Happy New Year to Your Home: Five Home Changes to Make in 2014!
Working out more, eating less and losing weight may be some of 2014’s most popular personal New Year’s resolutions; but, why not get a little creative with your home’s “to do” list for 2014? There are a multitude of practical things that you can do for your home in the new year. Here are 5 things you can do to help your home ring in 2014 right: Make 2014 the Year the Clutter Was No More “May old acquaintance be forgotten…” OK, so most of us still do not know what the words of “Auld Lang Syne” mean, but we’ll all gladly sing along at the stroke of midnight. Regardless of the song’s true meaning, why not adapt the words to your home in 2014? Of course, we’re not suggesting you forget your old memories and special items, but we are offering a mighty-strong suggestion that you take time in 2014 to clean out your home’s cluttered spaces. Yes, that may mean letting go of that 20-year-old sweatshirt or even the 15-month old box of Cheerios you forget you shoved to the back of your pantry. It can be hard to motivate yourself to deal with age-old clutter, but the new year is a great reason to kick your cleaning into high gear! Put Safety First on the First of the Year Many experts advise checking your smoke alarms and changing your furnace filters each month; but, how many of us take the time to make sure we’re following those suggestions? Start the new year off right in your home by changing the batteries in all of your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Next, replace the furnace filter and even remember to clean out your dryer’s lint trap. If you do it on January 1st, you can be sure you won’t forget the date of the last change and you can ensure that 2014 gets off to a great start on good home safety! New Year, New Habits: Go Green You’ve been saying “I think I’m going to try to go green” for a while now; and, the new year is a great time to make that switch. You can start small by remembering to turn off the lights when you exit a room in your home. As the year progresses, take more green steps by switching out your old light bulbs for more compact, fluorescent bulbs and installing a programmable thermostat to regulate the temperature in your home. Not only will you be going green, but you’ll also be saving some green! Make (and Stay on) a Budget Part of home ownership means fiscal responsibility and that can take some work. Take ahold of your finances and plan for some home improvements or enhancements by saving some money in 2014 and budgeting for the things you want most for your home. Is 2014 the year you will install hardwood flooring in your family room or add a backsplash in your kitchen? Save up for the project, so you’re not relying on your credit cards or home equity to make those improvements happen. Exercise Your Brain and Your DIY Skills Thanks to websites like Pinterest and extreme home makeover shows, we all have a little itch to do our home improvement and enhancement projects ourselves. Now, we’re not suggesting that you reshingle your own house in the new year, but there are home projects that you can research and complete on your own. For instance, you can burn calories and brighten your home by painting a room or installing ceramic tile. Imagine your sense of satisfaction when you see your completed handy work. Not only will your home look better for less, but you’ll have helped along those annual resolutions to exercise more and lose some weight! Now… if only the holiday cookies were already gone! Ready for more ways you can resolve to make your home better in the new year? Here are even more things you can do for your home in 2014: http://www.hgtv.com/organizing/5-new-years-resolutions-for-your-home/index.html http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/maintenance-repair/houselogic-new-years-resolutions-home/#.
