Happy New Year!

What typically follows this exclamation is a question. What are your New Year’s Resolutions? This year, we challenge you to five resolutions for your home. Whether you’re looking to sell your home, buy a home, or just spruce up the home you have, these five tips can get you off to a great start for 2015!

1. Clear the Clutter.

Go room by room and try to look with a fresh eye. Clear off countertops and work spaces. If there is anything in that room that you don’t use on a daily basis, evaluate it’s necessity in your life at all. Donate anything you’ve determined can be removed from you home at your local charity.

2. Safe and Sound.

Have your home tested for radon. Install carbon monoxide detectors on each level of your home. Are you looking to do any remodeling? Make sure you test for lead based paint and asbestos if your home was built prior to 1978.

3. A Clean Home is a Happy Home.

Create a weekly cleaning system. Determine the jobs that can be done on a weekly basis and a daily basis. Divide each of those jobs up over the course of the week to take the pressure of whole-house cleaning off your to-do list. Example: Daily-all dishes go into the dishwasher and all clothes must be put away, whether that be in the hamper or hung up in the closet. Wipe down bathrooms and kitchen surfaces every day. Weekly: Dust and vacuum the main floor on Monday and Wednesday, the upstairs on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Use Fridays to do a special project like organizing the linen closet or rearranging your kitchen.

4. Save Money!

By paying one extra mortgage payment a year, you can cut your payments down by years. Typically, this can shorten the life of your loan by five to seven years!

5. Cut Energy Costs.

Cut down on the costs you spend to heat and cool your home by making small improvements. Install a programmable thermostat to regulate the temperature, running the systems less while you’re away from home for extended periods of time. Put weather stripping on your windows and doors. This will make your home more efficient AND more comfortable!