To anyone who feels overwhelmed by the place they live, work, or invest their time in,
I spend my days studying buildings. Not just how they look on paper, but how they actually work in real life. And over the years, I have noticed something. When people feel stressed, stuck, or distracted, the space around them is often part of the problem.
I have valued everything from small mixed-use buildings to some of the most recognizable towers in New York City. The common thread is this. Spaces shape behavior. When they stop working for us, we feel it fast.
As I often say, “You learn things you cannot see in a report.” That is true whether you are valuing a building or just trying to get through your day.
Many people are dealing with cluttered homes, noisy offices, inefficient layouts, or spaces that no longer match how they live. This is not a personal failure. It is a structural one.
Here is what the data tells us:
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The average American spends about 90 percent of their time indoors, according to the EPA.
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Studies show that workspace distractions can reduce productivity by up to 40 percent.
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Nearly 60 percent of remote workers say their home setup hurts their focus, according to recent workplace surveys.
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Poorly designed spaces are linked to higher stress and lower decision quality, according to environmental psychology research.
From my perspective, none of this is surprising. “Real estate is ultimately driven by people, not formulas.” When space ignores human behavior, it creates friction.
I have also learned that more information does not always help. “More data does not always lead to better decisions.” What helps is paying attention to how a space actually feels and functions.
You do not need to renovate or move to make progress. You need clarity. And small changes, done consistently, can shift how a space supports you.
As someone who has spent decades solving spatial problems professionally, I believe this. “The goal is not to produce the highest number. The goal is to produce something that makes sense in the real world.” That applies to buildings and to daily life.
What You Can Do This Week
You do not need permission or expertise to improve your space. Start here.
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Walk through your space slowly and note where you feel tension.
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Remove one item that no longer serves a purpose.
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Improve lighting where you spend the most time.
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Reduce noise by rearranging furniture or adding soft materials.
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Create one clear surface that stays uncluttered.
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Move your desk or chair to face natural light if possible.
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Label or organize one drawer or shelf.
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Ask yourself what this space was designed for versus how you use it now.
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Spend 10 minutes each morning resetting your space.
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Stop trying to make the space perfect. Make it usable.
As I remind my teams, “Clear thinking matters more than being busy.” The same is true at home and at work.
Spaces do not need to impress. They need to support you.
Choose one action from this list. Commit to it for seven days. Pay attention to how you feel. Then share this letter with someone who might need permission to start small.
Sometimes the simplest changes create the most lasting value.
About Jon DiPietra
Jon DiPietra is a New York–based commercial real estate valuation executive and cofounder of H&T Appraisal, the valuation group of Horvath & Tremblay. With more than two decades of experience, he has valued properties ranging from small mixed-use buildings to iconic urban assets. His work focuses on clarity, local knowledge, and understanding how people actually use space.
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