Top 5 home resolutions

It’s the same old story. Every New Year you vow:

• to exercise
• save more money
• reconnect with old friends.

However, what do you do for you home? I’ve compiled a list of what I believe to be the top five resolutions for your abode in the upcoming year.

Minimize

Unless you are one of the very few homeowners who keeps their space paired down regularly, you probably have an abundance of stuff. From clothing and décor, to kitchen utensils and home improvement items, our natural instinct tends toward collecting and hoarding.

For clothing items and home décor, I believe the strategy is the same. If you don’t love it, lose it.

Trends and tastes change, but rarely do they come around in one lifetime. When it comes to more technical items such as appliances, first remove what is clearly unfixable or not worth fixing, then decide what to sell or donate.

The process might be daunting, but the end result will leave you and your home feeling lighter and clear the way for future updates!

Organize

Once you have eliminated the clutter, it’s important to keep everything else in order.

Having a specific location for every type of item in your home will keep life simpler and save you time. This is particularly important in the kitchen and office areas.

Labelling always helps too.

Reduce Energy Consumption

The benefits of this are two-fold — lowering your energy consumption lowers your bills and helps preserve this wonderful world we call home.

Luckily for you, this resolution has been around for a while, and therefore there are an abundance of products and ideas out there to help.

If you haven’t already, schedule an energy audit to get the full picture on what your home is using (or losing) on a daily basis.

Next, little changes such as replacing incandescent bulbs, lowering your thermostat when you’re away (a smart thermostat can help with this), and installing low-flow shower heads can also help.

Big changes like solar panels and updated insulation are also something to investigate.

Improve Indoor Air Quality

Whether you have children or are suffering from seasonal allergies and ailments, improving the quality of air in your home is an often overlooked, but vital thing to consider.

Start with keeping things clean, after you are done minimizing your stuff, take a day to thoroughly clean every nook and cranny to give your home a clean sweep.

Next, investing in an air purifier is a great way to maintain your home’s air quality if you live in a polluted area or city.

Lastly, air quality monitors are relatively inexpensive, and in today’s climate of smart-home products, they look the part too.

Budget Home Renovations

The beginning of a new year (and winter in general) can bring about new ideas for home updates and upgrades.

If your list is already growing, it’s important to prioritize these projects to avoid getting into financial trouble.

Further, when and if you decide to start a job, make sure to create a detailed outline and budget (and leave room for the unexpected!)

For a full analysis of the best items to focus on for resale and to increase the value by up to five per cent, give your local real estate professional a call or give us a shout.  

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.