A new year is a good time to take an honest look at your home. Not the Instagram version of it, but the real one: the drafty window you keep meaning to fix, the room that never quite works, the neighborhood you are not sure you want to stay in. Your home is where you actually live, and it deserves some real attention. Here are five resolutions worth keeping in 2018.
Make These Home Improvements This Year
We have been inside a lot of homes over 25,000-plus moves since 2010. We see what people love about their spaces and what they wish they had done sooner. Follow these resolutions for your home improvements in 2018.
Can You Cut Your Energy Bills This Year?
If your home is not energy efficient yet, this is the year to change that. Replacing old windows, upgrading to a central heating and cooling system, buying energy-efficient appliances, and following EnergyStar guidelines all make a real difference. You will feel it in your comfort and in your utility bills.
Is One Room a Month Enough to Get Organized?
Space problems rarely fix themselves. Pick one room each month to work through. Clear it out, figure out what belongs there, and set it up so it actually functions. By the end of the year you will have gone through every room in the house and you will have a more open, organized place to come home to.
What DIY Project Have You Been Putting Off?
Make 2018 the year you actually do it. Refinish an old piece of furniture and turn it into something you want to keep. Create a piece of art for that bare wall using modern art techniques. Reupholster the chair that has been sitting in the corner. Fix the thing you have been meaning to fix for two years. There are more online tutorials available now than ever before, so finding step-by-step guidance for almost any project is realistic.
Could New Accessories Change How Your Home Feels?
You do not have to renovate to change the feel of a room. New throw pillows, a different bed set, updated curtains, or a few replaced appliances can shift the whole atmosphere. Seasonal items work well for this too. Small changes add up faster than most people expect.
Are You Actually Happy Where You Live?
Take a real look at your home and your location. Do you love where you are, or have you been telling yourself you will move “when the time is right” for a few years now? You do not have to move in 2018. But you can start thinking seriously about what it would take. What is holding you back? What would need to happen first, and how do you get there? Starting that conversation with yourself costs nothing.
What is your home resolution for 2018? Let us know in the comments below.
Sources:
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/decorating-ideas/g1711/diy-home-decor/
