Happy New Year Everyone in our Homevalue Community! It was great indulging in much–needed recuperation, rest and recharging, but now it’s time to brush away the lethargy of the previous month. Let’s greet the NEW YEAR with a promise to do better for our homes, family, planet and if we’re lucky, do better for our pockets too. Here are some sensible New Year Resolutions tailored to give your home the much-needed love and attention it needs and bring you a healthier, happier family in the long run.

Prepare for a Post Pandemic World

It makes perfect sense to create an even more welcoming domestic setting in our post-pandemic world filled with its occasional lockdowns, quarantining, home-schooling and remote working stints. Make this the year, your home transforms into the ideal sanctuary regardless of what the next year throws at us.  

1.   Detox Your Home

Just like our physical bodies, our homes need to breathe too. A good home health check ensures domestic air quality and adequate ventilation reduces the risks of mould, the spread of disease and the accumulation of dust. You could go one step further and install safety measures like adequate carbon monoxide alarms and better ventilation in bathrooms and bedrooms. Why not invest in an air-purifying device with a HEPA filter? This home detox includes checking your chimney, and kitchen extractors to ensure they are both cleaned and working optimally. Don’t forget, certain species of houseplants can also aid air quality, so why not invest in these in the winter months. Houseplants are known to generally increase your sense of perceived well-being anyway.

2.   Declutter

This could finally be the year you take a leaf out of the Marie Kondo playbook and remove anything that is not useful or does not bring you joy. As we spend more of our time at home these days, why would you want to share this precious internal space with pointless objects? You don’t have to take on everything at once. Empty out a closet at a time or go room by room. Start with the spaces you spend the most time working like the utility room. Why not check out our previous blog for some space-saving ideas: Power Up Your Utility Room With Space-Saving DIY Hacks Marie Kondo Would Love Or start with the space where you need to spend more time relaxing in. For some of us, this could be the bedroom – make it a better haven from the working day. If you’re feeling brave – reorganise the Attic, Shed, Garage or Basement. Wherever it is that things go to die and just pile up. What’s more, thanks to the internet you could do both a real and virtual yard sale at the end. Offload unwanted items on apps such as Facebook Marketplace, Depop, Vinted or DoneDeal whilst helping the planet by recycling, re-using or re-selling. Think of the contribution you will be making to the holiday fund too!

3. Upgrade your Work from Home Space

As more of us spend a portion of our time working from home or home-schooling, this is probably one of the best investments you can make in your home. If you have cleared out your garage, basement, or attic this could pave the way for a decent conversion project. Alternatively take a corner of your bedroom or shed. Regardless of where your work corner is, there are simple things you can do like upgrading shelving, lighting and your storage spaces to make it a less stressful experience.

3.   Refresh Your Home With Colour

Colour has a significant impact on our moods and sometimes even our mental health. You can do a lot with can of paint or a dash of new soft furnishings. Why not enhance your mini makeover with a simple rearrangement of furniture? There’s nothing to lose except your boredom. Just think of how grateful you will be at the next house party.

5. Create an Outdoor Space To Entertain In

Let’s face it, since the pandemic and the ensuing restrictions on indoor dining, safely entertaining outdoors is something we will all do a lot more of. If you start now, you’ll have plenty of time to create the outdoor space you’ve always wanted for entertaining in style. This could mean extending your decking, building a pergola, adding an awning or investing in a wider range of outdoor furniture whilst upgrading the outdoor kitchen and BBQ facilities.

6. Create an Outdoor Space To Play In

With less events, massive parties and indoor shows, our children will probably be spending more of their playdates and parties outdoors in backyards and gardens. Besides, it is probably a healthier way to spend one’s childhood. Investing in creating outdoor play areas, adding a swing here, or inserting a goalpost there, will go a long way to making their time at home, less sedentary and screen-free.

Prepare For a More Sustainable Lifestyle

As our society refocuses its efforts towards the more eco-conscious way of living in aid of #ClimateAction, we have the power to make a difference with simple actions in our homes.

7. Upcycle More

Have you got an old piece of furniture in need of an upgrade? Try your hand at upcycling before taking it to the dump. It’s just one more step to reducing waste and needless consumption. Take a look at our previous blog full of upcycling ideas: 12 Ingenious DIY Upcycle Ideas for Beginners. Feel Good, Eco-Friendly, Home Decor Starts Here!  

8. Restore More

Have you inherited a period home or have been dying to restore your period property to its former glory? There is great value in being a part of this movement that aims to protect our built heritage even if it’s being done in a small way with that small corner of the world that is your home. This could be the year you finally get those sash windows working, sand and revarnish those vintage wooden floors, repoint that gorgeous Victorian brick or bring your period mantelpiece back to its former glory. Need inspiration? Check out the Bungalow Bliss! Great House Revival. You can also catch the series on the RTE Player.

9. Repair More

Could this be the year we all resolve not to replace everything that isn’t working with a new purchase? Could this be the year we learn to fix appliances we already have, rather than resign them to the WEE bin? Make this the year you finally repair parts of your home which have been worn down by wear and tear. Or more importantly make this the year you fix any gaping holes, leaks and damp areas. This brings us to….

10. Reduce Energy Consumption and Your Utility Bills

It goes without saying, this resolution could be a composite of many actions large and small that you could take. It could be as simple as replacing your light bulbs with energy-efficient ones, adding a thermostat and making a switch into a green energy utility provider. It could be as elaborate as installing a smart and integrated home energy system, heat pump or solar panels. There are some basic DIY jobs you can do around the home in the meantime too – Read our blog full of simple tasks and installations that can help you Get Your Home Ready For Cold Weather. Everything you do to insulate your home and prevent heat leakages will go a long way to helping your pocket and ultimately the planet in terms of energy consumption.

11. Grow It Yourself More

This is one of the most satisfying things you can do whatever the size of your garden. Why not start growing your own fruits, herbs, or vegetables? Even if you have a small balcony to work with, it is easy to start a herb garden or grab a grow bag for kick-starting a few heads of lettuce. It is also a great activity to involve the kids, making them more amenable to tasting more vegetables and fruits.

12. Start planning your new home or extension

This could be the year you finally start planning and building your new home or extension. Why not pick up our Self-build guide for ideas and helpful industry advice starting with this blog on developing: The Low Energy Build. There’s even more advice in our Homevalue Lifestyle Yearbook – just download it from this website.

What are your Home-Based NEW YEAR Resolutions?

Have you got a new year resolution related to your home this year and did we miss it on our list? Tell us what’s on your checklist this year! Share your home-based resolutions with us on Facebook and Instagram!