4 Great New Years Resolutions for Home Owners
At the beginning of the year, we’re all used to making resolutions for ourselves. Most of us focus on improving our health (namely our waistlines), but there’s something to be said for resolving to improve your home.
That’s right – the beginning of the year is a great time to make a list of resolutions for maintaining and improving your home. Keeping your home in a good condition and improving its value is the right way to protect and grow your investment.
Here are some great new years resolutions for homeowners:
Go green: The beginning of the year can be a great time to start new habits, and green habits can not only mean a more eco-friendly lifestyle for your family, they can also save you money. For example, the New Year is a great time to commit to compact fluorescent light bulbs. Don’t be put off by the price; these bulbs will last 10 times as long as incandescent, and according to the Department of Energy, swapping out 15 of these bulbs can save you $50 a year.
Make it a family event: Take some time to incorporate your family into your home maintenance resolution. Does the bathroom need a fresh coat of paint? Use it as an opportunity to show your children how to properly paint a room. Give them a bit of ownership of the project, and you may find that they are willing to help in other areas of improvement as well!
Learn a new skill: Do you rely on others in your household to make small repairs? And are you quick to call a repairman? Learn a new skill every month to become more independent. Local hardware stores often have classes on different home repairs, like how to tile a backsplash or how to clean your dryer vent. Just don’t try to tackle anything that a professional should handle!
Improve your neighborhood: Take your resolutions beyond just your front yard and lead a neighborhood improvement project. Are there flowerbeds that could use sprucing? Would a line of trees make your block more welcoming? By improving the value of your neighborhood, you’ll improve the value of the homes within it. Gather a group a neighbors and tackle one of these projects this Spring.
Here’s to a great year in 2013 for your home!