When the New Year rolls around, you sometimes pledge to lose more weight, to stop smoking, to save money, or to spend more time with your family and friends. But do you set goals for your home in the New Year?  Maybe this year you should come up with some resolutions that will make your home more beautiful, more clean and efficient, and a more comfortable environment in the New Year.  Let’s look at five New Year’s Resolutions for your home this year.

1.    Streamline all of your stuff.  To have a more stress-free environment you should remove as much clutter as you can from your home.  You should regularly keep your drawers, cabinets, and closets purged of things that you no longer want or use; this means that you should do some cleaning early in the year to find things you can certainly live without.  Either throw them away or donate them to charity so that your home will look clean, modern, and efficient.  Keep baskets and other items that you like to sit on the floor space to a minimum so that traffic throughout your home won’t be impeded.

2.    Make sure that your home is safe and sound.  Check for radon, carbon monoxide, and other potentially dangerous gases that can cause harm to your family.  You’ll want to check the dryer lint in the vents and ductwork behind the dryer on a regular basis; if you haven’t done this in a while now is the time to complete that task.  You should also make sure that your home has plenty of circulation of air in the bathroom and attic space.  If your vents are covered with shingles and your home can’t “breathe” you’re a good candidate for mold in your home.

3.    Cut the energy usage in your home.  You can do this effectively by turning off lights when you leave the room, using low-flow showerheads, and turning off power strips when you’re not using them.

4.    Devise a system for keeping your house clean each week.  Put dishes in the dishwasher each night and dirty clothes in the hamper.  Keep all of your cleaning products organized and ready to pick up and go once you begin to clean the house.  Give each family member a task to complete each week; you may want to base children’s allowances on the chores that they do successfully.

5.    Add a plant or two to make your home seem friendlier and to add a splash of color to your décor.  You may even want to rearrange the furniture so that you have a totally new look and a new feel to your existing pieces and furnishings.

Starting the New Year with resolutions for your home can help you to relax, unwind, and concentrate on the ones that you made for yourself.