New Year’s Resolutions for Homeowners

Every year is a new opportunity for improving your home, and there are many different changes you can make no matter what your budget is. Whether it’s making your property more energy-efficient or installing the pool you’ve always wanted, working with a home inspector can help give you ideas on how to make your space safer, more valuable, and even more functional. How can you transform your current house into your dream home this year with a new year’s resolution?

Become More Energy Efficient

Have you ever had an energy audit performed at your home? Home inspectors can visit your property and take a walk around to pinpoint areas where you might be losing warm air or letting cold air in. They can also look at your heating system during the home inspection to see if it might be in need of maintenance, repairs, or replacement altogether. Little things can make a big difference in energy efficiency, and your inspector can provide you with a variety of improvements you can make.

Declutter Your Attic and Basement

The holiday season can bring lots of new gifts and things into your home, so the new year is the perfect time to declutter. It’s a good idea to focus your new year’s resolution on parts of the home that you don’t spend as much time in that might fall by the wayside, like the attic and basement. Donate what you don’t need or set things aside for a yard sale once the weather warms again.

Maintain Your Appliances

There are so many things to do around the house every year that it’s easy to forget about maintaining your appliances. However, your HVAC system and other appliances are critical to the real estate value of your home and your safety. Change the filters on your furnace, clean your dishwasher, and invest some time back into the appliances that make your home comfortable.

Improve Your Indoor Air Quality

Many of us spend a lot of time at home, which means that indoor air quality can play a big role in how we feel. Investing in an air purifier can remove smells, allergens, and dust mites from the air to reduce irritation and keep you healthy. To improve your air quality and keep your family safe, you can also have your home tested for radon, which is a gas that seeps through small gaps in your house and can lead to cancer.

Put Together an Emergency Kit

Are you prepared if your power suddenly goes out? What about if a flash flood warning happens? Putting together an emergency kit can make sure that you are safe in the event that a natural disaster strikes or you experience a blackout. In your emergency kit, you should include:

Non-perishable food
Water (one gallon per person per day for at least three days)
Flashlights and headlamps
Batteries
First aid kit

Make an Inventory for Your Home

If you undergo losses at your property, having a home inventory is invaluable. A list of your possessions can be used to ensure that you have adequate homeowners insurance coverage, give you serial numbers in the event that your home is burglarized, and make sure that you always know what you have. Store one copy of your inventory in a fireproof safe and another copy digitally if you need it on the go.

Keep Your Home Safe

The best new year’s resolution any homeowner can make is ensuring that their home is a safe place to live. Take time to install and maintain carbon monoxide alarms and smoke alarms on your property. House fires are often unpredictable, and having a smoke alarm can mean the difference between getting out and being injured. Make sure that you have a fire alarm installed:

In every bedroom
Outside of all sleeping areas
In common areas, like the basement, living room, and hallways

Do not install a smoke alarm right next to areas where moisture and smoke are common, like bathrooms or kitchens.

Learn More About Your House

Finally, one of the most illuminating resolutions you can make is investing in a home inspection. Home inspectors understand all of the systems that help homes be safe and functional, and they understand how to pinpoint problems so that you can take action. Many homeowners only have an inspection when they move into a home, so if it’s been 10 years since you moved in, there’s a good chance a lot has changed.