Every New Year starts the same, we wake up on January 1st and make ambitious resolutions and promise we’ll actually stick to them (unlike last year). This year, instead of making personal goals that are either too ambitious or unrealistic, try making resolutions for your home. We’ve compiled a list of 5 things you can do throughout the year that will help maintain a healthy and happy home all year long.
1. Check Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide Detectors Monthly
Start the year off safe and make sure your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are in proper working order. It’s recommended that smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are checked once a month and batteries should be changed twice a year. An easy way to remember to change the batteries is to do it when the clocks change. Mark a date on your calendar and make it a habit to check these alarms every month on that date. Ensuring the safety of your home and family is an important resolution to make and keep. If you need any help with this task, you can speak with an alarm systems specialist to ensure the safety of your home.
2. Organize and Declutter
December is always a busy month and keeping organized can get away from you. This year, instead of shoving holiday decorations back into a broken cardboard box and throwing them in the basement for another year, take the time to actually organize them. Consider having built-ins or custom storage solutions made, or hire a professional organizer to take care of it for you.
If the thought of what to do with all the stuff you’re getting rid of makes you want to stop right there, hire a junk removal company to take it away and start the year with a clean and organized home. Keep up with your newly organized home and resolve to declutter once every season.
3. Plan Ahead for Regular Maintenance
This year, resolve to get a head start and book now for your annual projects before the busy season starts. Regular maintenance is essential to keeping a healthy and happy home. You can schedule on-going snow removal services for right now and look forward to warmer months when you’ll need lawn maintenance.
After a long winter, it’s a good idea to take care of the outside of your home. Be sure to clean your gutters in the Spring if you didn’t do them in the Fall. Do a walk around the perimeter of your home and check your foundation and fences. Experts recommend that windows should be cleaned twice a year. Be sure to start planning now as seasonal projects get booked fast and before you know it, another year has gone by and your house is still covered in last winter’s dirt.
4. Keep Your Home Safe
Safety is always a concern around the holidays, but what about the following months? Many people go on vacation throughout the early months of the new year to avoid the cold weather and winter blues. This year, make sure your home is safe before you go away. Consider updating your alarm system or adding automatic timers for lights so it looks like you’re home. As an added bonus, your home will always look warm and inviting when you arrive home in the evening and it’s already dark outside.
5. Refresh Often
There are many simple changes you can make to your home to refresh it any time of the year. Paint is an easy way to update any room. Try changing the colour of a room or adding a feature wall. Want to refresh your kitchen or bathroom but don’t want to do a complete renovation? Consider having your cabinets repainted to make it feel like a fresh new space. Another simple change you can make is to your lighting. New lights are an easy way to brighten any space and give it a different feel. You can resolve to pick a room each season and give it a little TLC.
This year, resolve to maintain a healthy and happy home all year long. By keeping up with these simple home resolutions like planning a head, maintaining your safety and taking care of the overall appearance of your home, you’ll feel happier and more organized, and your home will too.
