Now that we are all spending so much time in our homes, we have a chance to get to know them more—for better and for worse.

So, while we are using this quarantine time to do things like get more reading done, take some mental and physical inventory, add to our skillsets through online learning, we can also use it to assess our living space.

Here are some questions to ask:

1. What do you love about your home? I have come to appreciate even more having a yard to retreat to and to just lift my spirits. I love my fireplace both indoors and outside and I really like the great room concept that opens up our kitchen to our family room. My hot tub is a given—in fact, I bought a model that is portable so it can go with me wherever I call home. I like having quiet places to read and having a separate workspace to work from home. And I like that my house is light and bright with lots of windows and white walls. Ask yourself—what are the things that have brought you extra comfort these last few weeks? Those are good qualities to know in a house moving forward.
2. What do you hate about your home? That’s a hard one for me, but you may find it an easy one to answer. Issues that often prompt my clients to move are: too dark, not big enough, too big, small yard or too big a yard, traffic noise, too far from your kids/parents. If you’ve had to let go of your gardener or your housekeeper during this time, you may be questioning all those extra bathrooms you’re having to clean or re-evaluating all that grass you’re having to mow.
3. Does your home fit your current lifestyle? One of the ramifications of the current measures in place to maintain social distancing is that more and more Americans may find they enjoy working from home and want to continue doing so once the crisis is over. Does your home have that extra office space to allow that? If your college kids came home and sequestered for the duration, did your house feel too big or too small? Were you too far away from aging parents to feel like you could be there when they needed you? How you answer those questions could guide you in what direction to move in next.
4. Where does your house show its wear and tear? Now that you’re hanging out so much at home, it’s a good time to take inventory of some spring cleaning/repairing projects that might be needed. Consider jobs you can do yourself like a new coat of paint. I’ve been watching YouTube videos on how to update my cupboard drawers to soft-closing ones. After my first trial, I think I can safely say this is a DIY project I can actually accomplish! Home Depot is open but with reduced hours in case you need supplies for whatever you are planning.
5. How well do you know your neighbors? In a time like this, we realize how important community is. Do you know your neighbors well enough to know of anyone that might need some extra help during a crisis? Do you have a way of watching out for each other during times like this, or in more normal times, like when one of you is away on vacation? Taking some mental inventory of your relationships with the neighbors around you can help you make some resolutions moving forward. Neighbors can also be one of those things that make your “Things I love” or “Things I hate” lists. Again, all valuable information to have and consider this forced downtime a good time to do just that—gather information.

If getting to know your home better has you thinking you may want to move, feel free to give me a call at 503.939.9801 and/or check out my website. I’ve been helping people move in, out, and around Lake Oswego for over 30 years and I’d love to put my experience to work for you!