It’s easy to overlook your home’s appearance and feel over time. Most of us are too busy to notice how cluttered, disorganized and neglected our home has become over time due to our busy schedules. But it’s a great feeling to live in a clean, organized space and there’s no better time to do that than at the beginning of each new year. Here are 5 simple New Year’s resolutions for your home:
PRETEND THAT YOUR HOME IS FOR SALE
And then walk through the front door and each room as if you will be the potential buyer. What do you love? What do you not love? What needs to be fixed? Make notes and then put together a calendar and budget to get those things done over the coming 12 months. Deferred maintenance creates stress and is the enemy of a home’s value, so make sure you get things fixed as soon as they break.
DECLUTTER EVERY ROOM
We tend to accumulate things over time, and most of us eventually run out of space for all our treasures. Take inventory, donate the stuff you don’t absolutely love, and look into ways to organize and store the things that are keepers. For example, replace an entry table with a cubicle entry piece that has shevles and storage cubbies. Put your things–dog leashes, sunglasses, keys and so forth–into baskets that fit into the cubicles. This is an attractive way to store your necessary items in an organized way and doesn’t take up any extra room.
REFRESH YOUR OUTDOOR ENTRY
Your home’s entry creates a first impression to anyone coming across your threshold. Make sure it’s a good one. It’s easy to overlook dirt, debris, spider webs and clutter as you come and go, often in a hurry. Stop and take a good look. Remove unattractive items, knock down spider webs, wipe down your front door, and sweep and/or hose off your front entry way. And maybe it’s time for a new doormat. Refreshing your entry way can have a huge psychological impact on how you feel when you come and go from your home.
CLEAN OUT YOUR CLOSETS
Is every closet in your home full to bursting? It can be difficult to set aside time to deal with all the stuff in your closets, but again, it’s well worth the emotional pay-off. Start with your clothes closet and get rid of items you haven’t worn in two years or more unless they have true sentimental value. And don’t forget to get a receipt for your charitable donation, which is typically a tax deduction.
RETHINK YOUR ROLE AS A CONSUMER
After spending considerable time decluttering, donating and cleaning, you may find yourself rethinking the reasons you purchase new things. When you have that urge to shop, take a breath and be mindful about your purchases. This will help you become more picky about what you bring home. Become a dedicated curator of your treasures and start by only purchasing items you absolutely love.