Refresh Your Home Post-Pandemic
3 Rooms To Refresh in Your Home as the Pandemic Ends
If you’ve been social distancing for the majority of the past year and are now slowly adjusting to the new normal, you’ve likely spent a lot of time staring at the walls of your residence. As the events of the past year and a half slowly phase out, choosing to spruce up your décor and alter the look of your home may change your mindset as well. Below are recommendations from NextHome Rocky Mountain Realty & Rentals on the three rooms that may need a refresh as we move out of the pandemic.
- Your Home Office
According to Pew Research Center, 71% of employed Americans worked remotely during the pandemic. If you fall into this category, you may have begun working with a laptop on the kitchen table at the beginning of the pandemic and slowly transitioned into the spare bedroom, claimed the corner of your kids’ playroom, or even cleared out an unused closet to make room for a tiny workstation. Regardless of the size of your home office, it could probably use a change in lighting and decoration if you plan to keep working remotely.
If you haven’t already installed full-spectrum lighting that mimics the color temperature of sunlight, now is the time to do so—or better yet, move your desk so that you work near a window. Research shows that being exposed to natural light can help people focus and stay awake during the daylight hours. Invest in ergonomic upgrades such as a high-quality chair with back support, a good desk, and a headset for virtual meetings.
- Your Living Room
We’ve replaced going to the movies with renting new releases on streaming services, and many of us have grown to enjoy staying in, ordering in, and spending a good deal of time in our living rooms. Perhaps you moved into a new house during the pandemic to make room for your family’s new work-from-home, attend-school-from-home life, or maybe you just started looking for a new residence. Consider updating the main living space to reflect your current tastes.
You may want to wallpaper the entire room, but you don’t have the budget to hire a professional. Choosing peel-and-stick wallpaper that you can apply by yourself may be the solution. It’s affordable, simple to apply, and it features adhesive backing that can be easily removed so that you don’t have to worry about making costly mistakes. Measure the dimensions of your room ahead of time and order your paper to be printed on-demand to ensure that you have exactly the right amount.
- Your Kitchen
The pandemic has led to an uptick in cooking at home due to social distancing. If you spend more time in your kitchen making food for your family than you did before, think about giving it a much-needed upgrade. You don’t have to splurge on granite countertops and tile floors to make a lasting change. Consider painting your cabinets an on-trend color or using backsplash tiles (or even adhesives!) for a fun, affordable change.
As we move into a year filled with hope for the future, it can be fun and spiritually rewarding to decorate your home to reflect the change. Consider attractive and budget-friendly options that reflect your personal taste to create a space that you and your family can enjoy every day.
A HUGE Thank You to Tina Martin for guest writing this blog post! Visit her website Ideaspired for more great articles!
National Workaholic Day
Video Doorbells
Taking A Look At The Best Video Doorbells
Video doorbells have become more and more common the past couple years, with many different companies joining the competition. It can be difficult choosing the right doorbell for you. In this post we will outline the current most popular video doorbells available. Hopefully by the end of this blog, you will know which doorbell is right for you!
- Ring Doorbell – Ring is the most popular option right now. They have doorbells that are battery powered and hardwired, with several different color options available. They offer a subscription plan for $3 a month that includes 60 days of cloud storage. The ring doorbell is compatible with all Amazon smart devices as well as many different door lock companies such as Schlage, Kwikset, and Yale. The Ring doorbell is a great choice if you already use Amazon smart devices, or if you’re just getting into Smart Home integration.
- Arlo Video Doorbell – The Arlo Video Doorbell is another great option to consider! It features higher video quality than some competitors with it’s 180 degree 1080p HD camera. The Arlo subscription starts at $3 a month for 30 days of video history up to 2k resolution. This doorbell is compatible with Amazon Echo and Google Assistant. The Arlo can be hardwired very easily, but there is not currently a battery operated version available. At roughly 2in wide by 5in tall, this option is much more compact than some! We recommend the Arlo for those looking for a higher quality camera than what Ring has to offer.
- Nest Hello – The Nest Hello is Google’s flagship video doorbell. The front door package, priced at $289, includes the Hello camera and a Google Nest Hub. If you already own the hub, the Hello can be purchased separately for $229. The cloud storage subscription for this device, called Nest Aware, can be had for $6 a month and includes 30 days of video history. If you have this subscription, the camera has the capability to recognize familiar faces! It is also able to distinguish the differences between people and packages, pretty cool! Unfortunately, the Nest Hello is only compatible with Google products, which may limit what you are able to do with it. This is the recommended device for consumers who have already bought into the Google ecosystem.
- Eufy Video Doorbell – The Eufy is less expensive most of the other doorbells on this list, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t great! This doorbell features 2k footage and 16gb of local storage, so you don’t necessarily need cloud storage! If you do want cloud storage, however, it is available for $3 per month for 30 days of footage. This device is compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Eufy’s own app. This doorbell is available in hardwired and battery operated versions. You cannot use your existing chime with this bell, but a new one is included. This is a great budget model, with some impressive features like Snapshot, which texts you a photo if someone has been up to your door.
- Remo+ Remobell S – The Remo+ Remobell S comes in at only $99, making it the least expensive video doorbell on this list! Included for free with this device is 3 days of rolling cloud storage, no subscription needed! If you would like more cloud storage, you can subscribe for 30 days of rolling storage for only $30 per year. This device is compatible with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and IFTTT. The main drawback with this device is the slightly lower resolution (1536×1536) and the lack of smart features such as facial recognition. It does, however, have the ability to set motion detection “zones” so you don’t get alerts you do not want. This is the perfect starter doorbell at a very reasonable price. If you aren’t possible video doorbells are for you, we recommend buying this one.
- Altro Smart Model X – The Altro Smart Model X is a little different from the other video doorbells on this list. This device is a door deadbolt that has a video camera built in! This lock features two-way audio, a video doorbell, multiple passcodes, and 24×7 activity logging. This lock allows the user to lock and unlock the door from anywhere on their smartphone. The Altro is compatible with the Altro app, Alexa, and Google Home. This camera even has an HD IR night vision camera, so your footage is usable even when recorded at night! This is a great, feature packed model if you are looking for a smart lock for your rental properties, or your own home. Coming in at $349, it is more pricey than the standalone video doorbells on this list, but I think the added features are well worth the premium you pay.
At the time of this writing, these are the highest rated video doorbells currently available. We think each of them has their own advantages and are definitely worth a look! Smart doorbells increase the security at your home and can provide great peace of mind. If you really want a video doorbell, but don’t yet have a place to put one, give us a call at (970) 507-8655 or come visit us in the office! We would love to help you find your Next Home!
Giving Trees
Giving Trees – Gifts Needed!
NextHome Rocky Mountain Realty & Rentals is doing Giving Trees in Pagosa Springs again this year! Each Giving Tree will have tags with Luke (that Orange Dog) on them, so they are easy to find.
Each of these tags will have a child’s name and item from his/her wish list. If you would like to sponsor a gift for one or more of these kids, you can simply take the tag off the tree, purchase and wrap the gift, and bring it by our office to be taken to that child! Trees will be located at Ponderosa Lumber and Ace Hardware.
If you would like to sponsor a gift, but don’t want to go into the store for a tag, we will gladly provide you with gift info, just give us a call at (970) 507-8655 or email us at info@nexthomermr.com.
This is a wonderful way to give back to the community during the Holidays, especially this year! We want every kid to have a good Christmas, and this is a great way to help! Don’t forget to like us on Facebook for NextHome updates and virtual open house videos!
Cut Your Own Christmas Tree
Christmas Trees in The National Forest
For many people, going out to cut down a Christmas Tree is a valued family tradition passed down from generation to generation. It is a great way to bond as a family in our beautiful National Forests. Pagosa Springs has an abundance of tree-cutting areas and opportunity, so you are sure to find the perfect tree for you and your family! The Forest Service provides some excellent guides for identifying trees and cutting them:
The San Juan National Forest offers permits (priced at $8) to go out and find the perfect tree for your family! Not only will you get a Christmas Tree for the year, but you are also contributing to the conservation of our forests, and fire mitigation as well! If you are unsure where to find a tree, you can contact the Forest Service here and they will answer any questions you may have! *Permits will go on sale November 12, 2020.
Southwest Colorado is a great place to enjoy a snowy Christmas. Give us a call today at (970) 507-8655! We would love to help you find your Next Home!
Beat The Cold!
Pagosa Escape Zone
If you’re looking for things to do out of the cold, Pagosa Escape Zone should be on your list! The escape zone features rooms with 3 scenarios to choose from and each room is sanitized between bookings for covid safety. The goal for each room is simple… Escape!
While they do change regularly, the current escape scenarios are:
- Treasure of the Rocky Mountains – “In 2010 an 86 year old multi-millionaire named Forrest Fenn buried over $2,000,000 worth of treasure in the Rocky Mountains of North America – the only clue to the location of his treasure is a riddle in the form of a poem…you have 60 minutes…DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES to find the treasure and “ESCAPE” before time runs out???”
- Jimmy Buffet Themed Beach Party – “Come join our beach party where you and your team of 2 to 8 people have 60 minutes to find Jimmy Buffett’s lost shaker of salt and ESCAPE before time runs out. You may not want to leave this tropical paradise once we lock you in…DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES???”
- Krampus – “You and your group of 4 to 8 people have 60 minutes to decipher clues, find codes and solve puzzles in order to ESCAPE before Krampus returns and makes you his next victims…DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES???”
The Pagosa Escape Zone is the perfect spot to have fun with friends, spend time with family, or even host a team building event for your business! Located next to Mountain Pizza downtown for easy access, this is an awesome place to warm up after a day of skiing! Check the Pagosa Escape Zone website for more information! Don’t forget to like NextHome RMR on Facebook! If you would like to talk to a NextHome real estate expert, give us a call at (970) 507-8655. We would love to help you find your Next Home!
Beat The Cold!
Smoken Moe’s Unreal BBQ
Smoken Moe’s Unreal BBQ was established in 2006 in Ignacio, CO and moved to Pagosa Springs in 2012. Known for some of the best BBQ this side of Texas, Smoken Moe’s is a great place to beat the cold and sit down for a warm meal! Moe’s offers pit-smoked barbeque smothered in signature sauces, perfect to warm you up! They also offer catering and you can even order food by the pound to bring the barbeque home! The menu has plenty of options, so you are sure to find something great to eat!
With everything going on in the world, it is more important than ever to support your local businesses! Whether you’re going out to a local restaurant for lunch or buying gifts for Christmas, shopping local helps your community thrive and grow. If you would like to talk to one of our real estate experts, give us a call at (970) 507-8655! You can also like us on Facebook for NextHome RMR updates!
Wolf Creek Pass
Covered In Snow!
It snowed in Colorado this past weekend… A lot! Wolf Creek Pass received 14 inches of powder overnight, and Pagosa Springs woke up to steady snowfall! With snow starting to fall, now is the time to prepare your home for winter. Check our Winter Prep Guide out to see what you should do to prepare for winter!
It isn’t too cold to sell your home or buy a dream home! Give us a call at (970) 507-8655 to talk to a Southwest Colorado real estate expert! If you would like to look at our current listings in Pagosa Springs and surrounding areas, click here!
Do Something Nice Day
Today is National Do Something Nice Day!
October 5th is National Do Something Nice Day! It’s a day to remind everyone how easy it is to be nice and to do kind things for one another.
There are so many ways to do something nice, the possibilities are endless and most of them are easy! What are you going to do to celebrate this holiday? If you would like to talk with someone from our office, give us a call at (970) 507-8655. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook to view our weekly Virtual Open House Series!