Post Pandemic Changes to your Listing

Any changes that you’re contemplating as a result of Covid19? Could be Furniture, Terms, Approach, Maintenance, etc.

My initial plans are around making things easier to clean / sanitize

  • replace fabric bed frame / headboard with a hard surface frame
  • replace the fabric sofa with a leather one
  • replace thick wool area rug with low pile carpet tile

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Good ideas. My place was built with easy cleaning in mind, so I don’t have anything to do in that regard- tile floors, built-in concrete counters, built-in couch in my living room, no upholstered furniture, wood headboards.
Although most people might not want built-ins, as they can’t be rearranged, an alternative to a fabric or leather couch could be a concrete base set against the wall. The cushions have zip-off, washable covers. Here’s a photo of my couch, which is built-in.

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Yes, quite a big one.

Whenever this ends, we anticipate many people will want out of living in London, and to go mortgage free as far as possible. Mr Joan’s colleagues are already speaking in such terms, asking him about local areas and commute times on the high speed train from here. All are finding the new working from home, in their line of business, very successful.

So, we will sell up if this capital flight does happen as expected, probably in about a year’s time. We had been thinking of moving to Ireland, but a long held goal has been to move to Southern Portugal, where we have many friends. And the climate would be good for my aged bones and gardening.

So, I will move my listings with us! I’ve already identified several houses with STRs already in situ.

In the meantime, we are working through re-grouting bathrooms, new sealant around showers, repainting the kitchen cupboards. The decluttering starts when these are done. Garage, loft, summerhouse all have boxes we haven’t opened since they came back from France in 2014…

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Which would put you just a short hop along the A22 from me :wink: and give me the incentive to do a Port run :wine_glass:

On a serious note, I found that the change of climate did wonders for my osteoarthritis, much to the scorn of my physio who said it was all in the mind. What I do know is that I get by with just over the counter NSAID’s now (although not right now!) and rarely have to resort to anything stronger.

JF

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A very good idea indeed. We’re looking around Loule/Sao Bras de Alportel, as Burgau is beyond our means. Plus, everyone we’ve ever known make a permanent move to the village, has either become an alcoholic or had to move inland to prevent them becoming one!

Unfortunately I am unable to tolerate NSAIDs, after being on Naproxene for 6 weeks, that wrecked my intestines a few years ago. I once forgot, and took some brufen when my hands were hurting, after too much gardening for a wedding. Almost instant shits!

My physio is more understanding, and keeps me pain free most of the time. Sadly, he’s in London, so I can’t get up to see him. Very occasionally I opt for cocodamol but briefly.

I hear that Spain had zero deaths yesterday. Here’s hoping.

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Like @Joan we too may sell, in our case sell our primary home and move to the big cabin. We would still have the cottage and airstream to rent out. Will see

I have been thinking the same. I have been working on getting my Irish passport/citizenship for a move there as my cousin in NYC is thinking the same with an EU passport carrying husband. Friends in London are looking at southern Portugal as well due to it being business friendly and the weather is wonderful.

Like @KKC I’m contemplating the sledgehammer in the corner and thinking about renovating the guest bath and the master, too. And the boxes in the garage that haven’t been opened since 1986 when my parents moved from CT to FL… It’s time…

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You also need to think about how much you can do yourself without outside workers. What things you will need to buy and how long you can let them sit. Read up on viral load and slipperiness of zoonotic viruses. Don’t read what the salesmen running the country say, read what scientists say. What what the ultra rich do, not what they say.

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Blimey! I thought we were bad enough, with boxes unopened since coming back from France in 2014 :laughing:

The climate on the Algarve is splendiferous, even in the winter months, although it does get cold at night. I lived there for a year 93/94 (mid life crisis gap year…) and spent Christmas Day on the beach, picnicking with friends. 300 days of sunshine per annum, but when it rains, it really rains.

Then of all the bars, in all of the Algarve, in a small village, Mr Joan walked into mine. I came home, went back to working in Social Services and the years flew past.

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It certainly does! I think a lot of folks don’t realise how cold it gets down this neck of the woods during the Winter. Most houses are built to keep the heat out, not in, which often makes for a couple of pretty uncomfortable months every year.

JF

Full of optimism, we didn’t realise how cold it would be in winter in the S of France. Although the winters were short, it was often colder than in the UK. We took friends down to see the seven locks on the Canal du Midi one Christmas in Beziers. They were completely frozen up, all seven, and impassable.

Then the summers were so very hot, often hitting 40C. Not the best of choices!

I love this exchange from Joan and John. So much interesting info about places I’ve never been or prob ever get to go. Thanks!!

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Well said!! I love their stories!!

Ah, true love!

So I’ve heard/read. But I’m from the Northeastern US so I think I’ll be OK. As long as there is a fireplace, Bella The Bengal and I would be OK.

Yes the boxes from the mid-1980s are a challenge. I’ve found some odd “treasures” in them and would love to have a garage sale. My late Dad’s Army footlocker will be repurposed to hold things my daughter wants. Other than that, the 2 1/2 car garage (bigger than many flats I’ve lived in!) needs to be gutted so I can get 2 cars in there!

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Wow - I hadn’t stopped to consider the city exodus. In America they have been telling us that the deaths this week will be like another 9/11. After that tragedy, many, many people left the cities for good. We have land in the Catskills (about 2 hours from NYC) and our property values skyrocketed. Similarly, in the small town where we have our STR (2 hours from Washington, D.C.), many, many people relocated here full-time after 9/11: most from NYC, some from the WashMet area (Maryland, Virginia, D.C.)

These past few weeks have given us a lot of food for thought. I retired last year and have been trying to get my husband (8 years older) to follow suit, but to no avail. After the last month, he has changed his tune and is ready to pull the trigger on retirement and stop chasing the money.

The STR has been an interesting experience for nearly 4 years, but we put a lot of faith in our guests to treat our home well. For the most part, we’ve had fabulous guests, but I have to admit there is a bit of stress every time someone checks in. Is this the group that … Wrecks our house? Steals from us? Has a party? Injures themselves? I am fortunate to have kept the place rented and it more than covers our costs, but I would seriously contemplate selling next year - to simplify my life.

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Pretty much the same here, although Mr J is somewhat younger than me @ 15 years. My toy boy.

One of the drivers for him is not so much retiring but realising that this working from home lark, in his industry at least, will become pretty much the norm. Plus the Banks are only going to want to take on IT folk from cheaper jurisdictions. His company was in the throes of ditching their office in Barcelona as the cost had risen to UK levels. They’ve at least put this on hold for now, out of common decency, but they are still expanding in Poland, with personnel cost a third of London.

Adverts recruiting in his field are already beginning to appear, from late last week, stating they’ll accept suitably qualified and experienced, English speaking candidates living anywhere in Europe. Seeing these seem to have constituted a light bulb moment.

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You cougar!

2020202020

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Good for you Joan! I worked at home (WAH) for the last 12 years of my career and when my hubby isn’t traveling, he also works from home. We each have full offices at home and at the end of the day, I close the door on my office and don’t reopen it until the next work day. I was just saying to my hubby last night that this gives companies a very different perspective on what can be accomplished at home.

With children at home all day, every day, it’s not close to the ideal WAH situation. Many people think WAH is a cake walk, but it takes real discipline and is frequently abused. I had one person say to me “Do you know how much I could save on childcare if I could work from home?” WHAT?? I told her that there is no way she could watch a child (or 2) and accomplish any real work. My washroom was 6 steps from my office and there are days if it had been 7 steps I would have needed diapers. :slight_smile:

I admire anyone who can successfully WAH with children or a spouse in the house.

My two tiny pups cause enough of a disruption. My youngest dog insists on being a lap dog during meetings. I’ve angled the camera so he is below it or so I thought.

In the middle of a meeting my boss says “Anne, are those triangles at the bottom of the screen ears?” Busted!!!

Anyway I think we will see the shift to working at home accelerate and become more mainstream. Office space is expensive to buy/rent, maintain, heat, cool etc. After things start to return to normal, working from home will be proven effective for many jobs and someone in accounting will point out the possible savings.

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Buster McCat has been both seen and heard in a meeting, after delivering a dead rat into the office, aka, the guests’ dining room, and climbing up onto the table to let his generosity be known. Much merriment fortunately.

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