Thanks to the holiday Monday, it’s been a short week, so I’ll keep this short as well.
Welcome to the Weekender, let’s dive right in!
This week in CREB®Now
Four ways to make the most of your balcony
Whether you rent or own, if you live in an apartment-style condo, your balcony might be your best bet for safe enjoyment of the outdoors for quite some time. It wouldn’t kill you to use it for more than just bike storage.
Garage makeover: unique properties call for unique staging
If you read CREB®Now, you probably already know the importance of staging your home when you sell. But what about your garage?
Catching rays: sunrooms are becoming a hot commodity in Calgary
Leave it to Calgarians to popularize getting “outside” without actually going outside. This is what happens when you love the idea of the outdoors, but the outdoors is only actually pleasant for about two months of the year. You know what, now that I think about it, this sunroom idea sounds great. Sign me up!
ICYMI
If you’re looking for a longer read to enjoy with your coffee this weekend, set aside some time for this deep dive by Josh Skapin on “cash for homes” companies:
A beautiful day in the neighbourhood
Ever since COVID-19 turned my dining room table into my new “office” for the foreseeable future, my girlfriend and I have been taking a short walk around our neighbourhood every morning, rain or shine, before starting our respective remote workdays. The benefits of this have been numerous – really, I can’t recommend it enough. It’s important to get some fresh air and a bit of exercise when you can (now more than ever), the routine is comforting on a basic psychological level, and social distancing is quite easy first thing in the morning when you only have bike commuters, joggers and the occasional dog walker to contend with.
Unfortunately, there’s only so much ground you can cover in half an hour, so it’s easy to start repeating the same route and fall into a rut. Routine can be comforting, but boredom is a real risk.
The solution, in our experience, is to use your imagination. Try acting like a tourist in your own neighbourhood. Venture out to previously unexplored (by you) nooks and crannies. Search for hidden gems – an interesting building, an out-of-the-way playground, a secret green space. Look at nearby homes and imagine what they might look like inside (or, better yet, look for homes that are for sale and then look up the listing to see what they actually look like inside). It might sound lame, but don’t knock it ’til you try it! We’ve been here for five years and we’re still making new discoveries.
Retooling restaurants
The City of Calgary recently approved a plan that could see local eateries temporarily expand their businesses into nearby public lands, including sidewalks and parking lots, to create pop-up patios. This comes on the heels of similar measures in municipalities across North America.
This is great news, and the increase in outdoor seating should be a win-win situation for restaurants and their diners. As new scientific studies continue to highlight the ability of COVID-19 to spread rapidly through indoor settings, many Calgarians might not be too keen to dine in at any of the city’s restaurants when they are allowed to reopen on May 25 – even if dining rooms are only operating at 50 per cent capacity. Outdoor seating should offer a more palatable alternative for diners when they do return to their favourite haunts, especially at a time of year when Calgarians normally flock to bar and restaurant patios. Meanwhile, additional tables outside will make up for some of the tables lost inside to the half-capacity requirement, helping restaurants’ bottom lines.
These last few months have taken a serious toll on Calgary’s restaurants, with several permanent closures already announced. Many of these businesses are long-term fixtures in their communities and a major part of what makes these neighbourhoods great places to live. So, remember to support them however you can – whether that means ordering takeout or delivery, buying merchandise, or (eventually) visiting a pop-up patio.
The funnies
Additional reading
- CBC Calgary – Alberta and Quebec lead the country in CMHC-insured mortgage deferrals
- Calgary’s Business – New housing construction delays and lower sales expected in short term
- Toronto Star – Retiring boomers, multiplying millennials and the condo boom: New data shows Canada’s shift toward denser cities and suburbs
- Calgary Herald – Calgary’s historic city hall to be revealed after three-year restoration
- CBC Edmonton – Traditional office or work-from-home? Edmonton businesses rethink the post-pandemic workplace
- National Post – COVID-19 will raise household debt levels and ‘drag on GDP growth,’ CMHC warns
- Canadian Real Estate Wealth – Alberta housing markets may surprise investors post-recovery – report
- CTV Calgary – Woodbine residents say surprise changes to ring road brings highway closer to home
Have a great weekend!
