The New Year is right around the corner, brimming with possibilities. Resolutions and promises to yourself are abundant. This time is going to be different, and nothing is going to stop you from accomplishing your goals. Maybe you vowed to quit smoking, lose that pesky extra weight, travel more, or spend more time with friends and family. But what about your home – the place where we spend most of the year? In the spirit of new beginnings, below is a list of resolutions for your home that we hope will be easy to keep.
Make a Long-Term Plan. One of the best ways to make sure you’ll stick to your goals is to plan your tasks out in advance. Make a list of what you need to do to keep your home organized and consult it regularly to check tasks off the list.
Clean Room by Room. Cleaning seems to be the very first start of the new year: whether it be putting away Christmas decorations, cleaning up needles that have dropped from your tree or cleaning after the party to ring in the new year. It’s easy to just to keep going and do a deep-clean of the rest of your home. Tackle rooms with the most foot traffic first. Vacuum, scrub, rinse and repeat throughout your home until it feels new again. Then every quarter do another deep clean.
Purge Your Space. It’s great to start with cleaning but real change starts when you take it a step further and rid your home of items you no longer use. If something has sat in a closet for a year, you likely don’t need it. Be methodical, go room by room as to not get overwhelmed. Make a pile for trash and one to donate, your home will be less cluttered and you’ll feel better about giving to those who can benefit from your unused items.
Cut down on energy use. You could install solar panels or buy an electric car, but those aren’t the only ways to make a difference and help the planet. There are other ways to reduce your carbon footprint and shrink your bills at the same time. Start by turning off lights when you are not using them and turn the taps off while you are brushing your teeth. Unplug appliances that aren’t frequently used like the toaster or coffee maker. You could install LED bulbs and low-flow showerheads. Turn the air conditioner up when you aren’t home and dial the heat down at night, just add an extra blanket to keep you warm.
Budget for the Year. No one likes to think about cutting back, however being aware of your yearly budget will help you avoid overspending and allow you to save for those dream projects or a dream home in one of our specially curated communities in the Wilmington Area of North Carolina, click here for current incentives. Or if you own a preferred lot, you can choose from our portfolio of floor plans to personalize with numerous design options. Contact us today to get started on your new home journey.