COVID-19 presented some unique challenges to a lot of homeowners. For one, it forced many onsite workers to stay at home and work remotely, while their children are likewise stuck for months learning remotely. This proved to be a difficult setup for thousands of families, particularly those that don’t have the money to buy remote work essentials such as smartphones, personal computers, and a WiFi modem.
Meanwhile, the disruption in supply chains including the materials used for interior decoration and home renovations meant even if homeowners have the money to spend, they can’t easily get the products they need to complete their projects.
Fortunately, businesses involved in residential remodeling (both suppliers and contractors) have quickly adapted to the industry’s New Normal. This meant that transitions between homeowners and suppliers or remodeling contractors are done with little to zero face-to-face interactions, thus limiting potential COVID-19 transmissions.
If you’re short on budget but you wish to give your home a quick makeover and turn it into a COVID-proof residence, here are six tricks you should try out soon:
Make your own decorative items.
While you can always bring out your wallet to buy ready-made decors to improve your home’s appeal, you’re strictly confined to whatever design such decors have. This means you can’t expect a custom look if that’s what you are gunning for. Fortunately, you can do things on your own and create hand-crafted decorative items that will fit your home’s interior design like a glove.
Among other ideas, you can visit a popular online quilt shop to find a wide range of quilt items that will be perfect for some quilting projects to produce table runners, placemats, and wall accents. You can also do some abstract or impressionistic paintings if you’re into fine arts. Perhaps, a few installation art pieces for a more modern touch.
Find gold from trash.
If you’re a bit of an adventurer and not one to shy away from getting your feet and hands dirty, then a visit to your local dump or thrift store could lead to some precious finds. It’s no secret that in many cases, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure; all it takes is for you to do some digging to hopefully find some discarded items to decorate your home with.
Among the potential decorative pieces that you can find in most thrift stores include lampshades, vintage bottles (which you can use to put your indoor plants into), dinnerware (perfect as dining and living room accent pieces), old baskets, and antique furniture pieces. Just look around and search the entire area before buying anything so you get a clear idea of the best pieces your budget can buy.
Be a go-getter with some nice wallpaper.
Wallpapers are among the go-to decorative supplies for those who want to quickly turn their plain walls into something lively. The beauty of wallpapers is that they are easy to install and remove, so you can technically have one design for half a year and then another for the second half. Additionally, wallpapers cost considerably cheaper than other decorative options such as wall claddings, so you can save big when you choose the former.
Designate a family errand-runner and a disinfection area.
You should designate a family member who will act as an errand-runner to limit potential COVID-19 exposure from outside. Every time your family’s errand-runner goes back home, he or she should go directly to the identified disinfection area and perform the necessary self-disinfection before entering the house.
Likewise, he or she must disinfect the items bought from the market or grocery, particularly dry goods. For food items, they should be thoroughly washed before being brought into the house and placed in the freezer or food shelf.
Place hand sanitizers or alcohol in strategic locations.
You’ll never know when an item with the COVID-19 virus in it enters your home despite all the necessary precautions your family observes. Just to be on the safe side of things, place hand sanitizers or alcohol in strategic areas inside and outside your home such as the doorway, kitchen, living room, and garage. Better yet, make it a family policy to always wash hands whenever holding anything that comes from outside.
Stock up on disinfection and hygiene supplies and do frequent disinfection.
Disinfectants and hygiene items are among your family’s most essential needs, so it’s best to buy a few week’s worth of them each time the family’s errand-runner goes out. This, again, is to limit the potential exposure to COVID-19 carriers, particularly asymptomatic ones. Additionally, you should disinfect your home as frequently as possible to get rid of any potential coronavirus that’s on common touchpoints such as door handles and tables.
Just follow these tips and you’ll be keeping your household safe from COVID-19 while making your home aesthetically pleasing.
