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Welcome to Part II of Lockdown Living, a blog series exploring how three different families experienced homelife during COVID-19. These are real stories from real people that each have one thing in common: I was the Real Estate Sale Representative that they used to buy their current house. The one they would end up being quarantined in during a gobal pandemic.
 
Only a bit of pressure as I checked in to see how it went…
 
Meet Pier & Amar. Two medical doctors living in the Tollendal neighbourhood of Barrie.

Pier & Amar with Ralph

I met these two at one of my open houses, where we bonded over freshly-baked cookies and real estate news. We started working together shortly after. Pier and I always joke that we have similar taste, since we’re both Virgos! According to them, I had a knack for choosing houses that suited their style. Despite that, it still took about a year before we found the right one. They ended up moving into their Lockdown home in late November, 2018.
 
We’re celebrating their 2 year house-iversary! And yes, that is a thing.

Celebrating their house-iversary

Pier and Amar got married the summer before buying their home. So they moved in as newlyweds.

The traditional carry over the doorstep

Enjoying their first year, they waited until January 2020 to start their home addition. Don’t we all wish we had foresight of what lay ahead?
 
By the time March (and COVID) hit, things were already moving forward with the build. Lucky for them, since they had their permit in hand, everything continued. The biggest source of delay was obtaining supplies and getting certain trades to come in. Pier was thrilled to watch walls go up and get completed, despite the craziness in the world. Sometimes, when everything else is out of your control, it can be a such a source of comfort to see your own space take shape.

She really is happy with the walls

Amar worked exclusively from home providing virtual medical care. The basement was put to good use as his work from home space! Pier continued to practice outside their home, either at the office or on the front lines at the hospital. Both consider themselves extremely fortunate to work regularly during the pandemic.
 
Pier and Amar are career-minded individuals, so they kept busy as the virus continued. Still, in keeping isolated to their household, they managed to slow down more at home. The lawns were cared for, the gardens weeded and they chatted to neighbours during regular walks.

Lockdown landscaping as an escape

Pier says they are still so happy with the home that they found. It was tested during a quarantine, and proved its worth. I believe it is true, since they haven’t forwarded over any new listings. That is always the tell.
 
Lockdown Living Pt. 3 coming soon for more perspectives on being confined to home in Barrie and area during the Coronavirus. Read Lockdown Living Pt. 1 for Cathy & Randy's story in Orillia. 
Photography: Digerati Media

Welcome to Part I of Lockdown Living, a blog series exploring how three different families experienced home life during COVID-19. These are real stories from real people that each have one thing in common: I was the Real Estate Sales Representative that they used to buy their current house. The one they would end up being quarantined in during a global pandemic.
 
Only a bit of pressure as I checked in to see how it went…
 
Meet Cathy & Randy. Business owners and dog lovers living lakefront in Orillia.

Front porch photography became the new normal during the lockdown

It is just the two of them living daily in their household, along with their two four-legged furbabies. However, their grown children come home for visits on a regular basis, with their children and numerous pets in tow. They wanted a house that would allow them space to come together as a family, but also have individual areas to retreat to for quiet time. They also both work from home, running their successful business Industrial Safety Trainers. So they needed space that allowed for two work areas. When we started our search, they had no idea just how important that work from home space would become!

You would never guess these two worked from home together during the pandemic

When we first started looking for property, Cathy and Randy were leaning to a cottage that they could renovate and turn into their eventual retirement home. Between a lack of inventory and my own note that maintenance and repairs could end up being costly, we began to look more at lakefront homes. We even put an offer in on a property that they decided to walk away from, as the district was too restrictive for the changes they wanted to make. I never wanted them to feel like they would be “making do”. They even temporarily suspended their search before stumbling upon their dream home in Orillia. Or rather, the place that had the potential to be perfect for them.

Cathy & Randy in front of their giant Canada flag from Canada Day 2020

During a memorable snowstorm in January 2015, Cathy and Randy moved into their “has-the-potential-to-be our dream” home. Fast-forward a few years and they have invested the time, money and energy into making the changes they wanted. Which meant that when isolation hit, they were able to transition to staying at home fairly easily. “For the first few months we worked from home so being on the lake was definitely a plus; having easy access to walking trails was definitely a bonus. The view from our "office" was breathtaking and it was exciting to be able to see the seasons change,” says Cathy. These two were even able to get out for more after-dinner kayak rides as well. It was being on the water that really made lockdown more tolerable.

With their daughter and son-in-law coming by to work, they were also thankful that they had additional space that could comfortably accommodate four adults all working from home with two dogs and three cats.

“We were fortunate to get lots of family quality time snuggling by the fire at the end of the work day. We have spent more time in the moment, enjoying the lake and our neighbourhood than we have in past years”

Hearing people talk about spending more time in the moment seems to be a theme during the pandemic. Hopefully we can all hold on to that practice as times continue to change.

C&R with their babies, Mojo Jojo and Harley Quinn

Getting to see Cathy and Randy, and hear about their lakeshore enjoyment and how they thrived with their work from home life gave me a thrill. When we were in the midst of buying and selling, COVID-19 was obviously not something that was on our radar. But, perservering until they found that potential-turned-dream house was the right call. Lockdown living wasn’t easy on anyone, but the space you were in often made all the difference.

 Lockdown Living Pt. 2 and Lockdown Living Pt. 3 coming soon to provide more perspectives on being confined to home in Barrie and area during the Coronavirus. 

Photography: Digerati Media 

In addition to everything occurring on a global, Federal and Provincial level, the City of Barrie has now declared a State of Emergency. It is important that we all #stayathome as much as we possibly can, to allow our healthcare staff the greatest chance of success. As a non-practicing RN, I appreciate these directives and the sacrifices of our front-line workers.

The Province of Ontario has also deemed it necessary to close all non-essential workplaces, effective March 24 at 11:59pm.

With regards to Real Estate, there are three main points that I think are the most important to highlight:
 

1. Real Estate Agent Services have been deemed essential
2. Business will be modified and not conducted as per usual
3. There will be no Open Houses during this time