With Christmas just days away, the chaos and excitement that this season brings fills us with sheer joy. However, once the parties are over, the mess has been made and the New Year begins, we’re all glad to restore some order within the home and get back to the normality that January brings. The New Year is the perfect time to make a fresh start and make the most of this quiet period. So, we’re here today with some inspiration on some New Year’s resolutions for your home that will set you off to the best start in 2018:
1. De-clutter
We talk about de-cluttering quite frequently in our home guides, and that’s because you really don’t know how much of a difference to your home it can make when done thoroughly. After you’ve opened all the gifts from Christmas, it’s likely that you’ll need to get rid of some older items to make room for the new. We recommend de-cluttering one room at a time, abiding by a rule of if it’s not been used in more than 6-months, then it’s time to go. The same applies to anything broken or if you’ve got several of the same things that you simply do not need. Where possible, donate usable items to charity or recycle to avoid creating too much rubbish!
2. Make Your Home More Energy Efficient
Making your home more energy efficient is not only beneficial to the environment, but also to you. If you have a spare hour or two, why not look into your gas and electric suppliers to see if you could make savings by switching? Many suppliers offer gadgets and gizmos that will allow you to see where in the home you’re wasting most energy, and this could help you to save hundreds in the long run. You might find that replacing old appliances, or investing in a 100% efficient electric fire saves you money throughout the year, so the initial outlay is certainly worthwhile. Take a look at our home energy efficiency infographic for more tips.
3. Become a Cleaning Fairy
One thing that January certainly calls for is a deep clean of the home, especially if you’ve had heaps of guests over the festive season. Get the whole family involved and get the house looking as good as new. This is also a fantastic time to workout a cleaning rota that takes the hard work out of keeping things tidy. We don’t mean you have to actually try and turn into a fairy, just make light work of the cleaning by delegating tasks and doing the chores little and often. Make sure you clean out those kitchen cupboards, the skirting boards, the windows and the carpets.
4. Storage Control
Getting a good storage system in place within the home can be a real life-changer. Everything should have it’s place and enforcing this as a rule will help to keep your home looking cleaner and tidier on a day-to-day basis. If you don’t have a large amount of cupboard space, then plastic containers or woven baskets on a tall bookshelf can help. You can label each container and this will make the most of the wall space, rather than taking up precious floor space. Opt for a minimalistic look, as this will give a tidier feel to your home overall and it’ll help you to not misplace that important letter for the 50th time!
5. Start a Project (and finish it!)
If there’s something in your home that has needed doing for a long time now, then it’s time to get started. For example, if you’ve been meaning to paint the kids room for a few years now, set aside a day or two and get it done before moving onto anything else. If you enjoy a spot of DIY then it’ll be an enjoyable activity, and if not, you can always call in the professionals to do a good job. Starting the year with a new project sets you up for success, you just need to ensure that you set yourself a goal completion date and you try to stick to it as best you can. You can do this!
Hopefully these resolutions will have your home running smoother than ever in the New Year! Do you have any tips of your own? Feel free to share them with us via our social media channels!