Top 5 New Year’s Resolutions for Homeowners in Casa de Campo
When the New Year arrives, promises and resolutions emerges. Here’s the top-5 list of what the resolute home owner should accomplish this year, whether is fixing, painting or just organizing the house, a brand new year means a fresh start.
1. Budget for Home Improvements
Protect your home finances by knowing how much you’ll probably spend each year. Create a yearly budget for home improvement and maintenance helps prevent overspending, and encourages you to put aside money for major replacements — such as new roofing or a kitchen appliance — that come up every few years.
2. Organize
Start by creating more storage space so you can stash stuff easily. Put up a high shelf between the walls of a narrow hallway, and tuck storage in out-of-the-way nooks, such as under-stairs spaces and between wall studs.
3. Use maintenance free materials
If you want less to worry about, install low-maintenance materials and products designed for durability and long, trouble-free service. Here are some tips;
–Fiber cement siding lasts for 50 years or more. It’s weather-proof, and resists dents, fire, insects, and rot. It’s exceptionally stable, even with changes in humidity, so that paint jobs last longer than on wood and wood-fiber siding products.
–LED bulbs last a phenomenal 20,000 to 50,000 hours between changes, or about 18 to 46 years when used for 3 hours each day.
-Classic ceramic tile comes in many colors and textures, but at its heart it’s incredibly tough, stain-resistant, and impervious to moisture. You can count on ceramic tile’s good looks to last for decades on floors and walls without needing repair or replacement.
4. Get your home ready for entertaining
Each year most of us vow to spend more time with family and friends. To make you feel like inviting people in, why not give the areas you entertain in a little update? Pulling out a new accent color from your existing decor can make the whole room seem fresh. Pick an underused color in the room and add more of it in the form of a new pillow or throw to update your look.
5. Clean that clutter
One of the best and least expensive ways to feel better about your home is to clear it of clutter. Each year most of us acquire a mountain of stuff. The first step to getting organized is to toss or recycle useless stuff such as: Wire dry-cleaner hangers, socks with no match, old florists’ vases, broken umbrellas, last year’s holiday cards, old makeup, used notebooks, dried-up cans of paint, pens that are out of ink, dead batteries, and old spices. You can use the following examples;
-Use Boxes; they can declutter a home and add a decorative element. Box containers are perfect for when you want to completely conceal what you’re storing, creating an even more polished look.
-Hide your stuff using Ottomans; they can second as an easy way to declutter and store home items. Conceal extra bedding, photo albums and DVDs to open up shelf space.
-Use Hooks; Hang your dog leashes, keys, grocery tote bags, umbrellas, headphones, backpacks or jewelry on a hook that fits the style of your home. Hooks allow for easy access storage and can also add a small decorative touch to a room.
