New Year’s Resolutions for your home

Each year, about 100 million Americans make New Year’s Resolutions to change their habits, reach a goal or improve their life in some way, according to CNN. One area not to overlook is improving your abode. How about giving your home sweet home some tender loving care in the upcoming year? Consider these six resolutions.

Resolution 1: Rid your home of clutter.
Go through your entire home, including the garage, and clear out anything that’s no longer of use. You can even earn some money for your efforts by holding the proverbial garage sale or donating the items to charity.

Resolution 2: Do your spring cleaning now. 
When was the last time you did a real spring cleaning? One where you cleaned behind the oven and fridge, or pulled the books out of the bookcases and dusted them? Keep in mind that a good spring cleaning often takes days. How about rolling up your sleeves and cleaning when Jack Frost makes you feel homebound?

Resolution 3: Deal with roof issues.
Winter can wreak havoc on your home’s roof, so assess its condition before it’s too late. Replace loose or cracked shingles. Take care of damaged or clogged gutters. And if you have a chimney, get it thoroughly inspected and cleaned.

Resolution 4: Go with the flow. 
Plumbing is very important to both homeowners and homebuyers. Is the hot water hot enough? Do the showers have the perfect pressure? Does the toilet run longer than it should? Start paying attention to these nagging “minor” issues and get them  resolved.

Resolution 5: Protect yourself and your family. 
Check, and if need be, change the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. It’s a good practice to test your batteries every six months and change them every year. Buy fire extinguishers if you don’t have any. The critical place to have one is in your kitchen, perhaps in the cabinet under your kitchen sink. Other good locations for an extinguisher: near your clothes dryer and in a workshop.

Resolution 6: Embrace the new. 
Look around your home and determine where it may be reflecting its age – to its disadvantage. For instance, if you’ve got “cottage cheese” ceilings, consider getting rid of them. It’s a messy project, but it will improve the look and feel of your home. And these kinds of cosmetic makeovers will increase your home’s value if you plan to put it on the market.

Sources: usinspect.com, savings.com, cnn.com and Platinum Plus Content Licensing