New Year's Resolutions for Your Home

Have you made New Year’s resolutions this year? More importantly, are you keeping them? Here are some resolutions worth keeping for your house, especially if you want to sell it in the coming year:

·         Resolve to remove the clutter. One of the easiest ways to improve the value of your home is to clean and remove clutter. This year go room by room and throw away or donate any items that you don't use, wear or love. 

·         Resolve to make sure your home is safe for you and your family. Have it checked for radon which is an odorless gas that causes lung cancer. Install carbon monoxide detectors and make sure your smoke detectors are working properly. Also, check is to make sure your attic, basement and bathrooms have proper ventilation to prevent a breeding ground for mold. 

·         Resolve to conserve more energy and lower your bills this year. In winter, lower the heat in your house while you’re away and also at night when you’re sleeping. In summer, turn the air conditioner off when you leave the house. Change your light bulbs to energy efficient ones such as LED or compact fluorescent and turn them off when you leave a room. Run the dishwasher and washing machine only when they are full. Water your grass and garden less often in the summer by planting drought tolerant varieties. 

·         Resolve to keep up with proper cleaning. Work out a weekly cleaning schedule that you and your family can stick with. Give each person their own set of chores and it won't be so overwhelming.

These resolutions don’t take much effort and are well worth keeping. You will have more money in your wallet and add more value to your home in the process.