5 New Year’s Resolutions for Homeowners
Ah, the joys of home-ownership! From lower monthly costs to potential tax benefits, owning a home opens the door to a new beginning. However, new tasks and responsibilities, come along with this fresh start. Some people find that they simply don’t know where to focus their energies when it comes to owning a home. Here are 5 New Year’s resolutions for homeowners to aspire to.
Clear Away the Clutter
Interior designers and homeowners can all agree on one thing: clutter can make an otherwise beautiful home look like a train wreck. This year, commit to clearing away all of the extra “stuff” in your life that has accumulated over time. Simplify your life by removing clutter.
Giving away items that you no longer need is good for the home, and for the soul. Anything that you don’t use anymore, wear anymore or love anymore is fair game. Make a point to surround yourself with the things of life that make your home look great and your spirit feel good.
Commit to Saving
Do you find spending money much more fun than saving it? Well of course you do. However, saving money for unexpected home repairs is something that experts strongly recommend.
Unfortunately, there are many things within a home that have the potential to break or need replacing. Appliances may give out, plumbing could leak, the garage door could malfunction, termites could move in, the A/C could go on the brink, and the list goes on.
Some people choose to deal financially with these situations as they arise. However, many people find themselves even further in debt after doing so.
Experts recommend the best course of action is to put money aside monthly into a savings account to be prepared for those often unexpected repairs. One method is to save 1% of the purchase price of your home every year. For example, if your home cost was $200K, you should save $2K per year for home maintenance.
Trim Down Energy Usage
Now that you are committing to saving money for potential mishaps that arise, it is time to cut down costs in another area of your life, energy usage. Luckily, there are many ways to do this. Here are a few easy suggestions:
- Air dry your dishes in the dishwasher instead of using the heated dry feature
- Change out all of your lightbulbs out to LED lights
- Wash your clothes in cold water, whenever possible
- Try air-drying some of your clothes
- Replace all filters in your home on a regular basis
- Utilize natural light and turn off the lights when not needed
- Water your yard less
- Turn off your computer and office machines when not in use
Perhaps the biggest impact you can make is to dial down your thermostat a bit. The Department of Energy estimates that you can save about 1 percent of your power bill simply by lowering the thermostat 1 degree in the wintertime, or upping it 1 degree in the hot summer months.
Update Your Space
Some homeowners may enjoy doing a complete renovation on their home, depending on their situation. This can be a fun task or a daunting one for some. However, there are smaller changes you can make to update your space in a noticeable way.
One simple thing you can do is add plants to your space. Bringing in some fresh greenery is a great way to bring in new energy and clean the air at the same time.
Sometimes you can do something as simple as hanging a mirror to make a difference in your space. Because they reflect light, mirrors can make an otherwise dark and small area appear lighter and brighter.
Another thing you should think about is rearranging your furniture. Read up a little on Feng Shui and learn how you can arrange what you have in a way that better compliments your lifestyle.
Take Better Care of Your Lawn
Do you have a green thumb? Even if you don’t, there are some simple tips you can follow to make your home look as great on the outside as it is on the inside. Taking better care of your lawn can happen with a few simple steps.
Water your yard less, but for longer periods of time. Watering should be done between 4 and 8 AM. Watering your lawn at night makes your lawn more prone to disease.
Pruning branches is another must-do. Clearing away dead branches and limbs just makes sense. This allows the sun to drench your lawn with its life-giving energy.