Month: November 2020

Residential real estate has seen homebuyers returning to the market in the previous quarter post an initial set back amid salary cuts and job losses. A major transition to work from home due to pandemic has impacted home buyer’s choices too. Post July 2020, larger and more spacious homes have witnessed increased demands among property seekers. Reports of renewed interest of genuine home buyers who wanted to benefit from low home loan rates and reduced real estate prices have led to improved demands in the real estate market.

However, a new wave of rising demand for spacious homes with extended benefits like jogging area, swimming pools, co-working spaces, and other amenities have been popularizing recently due to the transition of work from home. Most working class now prefers 3 BHK over 2 BHK as they have to spend more time at home now than before and require a separate allocation for work space for better working from home conditions. Almost 64% of total enquiries ask for 2.5 or 3 BHK while the demand for 1 BHK near office area have been decreasing since January 2020.

With the work from home policy now becoming commonly accepted by most multinational companies, homebuyers now look for better lifestyle at more affordable prices.

Reverse migration has also been observed leading to rising demand for residential properties in tier II cities as remote working take over. Those working in cities away from home are now better decided to invest in a property in their hometown as the need for physical presence minimizes. People staying in rented properties for a long time due to uncertainty of their work location have now been moving to ready to move properties or are looking for investing in their own apartment.

Niharika Sen, an IT professional, based out of Kolkata says, “remote working since the pandemic has struck made me realize the need for space. Our organisation has made remote working permanent for all employees while we may have to travel to office once in 2-3 months. Now I am free to stay with my family at Kolkata and continue my job at the same time.”

It is safe to say that the work from home shift has altered the homebuyers’ perspective quite a lot. Those looking forward to investing in properties in Kolkata are now looking for apartments that define a lifestyle rather than just settling for lower costs. Search for a better locality, more spacious homes, array of amenities and proper security facilities now hold higher importance while buying a new property. Workplace or commute time is no longer a hindrance to owning one’s dream home.

While work from home is definitely the future, one must always keep in mind the need to stay close to one’s workplace.

The pandemic has limited our options this festive season but our spirits are high and we won’t lose hope. This Diwali create your own décor by making decorative pieces on your own using easily available craft items. Here are some ideas that you can do all by yourself to celebrate this year’s festival of lights.

Hula Hoop for a Chandelier Diwali decoration without string lights is incomplete. You can use the string lights in a different way to decorate the living room by making a hula-hoop chandelier. To make a hula-hoop chandelier, wind the string lights around the hula-hoop and hang it from the ceiling. This makes for a beautiful and quick festive décor item for both outdoor and indoor.
	Thread Lanterns for the rustic touch Thread lanterns give your festive décor a rustic as well as warm look. This simple and easy decorative item needs glue, balloons, cotton yarn and water. Add little water to glue in a bowl and put the yarn in it. Keep it aside for some time. Now inflate a balloon and wind the yarn around it in random manner. When the glue dries, burst the balloon with the help of a pin and insert string lights in it. Hang them in the balcony or on the rooftop area.
String lights around the greens Light up your garden and arrange for a tea table to welcome your guests this Diwali. If you have hanging pots in your balcony, make the most of it and light up your home from the outside by winding string lights in any pattern you like around the potted greens.
	Cut it out yourself Carve diyas on colourful craft papers to make festoons. You can hang these at your main door, living room empty wall or in the puja room to add colour to the festival of lights. Children usually find this very engaging and love to participate in the pre-Diwali preparations doing such crafts.
Flowers of papercones Skip the rangoli this year and decorate your floor with a paper cone flower. Take colourful craft paper and fold them into cones. Now arrange them like a flower in a circular pattern and glue them at their sharp ends onto a cardboard cut into a circle. You can also use smaller ones to decorate the center table or stick them to the doors.
	Beach memoirs can be handy If you have small conch shells at home, your décor can make a statement. Fill the empty side of the shell with hot wax, dip a wick and wait for it to cool. Light them up on the window sill or on the center table and feel the warmth of the festive season.
Flowers to the rescue Decorate your living room floor with a colourful floral rangoli. Use petals of flowers of various colours to make patterns on the floor and say no to the hassles of making the usual rangoli. Try using whole flowers and garlands instead of petals. It is easier and takes much less of your time.
	The tailor-made perfect picture background What is Diwali without a good click with family and friends? And what is a good picture without the proper background? Make a custom background for this Diwali using your choice of colourful, glittery and lustrous sequins and tassels. Make a string of sequins and tassels and hang it on an empty wall with fairy lights to light up the background to make for the perfect night light click.