Author Archives: ed.johnson@dcmetrorealtyteam.com

9 Mood-Lifting Ideas for a Cozier Home This Winter

“Winter is here, the days are shorter and we all spend more time indoors.  Don’t let the season get you down.  There a several things you can do to help you make it through the Winter doldrums.”

Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team

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© Copyright 2020 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Ideas for Turning a Room into an At-Home Office

“Now more than ever people are looking for ways to create a new office space in their home. Here are just a few ideas to check out.”

Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team

Originally published by American Home Shield

The COVID-19 pandemic turned many professionals into remote workers. Use these tips to create a functional home office.

home-office.png

The COVID-19 pandemic turned a lot of professionals into remote workers, and it looks like many of us are going to stay that way for a while. Some companies are discovering that a remote workforce is more productive and cost effective, and lots of employees are discovering that working from home isn’t so bad.

If your work from home situation is starting to look like it might be more permanent than it initially seemed, then it’s time to stop working at the kitchen table. You need a home office. Ideally, you have a spare room you can dedicate to your work, but if not, an attic, basement or even a large closet can be converted into a perfectly suitable home office. Here are some tips to turn whatever room you have available into a home office.

Use as Much, or as Little, Space as You Have

A spare bedroom is the best location for a home office — it’s out of the way, has a door you can close, should have several outlets and probably has windows for natural light. It might even have a ceiling fan and a closet for extra storage. If you’re using your spare bedroom as a guest bedroom, you don’t have to sacrifice that — your spare room can be a home office most of the time and a guest bedroom as needed. If the room is small, install a Murphy bed and use a floating console desk, rather than a clunky piece of furniture.

An attic or basement can also work, particularly if you need a larger space for more than one person to work from home. But you don’t need a whole spare bedroom or a spacious attic to create a private, dedicated home office space. Many large closets can accommodate slim-profile desks or floating desks, with floating shelves above for storage. When you’re done with work for the day, simply shut the door.

Don’t Sacrifice Ergonomics

One of the most common tips for working from home is that you shouldn’t ignore ergonomics. When choosing a space for a home office, make sure you have room for a properly sized desk (at least 29 inches tall), and a comfortable, adjustable-height office chair, preferably one with casters, adjustable armrests and an adjustable seat pan tilt. If you splurge on one item in your home office, it should be the chair — you’re going to be spending a lot of time in it, after all. A chair without the proper support could cause pain and repetitive stress injuries.

Of course, sitting all the time isn’t good for you, either. A standing desk is a good option, and they’re available at a range of price points. A desk that easily converts from sitting to standing offers the best of both worlds.

Consider Who Will Be Using the Space — And How

Are you the only person who will be working from home, or do you have a spouse who also needs a home office? You might choose a desk large enough to accommodate two people, although you’ll need a room with double the space — like an attic or finished basement, or even a garage

Consider how much time you’ll be spending in your home office, too. Do you work long hours? If so, you’ll want a larger desk and a more comfortable chair, then.

Shed Some Light on the Situation

Indirect light is important in any office setting. Natural light is best, if you have a space that offers it, but you should use curtains or blinds to diffuse it and arrange your desk so that natural light sources don’t cause a glare on your screen. Install an overhead light fixture or add lamps that aren’t directly in your line of sight or right behind you to provide any additional light you might need.

Adjust Your Internet Speed

If you’re going to be working from home, you need to make sure that your internet is fast and reliable. Obviously, there will most likely be an additional cost to increase your internet speed. If that’s the case, it’s worth checking with your employer to see if they will cover the difference or the entirety of the charge. And while you might think your current bandwidth can do the job, remember that if you have multiple people working from home and children doing schoolwork, your normal internet speed probably won’t hold up.

Install More Outlets

No matter what space you choose for your new home office, you’re probably going to need more electrical outlets. You might also need a hardwired Ethernet connection and other data cabling for your equipment. Take the time now to install the outlets and data cabling infrastructure your new home office needs, so your work hours can pass smoothly and with minimal interruptions.

10 Things You Gotta Do Before Winter Sets In

“The weather’s getting colder and the leaves are changing so it must be time to prepare for your home for Winter.  Check out this list of ‘To Do’s’ that you don’t want to forget.”

Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

© Copyright 2020 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Caring for Houseplants Through the Winter Months

“Did you know that you should treat your indoor plants differently during the winter months, than the rest of the year?  Read on to learn more!”

Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team

Originally Published by American Home Shield

Whether you have hanging plants in front of every window or a small cactus on the mantel, houseplants are a great addition to your home decor. Their green leaves and beautiful blooms bring a touch of the outdoors into your living space, and they can really brighten up your home and mood during the dreary, bleak winter months. Additionally, some potted plants that you may keep outside on the patio or deck during the summer won’t survive cold winter temps and need to be brought inside.

But caring for your houseplants during the winter is a little different from caring for them during the summer. Plants go dormant during the winter, when shorter days, drier air and cooler temperatures make them vulnerable. Nurse your plants through the cold months with these tips for indoor plant care in the winter.

Get Your Houseplants Ready

If you really want your houseplants to thrive during the colder months, you need to make sure they’re optimally healthy before the seasons change. Give each plant the care it needs to thrive during the warmer months, and set them up for winter success with a last boost of fertilizer before temperatures drop.

Water Less Frequently

Most plants enter a dormant phase during the winter, but you might not notice it. For many species, it just means they stop growing. Some, like cyclamen, will wither up and dry out, appearing as if they have died. And it’s normal for some plants, like ficus, to drop some of their leaves as they prepare to conserve resources in the winter.

Since your plants aren’t actively growing in the winter, they need less water. Overwatering in the winter can lead to root rot. Most plants need watering only when the soil is dry to an inch or two below the surface and just before it starts to shrink back from the sides of the pot. Don’t water more if plants drop leaves in the winter — remember, that’s normal. Stay vigilant for signs of overwatering, which include yellowing leaves, insects and mold on the soil. When you do water plants, make sure the water is about the same temperature as the room, so you don’t shock the roots.

Boost Humidity

Plants prefer humidity levels of about 50 percent, but the combination of dry winter air and home heating can leave indoor humidity levels as low as 10 percent. Add a humidifier to the room where you keep your plants to compensate, or move them into the kitchen or bath. If you can’t do either, place plants in a tray of water, but use stones to elevate the pots above the water’s surface. That way, they won’t get too much water, but they’ll get humidity as the water in the tray evaporates.

Group Plants Together

Plants breathe through their leaves, releasing water vapor from their pores in a process known as transpiring. Grouping plants together in your home allows them to share moisture with one another, further counteracting the drying effects of winter air and central heating.

Protect Plants from Drafts and Heat

Plants like to say warm — most thrive in temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit in the day and above 50 degrees Fahrenheit at night. While plants need sunlight to thrive, you should keep them away from drafty windows and exterior doorways. Cutting down on drafts from leaky windows keeps your plants healthy, and it cuts your heating costs. If you can’t afford to replace or reseal your windows, there are other solutions, like installing storm windows or window insulation film. On especially cold nights, move plants away from windows and replace them in the morning.

Cold temperatures can harm plants, but it’s not a good idea to let them get too hot, either. Keep plants away from radiators, heating vents, ovens, fireplaces and space heaters. Brown tips on plants like monstera can indicate overheating. If you have succulents or cacti, it’s especially important to keep them cool — not cold — in the winter. It helps them bloom in the spring.

Make Sure They’re Getting Enough Sunlight

Shorter days mean plants get less sunlight, so put them in south- and west-facing windows to maximize sun exposure. If you have more plants than windows, consider investing in a grow lamp or simply replace bulbs in nearby light fixtures with full-spectrum ones.

Plants also tend to get dusty indoors, so you’ll need to keep the leaves clean. Dust them gently with a wet cloth about once a month or put them in the shower and give them a quick rinse. Again, use water that’s the same temperature as the room to avoid shock. Dust on leaves can clog your plants’ pores, suffocating them.

Hold the Fertilizer

Most plants don’t need fertilizer in the winter because they’re not actively growing. There are exceptions, however. Philodendron, for example, needs liquid fertilizer every six to eight weeks year round. Make sure you research the winter fertilizer needs of your specific plants before withholding it.

Let Them Rest

Because they’re not actively growing during the winter months, most plants can’t summon the resources to recover from trimming, transplanting or repotting during this time. Let your plants rest during the winter. Wait until spring to repot or propagate.

Even though they’re protected from the worst of winter weather, indoor plants are still vulnerable during this time of year. Take care to give your plant babies what they need to survive the winter months, and they’ll repay you by bouncing back come spring.

11 Ways to Create a Welcoming Front Entrance for Under $100

“Be proud and feel good every time you come home, by using one of these helpful tips on improving your front entrance.”

Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

© Copyright 2020 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

7 Ways to Use Ground Covers in Your Yard

“Got some problem areas in your yard, or maybe you’re just not sure what to do?  Here are several ideas on using Ground Cover for a multitude of issues.”

Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team

Originally published by American Home Shield

Ground cover plants can do more for your yard than you realize. Check out these 7 ideas to see how.

Ground covers for your yard

Low-growing ground cover plants are an often-overlooked solution to many of the most common landscaping problems homeowners face when implementing DIY backyard ideas. And that’s a real shame, because many ground cover plants are easy to grow, come back year after year and can bring color and texture to your flower beds or lawn.

Whether you’re looking for a way to fill in the bare soil under your trees or in other shady spots, need a way to make lawn maintenance on slopes easier, or are simply looking to revitalize the look of your flower beds and landscaping, ground cover plants can meet your needs. These seven tips for using ground covers in your yard can help you solve your landscaping problems and give you the best yard on the block.

1. Make Slopes Easier to Manage

Mowing, weed-eating or otherwise maintaining grass on a slope or hill is a real pain. It can be dangerous, too, especially on a steep slope or in wet grass.

Landscaping with ground cover plants can make caring for landscaping on a slope, embankment or hill much easier. Most ground cover plantings don’t need to be mowed or trimmed, so you can put the lawnmower away and stop struggling with the weed-eater string. Longer ground covers like ivy, Japanese painted fern, Japanese forest grass and pachysandra are great choices for a low-maintenance, visually appealing slope.

Flower ground covers

2. Fill Shady Spots

It can be hard to grow traditional turf grasses in shady spots under trees, but there are plenty of ground cover species that love the shade and will grow well under your trees, filling in the space with greenery and texture. Grape hyacinths can add quick bursts of color to shady spaces in the spring, and after they go dormant, good ground covers for shade, like pachysandra, vinca minor, liriope and wintercreeper can offer foliage and flowers throughout the summer.

Plant ground covers in between tree roots. Add some compost, garden soil, mulch and other organic material to get ground cover plants started and to avoid the need to dig too deeply into the soil around your tree’s roots.

3. Pair with Other Plants

Ground covers are a great way to add movement and texture to flower beds because they’re usually much shorter than many popular flower bed plantings. Colorful ground cover plants like creeping phlox, basket of gold and creeping thyme can fill in your flower beds and add interest to your garden.

4. Add Texture to Beds

If you like to grow large, showy plants in your flower beds, a single species of ground cover can provide an attractive backdrop for them. But mixing several species of colorful ground cover plants can create a beautiful mosaic of different colors and textures in your beds. Go for different shades of green with covers like Scotch moss, ajuga, creeping Jenny, Dutch clover, and golden pearlwort, or add some color with flowering ground covers like nepeta, Angelina sedum, basket of gold or amethyst in snow.

5. Soften Edges

If you’ve been making hardscaping outdoor home improvements, like installing patios or pathways, you might be looking for a way to soften the sharp edges around your new installations. Many ground cover plants are well-suited to this purpose. When planted along paths or around patios, they can spread out to soften the edges of these hardscaping features. Try creeping ground covers, like creeping thyme.

6. Fill Gaps

Looking for an attractive way to fill in gaps between stepping stones? Many species of moss are easy to grow, won’t creep out of their space and can handle a little foot traffic. Other good choices include a low-growing sedum or creeping thyme.

7. Go Grass-Free

While most people might still choose to grow a sprawling expanse of turf grass on their lawn, homeowners are increasingly realizing that it’s not the only option. Replacing your turf grass lawn with one made of a patchwork of ground cover plants can be more energy-efficient because many of these plants are more drought-tolerant than traditional turf grasses. Ground covers like Spanish daisy, lantana, creeping rosemary and silver carpet can tolerate full sun and drought conditions.

Ground covers are also easier to maintain than traditional turf grasses because they don’t need mowing. Most only grow to a certain height, and then no further. The most you’ll need to do in terms of maintenance would be to trim dead flowers off of some species of flowering ground cover, like a basket of gold.

Ground cover plants can do a lot for your yard. They can spruce up your flower beds, fill in shady spots or replace grass to cut down on maintenance. Don’t keep struggling with your landscaping problems. Solve them with ground cover plants.

9 No-Sweat Hacks to Deep Clean the Cruddiest Things

“Ever wondered how to get different things clean, that just seemed too hard, or too dirty?  Well, here are some answers!”

Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

© Copyright 2020 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®