve got plenty of time to ponder what we like — and don’t like — about our homes and plan on making upgrades in the future.

Take a Good Look

We also will be putting a lot more wear and tear on our homes over the course of the next couple of weeks. In the past, many of us were only home for a few hours in the morning then again for a few hours at night. But now, of course, many of us will be stuck inside for practically the whole day.

That means we are going to be opening cabinets, slamming doors, walking over carpets, and generally using our homes with much more frequency than ever before. And depending on how long this crisis lasts, we could actually wear down our houses at a much faster rate.

It will quickly become obvious what doesn’t work or is inefficient in our homes: Cabinets or drawers that stick, floorboards that creak, stains that we never took the time to notice before. Like it or not, we’re finally going to take a good look at our homes and all of their shortcomings will soon become glaringly obvious.

Make Plans for the Future

This crisis won’t last forever. In a few weeks or so, it will end and eventually our lives will return to normal. But while we have the time to get to know our homes better (or for worse), we have plenty of time to make plans for improvements in the future.

Start taking notes about what you want to replace or upgrade. Not only will it help fill the downtime, but it also will give you something to look forward to when all this is over.