The Evolution of the Home Office Workspace
Home offices and workspaces have never been higher on buyers’ priority lists and sellers are finding ways to make their homes appeal to a remote-working audience. So what does this mean for the home office moving forward? How will it continue to evolve? Only time will tell. In the meantime, it’s a good idea to curate a home office that fits your needs here and now.
Whether you have a separate home office space or you work at a table in your kitchen nook, what’s important is that you create a dedicated space for your work. This allows you to focus by limiting distractions that may arise from other areas of the house. It also brings a sense of work-life balance to your home by physically separating the spaces. Even if your office area is limited, you can design it to feel like its own designated spot by facing it away from an open room or situating your workstation so you face a window.
Continued Remote Work
For those who have worked remotely and will continue to do so, you’ve likely gotten a grasp of how your home workspace best fits your unique needs. Perhaps you decided to ditch the desk chair for a yoga ball or switched out that old desk lamp for a therapy light. Now that remote work has become a reality, it’s time to think about how the space will fit your long-term needs.
Gone are the days of your home workspace being an afterthought. Working from home long-term means that your home office is now one of the most used spaces in the house, so it’s important to keep it organized. Declutter the space with efficiency and productivity in mind, prioritizing the items that are essential for your job. We work well when we feel well, and an organized space can help reduce anxiety and work-related stress.
As remote work continues, it may be time to make investments you were previously on the fence about making: a second monitor, a supportive floor mat under your chair, a new design on your wall for your Zoom background, or a standing desk. It’s important that your home office provides you with all the tools you’ll need while inspiring you to do your best work.
Returning to in-person work
For those whose days of a fully remote work schedule are coming to an end, your home office needs will evolve, so it’s important that the space reflects those changes.
Full-time: Returning to in-person work full-time means our home office will largely be vacant. Because you won’t be using it nearly as much, you have the freedom to either keep it as is or convert the room into something else. If you’ve dreamt of having a game room, a home gym, a playroom for the kids, or creating your version of a home theater, this is the perfect opportunity to do so.
Part-Time/Hybrid/Flex: A hybrid or flex work schedule allows for flexibility with your home office. Paring down your workspace and transferring some equipment to your desk at work will help you declutter. Outfit both workspaces to fit your needs to avoid lugging equipment back and forth. For example, if one location is primarily meant for attending meetings and the other is for working on projects, you can curate each space accordingly. Buying an extra laptop charger means you won’t have to carry one with you to and from the office or worry about forgetting it and running out of battery at a crucial time.
Recent circumstances have changed many aspects of daily life, including how our homes and jobs intertwine. Homeowners everywhere have found creative solutions to accommodate their remote work while juggling the everyday responsibilities of being a homeowner. I hope these tips help you to find that balance moving forward, whatever your working situation may be.
How to Meal Prep
We all know what it feels like when hunger pangs strike suddenly in the middle of the day and you realize you forgot to pack something to eat. The solution? Meal prepping.
Batch Cooking
Batch cooking—cooking multiple portions of food at once, divvying them out into separate meals, and storing them in the refrigerator or freezer to keep them fresh—is one way to meal prep. This can be a useful strategy if you don’t have time to cook every day.
Make a checklist
Prep your ingredients, choose a recipe, gather your containers, and you’re ready to start cooking! Identify recipes that you would enjoy eating repeatedly. Switch up the dishes to bring some variety to your meals.
Set Goals
Are you wanting to eat healthier? Trying to save some money instead of eating out for lunch every day? Looking to try out new recipes? Align your meal prep with your goals, stick to your routine, and have fun! Bon appétit!
Home Pricing Guide
Here are the average three-bedroom home sale prices in some of the neighborhoods served by Windermere. Data from January 1, 2021 to June 30, 2021.
Apache Junction
Chandler
Cave Creek
Glendale
Gold Canyon
Goodyear
$363,000
$423,000
$709,000
$348,000
$526,000
$403,000
Fountain Hills
Mesa
New River
Paradise Valley
Peoria
Phoenix
$641,000
$392,000
$495,000
$2,163,000
$408,000
$398,000
Scottsdale
Sun Lakes
Surprise
Tempe
Tortilla Flat
$835,000
$470,000
$370,000
$420,000
$855,000
Alameda
Alamo
Albany
Alpine
Anaheim
Antioch
Bakersfield
Baldwin Park
Beaumont
Berkeley
Big Bear
Big Bear Lake
Blackhawk
Brea
Brentwood
Burbank
Calabasas
Cardiff by the Sea
Carlsbad
Carmel Valley
Carson
Castro Valley
Cathedral City
Chino
Chino Hills
Chula Vista
Clayton
Cloverdale
Concord
Corona
Coronado
Costa Mesa
Covina
Dana Point
Danville
Davis
Del Mar
Desert Hot Springs
Diamond Bar
Discovery Bay
Dublin
El Cajon
El Cerrito
El Sobrante
Encinitas
Escondido
Fairfield
Fallbrook
Folsom
$1,430,000
$1,990,000
$1,522,000
$779,000
$715,000
$534,000
$254,000
$583,000
$444,000
$1,565,000
$519,000
$671,000
$1,683,000
$845,000
$751,000
$1,148,000
$1,724,000
$1,913,000
$1,167,000
$1,495,000
$645,000
$1,095,000
$451,000
$611,000
$857,000
$679,000
$951,000
$440,000
$766,000
$645,000
$1,848,000
$1,151,000
$689,000
$2,048,000
$1,486,000
$725,000
$2,167,000
$319,000
$850,000
$824,000
$1,210,000
$669,000
$1,311,000
$751,000
$1,598,000
$713,000
$520,000
$716,000
$622,000
Fort Bragg
Fresno
Fullerton
Gilroy
Granite Bay
Hacienda Heights
Hayward
Hollywood
Huntington Beach
Imperial Beach
Indian Wells
Indio
Irvine
La Canada Flintridge
La Jolla
La Mesa
La Quinta
La Verne
Lafayette
Laguna Beach
Laguna Niguel
Lake Arrowhead
Lake Elsinore
Lakeside
Livermore
Lodi
Long Beach
Loomis
Manteca
Martinez
Merced
Modesto
Monterey
Moraga
Moreno Valley
Morgan Hill
Murrieta
Napa
National City
Northridge
Novato
Oakland
Oakley
Oceanside
Ontario
Orinda
Palm Desert
Palm Springs
Palo Alto
$613,000
$340,000
$828,000
$893,000
$1,006,000
$678,000
$852,000
$1,045,000
$1,213,000
$735,000
$1,073,000
$442,000
$1,119,000
$1,720,000
$2,412,000
$753,000
$754,000
$776,000
$1,634,000
$2,854,000
$1,177,000
$517,000
$449,000
$672,000
$1,007,000
$485,000
$893,000
$725,000
$508,000
$795,000
$304,000
$411,000
$1,253,000
$1,490,000
$441,000
$1,158,000
$536,000
$1,053,000
$575,000
$849,000
$763,000
$1,154,000
$602,000
$608,000
$530,000
$1,723,000
$695,000
$988,000
$3,172,000
Pasadena
Paso Robles
Piedmont
Pinole
Pleasant Hill
Pleasanton
Pomona
Poway
Rancho Bernardo
Rancho Cordova
Rancho Cucamonga
Rancho Mirage
Rancho Santa Fe
Redding
Redlands
Richmond
Riverside
Rocklin
Roseville
Rowland Heights
San Bernardino
San Clemente
San Diego
San Dimas
San Fernando
San Francisco
San Jose
San Leandro
San Lorenzo
San Mateo
San Ramon
Sacramento
Salinas
Santa Clara
Santa Rosa
Santee
Solana Beach
Sonoma
Spring Valley
Stockton
Temecula
Tustin
Vacaville
Vista
Walnut
Walnut Creek
Whittier
Yucca Valley
$1,096,000
$617,000
$2,717,000
$724,000
$975,000
$1,338,000
$552,000
$840,000
$869,000
$459,000
$686,000
$894,000
$2,339,000
$305,000
$597,000
$685,000
$565,000
$588,000
$559,000
$662,000
$399,000
$1,400,000
$901,000
$723,000
$695,000
$1,516,000
$1,223,000
$875,000
$826,000
$1,580,000
$1,347,000
$474,000
$659,000
$1,521,000
$702,000
$652,000
$2,733,000
$873,000
$616,000
$397,000
$740,000
$913,000
$531,000
$711,000
$840,000
$1,291,000
$698,000
$376,000
Arvada
Aurora
Boulder
Castle Pines
Castle Rock
Centennial
Cherry Hills Village
$574,000
$457,000
$1,243,000
$782,000
$557,000
$565,000
$2,486,000
Denver
Englewood
Evergreen
Fort Collins
Golden
Greenwood Village
Highlands Ranch
$611,000
$521,000
$872,000
$527,000
$786,000
$1,383,000
$570,000
Lakewood
Littleton
Lone Tree
Parker
Thornton
Westminster
Windsor
$549,000
$587,000
$1,139,000
$561,000
$469,000
$501,000
$481,000
Big Island
Hilo
Kohala Coast
Kona
Puna
$459,000
$925,000
$960,000
$308,000
Maui
Haiku
Kahului
Kihei
Lahaina
Wailea/Makena
Wailuku
$1,225,000
$770,000
$1,303,000
$2,124,000
$3,740,000
$801,000
Boise
Caldwell
Coeur d’Alene
Eagle
Grangeville
$568,000
$398,000
$526,000
$950,000
$306,000
Hayden
Lewiston
Meridian
Moscow
Nampa
$556,000
$315,000
$539,000
$346,000
$428,000
Post Falls
$452,000
Sun Valley
Hailey
Ketchum
$584,000
$1,816,000
Bozeman
Hamilton
Helena
Missoula
$762,000
$343,000
$416,000
$468,000
Boulder City
Henderson
Las Vegas
North Las Vegas
$482,000
$442,000
$375,000
$334,000
Ashland
Astoria
Beaverton/
Sunset Corridor
Bend
Canby
Cannon Beach
Cascade Locks
Clatskanie
Corvallis
Cottage Grove
Creswell
Dallas
Eagle Point
Eugene
Florence
Gearhart
Gleneden Beach
Grants Pass
Gresham
$569,000
$460,000
$587,000
$667,000
$483,000
$909,000
$389,000
$381,000
$469,000
$361,000
$421,000
$443,000
$403,000
$432,000
$435,000
$606,000
$970,000
$407,000
$449,000
Happy Valley
Hermiston
Hillsboro
Hood River
Jacksonville
Klamath Falls
Lake Oswego
Lebanon
Lincoln City
McMinnville
Medford
Milton-Freewater
Molalla
Monmouth
Newberg
Newport/Seal Rock
$574,000
$291,000
$483,000
$692,000
$620,000
$261,000
$892,000
$354,000
$370,000
$438,000
$382,000
$214,000
$450,000
$426,000
$472,000
$482,000
Portland
North
Northeast
Southeast
West
$528,000
$545,000
$499,000
$697,000
Prineville
Redmond
Rogue River
St. Helens
Salem
Sandy
Scappoose
Springfield
Sunriver
The Dalles
Tigard
Tualatin
Vida
Warrenton
Wilsonville
$411,000
$494,000
$419,000
$378,000
$398,000
$505,000
$457,000
$394,000
$730,000
$373,000
$531,000
$564,000
$259,000
$464,000
$554,000
Bountiful
Coalville
Layton
$442,000
$446,000
$419,000
Midvale
Orem
Park City
$547,000
$401,000
$1,680,000
Provo
Salt Lake City
West Valley City
$431,000
$589,000
$449,000
Aberdeen
Allyn
Anacortes
Arlington
Auburn
Bainbridge Island
Belfair
Bellevue
Bellingham
Bingen/White Salm.
Birch Bay/Blaine
Bonney Lake
Bothell
Bremerton
Brinnon
Burien
Camano Island
Camas
Cathlamet
Centralia
Chelan
Chewelah
Clarkston
Cle Elum
Colville
Deer Park
DuPont
Edmonds
Ellensburg
Entiat
Enumclaw
Ephrata
Everett
Federal Way
Ferndale
Gig Harbor
Goldendale
Granite Falls
Issaquah
Kelso
$248,000
$509,000
$739,000
$561,000
$550,000
$1,249,000
$443,000
$1,424,000
$623,000
$725,000
$559,000
$504,000
$791,000
$446,000
$307,000
$658,000
$680,000
$573,000
$367,000
$370,000
$586,000
$301,000
$269,000
$747,000
$253,000
$409,000
$473,000
$837,000
$463,000
$463,000
$557,000
$262,000
$598,000
$508,000
$542,000
$724,000
$306,000
$480,000
$1,087,000
$333,000
Kenmore
Kent
Kettle Falls
Kingston
Kirkland
Lake Forest Park
Lake Stevens
Lake Tapps
Lakewood
Leavenworth
Liberty Lake
Long Beach
Longview
Lopez Island
Lynden
Lynnwood
Maple Valley
Marysville
Mazama
Mercer Island
Mill Creek
Monroe
Moses Lake
Mount Vernon
MountLake Terrace
Mukilteo
Newcastle
Normandy Park
Northport
Ocean Shores
Olympia
Omak/Okanogan
Orcas Island
Packwood
Port Angeles
Port Ludlow
Port Orchard
Port Townsend
Poulsbo
Prosser
$902,000
$551,000
$297,000
$686,000
$1,234,000
$838,000
$589,000
$750,000
$450,000
$709,000
$512,000
$405,000
$359,000
$1,259,000
$502,000
$693,000
$680,000
$509,000
$770,000
$1,836,000
$838,000
$628,000
$316,000
$523,000
$646,000
$823,000
$988,000
$942,000
$185,000
$373,000
$505,000
$245,000
$1,424,000
$449,000
$407,000
$689,000
$474,000
$538,000
$591,000
$370,000
Pullman
Puyallup
Quincy
Redmond
Renton
Republic
Sammamish
$330,000
$475,000
$299,000
$1,157,000
$717,000
$247,000
$1,307,000
Seattle
North
Northwest
West
Downtown/Central
Southeast
$993,000
$1,075,000
$862,000
$1,342,000
$828,000
Sedro Woolley
Sequim
Shelton
Shoreline
Silverdale
Snohomish
Spokane
Spokane Valley
Stanwood
Stevenson
Sumner
Tacoma
Tri-Cities
Twisp
University Place
Vancouver
Vashon
Walla Walla
Wenatchee
Westport
Whidbey Island
Winthrop
Woodinville
Yakima
Yelm
$463,000
$569,000
$382,000
$770,000
$541,000
$720,000
$360,000
$371,000
$593,000
$505,000
$493,000
$469,000
$371,000
$510,000
$595,000
$449,000
$891,000
$365,000
$461,000
$397,000
$603,000
$766,000
$1,074,000
$341,000
$414,000
