Yes I know…I am sure you are all sick of reading about the pandemic just as much as I am sick of writing about it, but here we are so let’s make the best of it. I’m Danielle Demerino, a top Toronto real estate agent serving Toronto and the surrounding areas. As fall quickly approaches us and we gear up for an increase in Covid cases, I found myself thinking about how the pandemic has changed how we live in our homes. More time is spent cooking, cleaning, working and entertaining in our houses than I can ever remember. How has the pandemic changed your home life?
People Are Cooking More From Home
I don’t know about you, but I can first hand say that I have cooked more at home since the pandemic started than I have ever cooked in my life. Studies show that more people are cooking from home since March 2020. There are several factors that have contributed to this and the decrease in restaurant goers isn’t only due to the fact that restaurants were shut down and people feel unsafe getting take-out, it’s also a result of people working from home. Consumers working from home are no longer stoping for coffee or breakfast on their commute. They aren’t lunching at their favourite spots. They are no longer heading out for dinner and a drink with colleagues after work.
As I am sure many of you agree, cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner from home is a lot of work. You want to make sure that you have the proper tools to get the job done. The right cooking utensils and cookware along with easy breezy recipes will make things much easier. Here are some of my must haves in the kitchen along with my favourite place to draw inspiration and get recipes from.
- Chefs Knife: A good chefs knife is everything. I had no idea how important a proper knife was until I got myself a good knife. This makes dinner prep so much easier. Pro tip, a properly sharpened knife will eliminate tears when cutting onions!
- Knife Sharpener: Once you have found the perfect knife, it’s important that you keep it sharp. A knife sharpener will actually help you safely prepare your food as a dull knife can be dangerous.
- Mixing Bowls: Inexpensive, versatile and will last forever. Grab a set of 3 stainless-steel mixing bowls that easily stack.
- Measuring Cups & Spoons: One set of measuring spoons and 2 sets of measuring cups (one for dry and one for wet).
- Digital Thermometer: Incredibly useful when cooking meats. You can grab one from your local grocery store. An inexpensive tool that will help you perfect your meals!
- Utensils: Having a variety of utensils is a must have when following different recipes, especially if you like to cook on the go. Make sure you have a ladle, wooden spoons, vegetable peeler, mallet, spatulas, a whisk, rolling pin, etc. You get the point, have these type of tools on hand to make for any recipe.
- Cookware: A small and large non-stick stainless-steel skillet, small and large saucepans and of course for all you soup lovers a nice big stockpot!
The list certainly goes on and on but these above items are a great start to getting you going in the kitchen! As for recipes, my absolute favourite place to find inspiration and try out recipes from is Half-Baked Harvest. You will find delicious, easy, healthy recipes that the whole family will enjoy.
People Are Using More Electricity, Hydro & Water
As you can imagine, the pandemic has caused an increase in residential power usage. With so many people working from home and overall spending more time at home, Ontario has seen the winter residential peak demand go up 13 percent over pre-pandemic levels and up 19 percent during the summer peak usage time. While residential has increased, we have seen commercial power usage decrease due to today’s norm of working from home.
The main takeaway here is that we should all be more mindful of how much we are using. If you aren’t using a light in a room, turn it off. Open your blinds to let in some natural light. Crack a window in the evening to get some fresh air. Run the dishwasher only when full. Obviously there is no new concept here but it always helps to remind people of these things. Since I sat down and thought about this, I have been much more mindful about the length of my showers, turning out the lights, turning off the tv when I’m not watching, opening the windows rather than air conditioning, etc. You get the point!
People Will Convert Unused Nooks to Work Spaces & Gyms
We all know this has been a tough year for buyers looking for real estate. We have seen the price of real estate sky rocket along with inflation; however, we haven’t seen earnings take on this same trend. The pandemic forced most people to work from home, sometimes alongside their partner and their kids doing virtual school. Gyms and sporting activities were on hiatus which also forced people to take the gym to their homes. We were all put in a situation to get crafty and use every nook and cranny in our homes for something!
I’ve seen desks built under staircases. Closets converted into mini work spaces. Open hallways can easily be the host of a small desk and chair. You can now purchase coffee tables that convert into a desk. Something my partner and I did was convert our garage into a gym. A girlfriend of mine recently bought her daughter a loft bed which opened up space for a desk underneath her bed!
Overall we are spending so much more time in our houses. I am not a homebody by any means and have found ways to make life easier at home living on top of each other! If you or anyone you know are looking to purchase or sell a home, please reach out to me, Danielle Demerino, Toronto real estate agent at 416-728-5401.
