You know that popular mantra, "new year, new me?" Well, if you're still looking to make some personal resolutions now that we've reached a new year, you might want to consider adding resolutions for your home, too. As life gets busy, it's easy to neglect the various projects around the home. Whether it's the little things like replacing the porch light or larger projects such as finally finishing your basement, setting home goals can help you achieve a happier new year!
If you're looking for some inspiration when it comes to home resolutions for 2019, we've compiled a list of some of our favorite suggestions.
Safety First
A safe home is a happy home! This year, take the necessary steps to ensure that your home sweet home is a home safe home, too. While it's easy to forget about them until there's a problem, it's important to test all of your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. You can read more tips on fire and carbon monoxide safety here. While you shovel your driveway and treat your sidewalks with ice melt, take note regarding the integrity of your sidewalk and landscaping. Loose steps? Uneven pavement? It might be a good idea to assess your home and yard for any potential safety hazards. This includes your chimney!
Create a Cleaning Schedule
Cleaning always makes these types of lists. It's something everyone has to do at some point but is usually a chore no one actually wants to do. One of the biggest reasons we often struggle with cleaning is because it can get overwhelming very quickly. If you forget to dust for a while, suddenly it might seem like your house is inundated with cobwebs that will require an entire day to clean! The trick to not losing an entire day to cleaning is to make a cleaning schedule—and stick to it.
Create a personalized cleaning schedule for your home with different small tasks every day of the week. Maybe you dust the family room after dinner while watching TV. Maybe Thursdays are for cleaning the bathrooms. The better you can keep up with the little messes of day-to-day living, the easier it will be to maintain a clean home throughout the year.
Organize Your Space
Much like cleaning, staying organized is one of the most popular New Year's resolutions for the home. Even if you're not looking to go minimalist with your home design and decor, eliminating unnecessary clutter can go a long way to making your space feel larger, more open, and cleaner overall . When everything has its proper place (ranging from house keys and TV remotes to winter accessories and pet supplies), cleaning becomes an easier process. For items that you don't use regularly, such as seasonal clothing and holiday decorations, store these in clearly marked containers in an out-of-the-way spot in your home. If you find that you don't use these items, consider eliminating them from your home!
Conduct an Energy Audit
Whether you're looking to create a feasible budget for your home or simply want to understand and minimize your carbon footprint, an energy audit is a good place to start. Lower your thermostat (especially when you're not at home) and switch out your older bulbs for more energy efficient options like LEDs and CFLs.
To conduct your own at home energy audit, check all windows, doors, chimneys, and electrical outlets for air leaks. Can't tell? You can always use a candle or a stick of incense to help find drafts! You might need to make some changes, ranging from caulking windows to utilizing a sweep seal on your doors. If you have an older home that doesn't seem to be retaining heat, make sure you have proper insulation.
To cut down on energy consumption, it's also a good idea to unplug appliances and other electrical devices when not in use. You can also bring in someone to do a professional audit and help you make other energy-saving home improvements.
Create a Home You Love
If you believe that home is where the heart is, then you should love your home completely! This year, make extra strides to create the perfect space for you and your family. If it means repainting, redecorating, or finally tearing down that wall to create an open concept kitchen, now is the time to make the extra effort. Make note of what you love about your home already and what you wish was different. When you know exactly what you'd like to change, you can plan accordingly and work these into your budget.
