The start of 2015 and a new year is right around the corner. With a new year comes the desire for change and new goals. It's also the time of year for the all too common New Year's resolutions.
Like many, your New Year's resolution might be to exercise more, eat healthier, stay in touch with friends or family more or grow a garden. We all have a tendency to create New Year's resolutions for ourselves, but what about your home? Are you setting goals and coming up with a list of things to make your house more of a home for you and your family?
If you haven't already set some goals, here are some resolution suggestions for your home that you can work towards in 2015.
De-Clutter & Organize
A new year brings a sense of a fresh start so why not start fresh in your home? Before you put up all your Christmas and holiday decorations, go through your closets and your attic and start making piles of things that can either be donated or discarded. A good rule of thumb is to toss out anything that you haven't used within the last year or items that have worn out. Once you've gone through everything, be intentional about how you put things back. Make your closets more organized so you can find things more easily and make your closets and storage areas more functional for your family.
Deep Clean Your Home
Many of you probably have tree trimmings all over your homes and are still cleaning up the aftermath of having family in town for the holidays. Take this time to do a major deep cleaning of your home so your home can feel fresh and new for the new year. Deep cleaning your carpets and baseboards, dusting blinds and cleaning windows are just a few things you can do to make your home ready for 2015. To avoid build-up of dirt and grime that can happen so quickly, consider creating a cleaning schedule of some sort or a weekly or daily routine of household cleaning chores you can do to help keep your home feeling clean.
Tackle a Project
You may have put off renovating an area of your home, re-painting a room, or hanging drapes in your home for the last several years. Now's the time to identify those areas in your home you've been putting off and tackle them. Start out by doing one project at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed and work your way through each area in your home that has a need you've been meaning to address. You'll feel so much better having crossed off something from your long-standing list.
Do Some Re-Arranging
Many of you might get the re-decorating bug and are tired of the look in some of the rooms in your home. There's no need to completely re-decorate though. You can keep things interesting and looking new and different just by re-arranging furnishings and accessories in your home. Re-arranging your living room furniture, swapping out the accessories in your bookshelves or on your coffee table or hanging some new artwork on your walls can give a space a fresh look without breaking the bank.
Make Energy Efficient Changes
If saving more money is one of your personal New Year's resolutions then it's important to make energy efficient changes in your home. Consider changing out your incandescent light bulbs to either LED bulbs or compact fluorescent bulbs, make sure all doors and windows are sealed properly, replace air filters and make sure your water heater and pipes are properly insulated. Making a few small changes and spending a little money up front can save you hundreds of dollars in your electric and heating bills throughout the year.
Do you have any New Year's resolutions for your home?