Published: 30/12/2023 By Amanda Hunt
1. Get Rid of Clutter and OrganizeThe first step toward the house of your dreams involves organization and decluttering, so why not start the year with a decluttering session and go through every room in your home, or if you feel the need, bring in a professional organiser. Analyze your current stock of shoes, books, pantry, supplies, equipment and more. Once you say goodbye to the items that no longer serve you, take time to sort and organise what’s left.
2. Invest in Upgrades
Your home is an investment. You’ve put a lot of thought and resources into making it the beautiful home that you’ve dreamed of. However, we tend to postpone certain upgrades, like appliances, until our current ones give up. Even more than just looking sleek, having a smart home means you can focus more on your well-being. These appliances connect with your phone, track your daily habits and work seamlessly with your home to operate in perfect sync.
3. Commit to Maintenance
Just as you set resolutions to exercise, set one to follow up on your home’s maintenance. Start the year by cleaning out your dryer lint ducts, checking your gutters, inspecting the boiler, inspecting the foundations for termites etc. Go around the house and create a list of all the maintenance items you should care for throughout the year. Write down a plan to tackle each one of them by month so you can check off this resolution by the end of the year.
4. Cut Down Energy Use
Get an energy audit to learn more about your energy use if you haven’t. An energy audit can show you the overall efficiency of your home. You can start making low-cost improvements to save energy and decide on significant upgrades that will save you money for years to come.
5. Focus on Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality is one of the most important indicators of the environment you’re living in. Make sure you use quality ventilation in bathrooms and kitchen to help you get rid of smoke, cooking fumes and humidity. Invest in air filters around the house to improve overall air quality and breathe clean air.
6. Create a Plan for Cleaning
Create a schedule or a routine to clean the house regularly. Every day, do your best to do the dishes, pick up and put away items scattered across the floors, and start with routines as simple as making the bed. Weekly, you can clean the house divided by segments. For example, you can make Saturdays the bathroom cleaning day and Wednesdays the day you vacuum. Having this written down and even scheduled in your calendar will help.
7. Improve the Home Office
The new year is always a great time to think about elevating your home office space. From new technology to new chairs, if you’re working from home, it’s time to up the game. One of new interior design trends is the separation of spaces—particularly the home office—to help create that division between work and fun. Not to mention, if you’re considering selling your home in the coming year, setting a dedicated home office can potentially increase your home’s value.
8. Design for Entertainment
Choose at least one space you’d like to spend time with family and friends and show it some love. Depending on your budget, you can embark on an overhaul or a full-blown space renovation.
9. Spruce Up the Curb Appeal
Sprucing up your home’s curb appeal will give you a newfound pride every time get home, and it may even increase your home’s value. This can include painting the front door, powerwashing the exterior, planting new plants or installing path lights. Choose a curb appeal project that goes with your budget and try something new this upcoming year.
10. Tackle One Major Home Improvement Project
Many homeowners are already planning home improvement projects for 2024. Whether it’s renovating their deck, focusing on landscape, or finally getting the bathroom oasis of their dreams, completing a project that will make living easier will always be worth it. If you have a project you’ve been dreaming of completing, use this as the year to make it happen.
11. Try at Least One DIY Project
If you’ve never DIYed, make this the year you try it. The pandemic fueled the rise of DIY activities for home improvements. DIYers plan to spend as much, or more, time on home projects from painting furniture to installing built-ins and beyond in 2024 compared to this year. If you still hire professionals for major renovations, consider adding your personal touch with decorative accents and other fun projects.
12. Pay Attention to Neglected Areas
Lastly, make it a resolution to pay attention to neglected areas. Think about the last time you cleaned your refrigerator coils, the gutters, or organised the loft. Cleaning and maintenance jobs like these aren’t usually top of mind. But, doing them will keep your home running more efficiently for longer.