January Newsletter

Happy New Year! We hope you had a wonderful holiday season, and that your year is off to a great start. In this month's newsletter, you'll find a list of new year resolutions for your home, predictions for the 2023 housing market, 10 ways to lower your energy bill, and 7 bedroom design tips to improve your sleep.

Wishing you all the best in 2023!
-‍Katie, Olga, Darcie and Teresa

Maybe you've already settled on a new year resolution for yourself, but why not also give your home a little extra love in the new year? Check out these 6 ideas for new year resolutions that are all about improving your home sweet home.

1. Make your kitchen more family-friendly.

The kitchen is one room in your home that is perfect for bringing everyone together. After all, everyone has to eat! Add some seating—depending on the size of your kitchen, this could even be as simple as a few fold-away stools—to invite folks to stick around while you're cooking. Have some easily-accessible and healthy snacks—a stocked fruit basket should do the trick. And if you have young children, get a sturdy step stool so they can help out with easy tasks.

2. Get organized about important home maintenance tasks.

Every year, there are things you should do to keep your home in tip-top shape: HVAC tune-ups, fireplace inspections, clearing leaves from the gutters, and so on. But these things can be easy to overlook. To make sure you don't miss anything important, set calendar alerts on your phone to remind you when it's time to do certain seasonal tasks. Then sit down and schedule all of the annual tuneups and professional services you'll need for the year (if the companies will allow you to set appointments that far in advance).

3. Liven up your home with plants.

If you're on a budget, the best way to decorate is with plants. You can fill an empty corner with a huge potted palm, let a Pothos vine trail from the top of a tall bookcase, or line a shelf with a few small succulents. And don't be afraid to treat yourself to fresh flowers every once in a while.

4. Declutter your home—and keep it that way.

It always feels great to get rid of clutter. You create more space in your home, and you get the opportunity to do some good by donating your items to a charity. But that's just part one of decluttering. The second part is being more mindful of items you bring into your home in the future. Make sure you're not just filling up your home with more "stuff."

5. Fix all of the small things.

You know what I'm talking about—that section of wood trim your puppy chewed up three years ago, the jiggly doorknob, all of the crooked wall photos, and that mysterious stain on the carpet. Commit to fixing all of those minor flaws that have bugged you for years but you've never quite gotten around to.

1) Embrace natural light
During daylight hours, let the sunshine light your home instead of lamps and overhead lights. Natural light is beautiful, full of vitamin D, and costs nothing!

2) Turn off lights when you leave a room
Get everyone in your home on board with this money-saving habit.

3) Use auto-off or sleep features
If you like to fall asleep to the sound of the television or an Audible book, set a sleep timer so your device or app won’t keep running all night. Setting your computer to go to sleep after 5 minutes of inactivity is another good way to reduce energy use.

4) Switch to LED bulbs
While it’s true that LED bulbs cost more upfront than traditional incandescent lights, they also last much longer (on average, 10 years) and are 75% more energy efficient, so you save money in the long run. Plus, some electricity companies have programs where they will send you free LED bulbs; others provide rebates. Check with your provider to see what options are available to you.

5) Install a smart thermostat
Smart thermostats are designed to make your home’s heating and cooling more energy efficient. You can program it based on your schedule, so it will conserve energy while you’re at work. You can control most smart thermostats with an app, allowing you to control your home’s temperature even when you’re not there. Some smart thermostats will give you notifications when you’re going over your typical energy use. Shop around to find the smart thermostat that meets your needs.

6) Improve your home’s insulation
If your home isn’t properly insulated, your HVAC system has to work extra hard to maintain your desired temperature. Heat and AC can also leak through cracks around windows and doors, so be sure to add caulk or weather stripping where it’s needed.

7) Unplug “energy vampire” devices when not in use
There are many household devices and appliances that pull energy when plugged into an outlet, even if you’re not using them. Even if they’re fully charged! Common culprits include smart TVs, computers, and electric toothbrushes. If a device has a digital display (like a programmable coffee maker), is light activated (such as a night light), or uses an adaptor to charge a battery (laptop, mobile phone, etc.), there’s a good chance it’s an energy vampire. To save energy, try to unplug these types of devices after they’re fully charged or after you’re done using them.

8) Wait until you have a full load to run the dishwasher or washing machine
Air dry items when possible.

9) Adjust your smart TV settings
If your smart TV has a “quick start” feature, disable it. Turn on “automatic brightness control,” if available. And when it comes to streaming video, use the built-in WiFi capabilities of your smart TV or an energy efficient device like Roku or Chromecast. Avoid using a game console like Xbox or PlayStation to stream videos, as these devices can use up to 30% more energy.

10) If you're buying new appliances, opt for energy efficient models
When in doubt, look for the Energy Star label.

Commit to making some changes to your energy use, and hopefully by this time next year, you’ll be much happier with your power bill.

Is your bedroom not quite the peaceful retreat of your dreams? Check out these tips from House Beautiful to learn how to update your bedroom for a better night's sleep!

1. Make sure you have a great mattress.
   If your mattress is causing you any bit of discomfort, it’s time for an upgrade. Don’t shop online—visit the store so you can lie down on each mattress and find the perfect type (innerspring, hybrid, foam), size (full, queen, etc.), and level of support (firm vs. plush). Even if your new mattress eats up most of your bedroom-redo budget, it’s the most important investment you can make to ensure a good night’s sleep.

2. Block out light at night.
   Exposure to light before and during sleep can interfere with your body’s ability to produce melatonin (the hormone that makes you feel sleepy). In the hour before bedtime, dim the lights in your home, and stay off your phone for the last 30 minutes before bed. To keep your room as dark as possible while you’re in bed, use blackout curtains, cover up digital light sources (such as an alarm clock display), and turn off hallway lights that could shine through the crack under your bedroom door.

3. Keep the room cool.
   Keeping your room cooler at night can help to combat insomnia, help you fall asleep faster and get better quality sleep throughout the night. Getting better quality sleep has added health benefits such as a lower metabolism, weight loss, hormone balancing, and anti-aging. While everyone's core body temperature varies, the ideal sleep temperature for most people is about 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. Add calming scents.
   Lavender, rose, chamomile, geranium, jasmine, sweet marjoram, and bergamot are some of the best scents to help you relax and sleep, according to clinical psychologist Dr. Michael Breus. There are many ways to bring these scents into your room: an essential oil diffuser, diffuser sticks, linen spray, or even scented hand lotion that you apply before getting into bed.

5. Choose the right linens for your sleep style.
   If you tend to get cold at night, invest in some warm flannel sheets, a microfiber blanket, or a heavy down comforter. But if you’re a “hot sleeper,” you’ll benefit from cooling percale or linen sheets and a blanket made of breathable 100% cotton.

6. Pick a wall color that soothes you.
   We’ve all heard that blue is the best color for a sleep-inducing bedroom. But if that’s not really your style, feel free to go with whatever color makes you feel most relaxed. Other great options are buttery yellows, sage greens, earthy terracottas, or even muted pinks.

7. Make your bedroom a clutter-free zone.
   The tidier your bedroom, the more peaceful it will feel. Keep books on the bookshelf, dirty clothes in the hamper, and anything you don’t need out at bedtime stowed in your nightstand drawer. And to complete the tidy look, get into the habit of making your bed every morning.

National Housing Market Update

With a new year ahead of us, what can we expect to see in the housing market? The research team at Realtor.com recently released their predictions for the real estate market in 2023:

1) Price growth will continue, but at a slower rate.
At the start of the pandemic, we saw record-low mortgage rates and skyrocketing housing prices. Now, almost three years later, we no longer have those low mortgage rates—but home prices are still on the rise. Price growth has slowed, however. During the first two years after the onset of Covid, home prices saw double digit gains. In 2023, price growth is expected to slow to 5.4%.

2) Mortgage rates will increase in early 2023 and drop back to 7.1% by the end of the year.
The estimated average for the year as a whole is 7.4%.

3) Inventory of homes for sale will increase by 22.8%.
That’s a big jump from the 4% inventory increase seen in 2022. However, it’s important to remember that the total inventory in 2023 is still expected to be 15% lower than the 2019 average.

4) Home sales will decrease.
With the final tally of home sales in 2022 at about 5.3 million, that total was a 13.8% decline from 2021. “We anticipate that existing home sales will decline another 14.1% in 2023, registering an annual total of 4.5 million, their lowest since 2012 (4.66 million),” reports Realtor.com Chief Economist Danielle Hale.

5) More buyers may turn to adjustable rate mortgages (ARM) instead of fixed rates.
An ARM may allow them to save nearly $225 per month for the first 5 years. Be sure to review the terms of an ARM with your lender to decide if this option would be right for you.

6) Cross-market shopping will continue to be an effective buying strategy.
Buyers with the flexibility to look for homes outside of their current location will have the benefit of shopping more affordable housing markets. This is a strategy that has been on the rise since 2021.

To learn more about what to expect for the 2023 housing market, read the full report at Realtor.com or reach out to us any time!