A new year brings new possibilities.  Have you made a resolution or list of resolutions?  Your home is where you spend a lot of this upcoming year so we present you with ten resolutions for your home for the new year!

1. Cut down the use of energy.
Going green could be a great way to make this year truly remarkable. You could start with solar panels or a hybrid car but those are not the only things that can make a difference. Learn to properly recycle, remember to turn off lights while you’re not using them and turn the taps off when you’re brushing your teeth. You can trim energy use by sealing and insulating your ductwork. It will make your home more comfortable and also extend the life of your furnace, heat pump and air conditioner.

2. Create a healthy and family-friendly kitchen.
The kitchen is the place where families gather together in the midst of all of the hassles of everyday life. Make your kitchen clean and organized and keep it full of healthy and nutritious ingredients. Throw out anything that has overstayed in your kitchen by checking out their expiry dates. Make the kitchen more accessible. Create a zone for kids in the kitchen!

3. Keep indoor air uncontaminated.
Indoor air quality is one of the most important indicators of the quality of the environment you are living in. It can be full of contaminants like dust, pollen and mould spores. The problem can be even more severe during winter when we prefer to keep our doors and windows shut all the time. The harmful irritants in your home can be eliminated by maintaining your HVAC system and changing furnace filters regularly, using low-VOC paints during remodelling of rooms and using localized ventilation in your bathrooms and kitchens to get rid of smoke, cooking fumes and surplus humidity.

4. Install low-maintenance and durable materials.
This year, shift your focus towards materials that are low-maintenance and durable. They will provide you a trouble-free service for a long time and since you have to spend minimal time maintaining them, they will spare you from worrying about looking after them. LED bulbs meanwhile last a phenomenal 18 to 46 years even when they are used for 3 hours every day. Ceramic tiles which look extremely good on floors and walls meanwhile also last for decades.

5. Make your house safe and sound.
Your home may look wonderful and it’s properly organized also. How about putting some efforts into making it safe as well? You should ensure you’re not living with a potential fire, health or security risk. Besides installing fire detectors, check your house for gases like radon and carbon monoxide also. The hardware that perform these tests are not particularly expensive either. And, also watch out for dryer lint. Make sure your house is properly ventilated. And also, ensure that your house is up to date with latest safety standards.

6. Get your space organized.
Getting rid of clutter is a must. In fact, it’s probably the best and cheapest way to feel better about your home. Of course, the act itself however can be quite overwhelming but can you think of a better way to start the year than with a clear and organized home? Keeping your space organized basically comes down to two things if you stick to them. One is to periodically get rid of whatever things you don’t use often or don’t like at all. The other is to only bring in things that you actually need.

7. Spend some time on home improvement projects together.
How about trying your hand on some cool home improvement projects this year? DIY projects are a fun and creative way to spend time with your family, come in at all sorts of different budgets and some of them don’t require much time to complete either. Or perhaps you could plant a tree in your backyard or start a vegetable garden. Preparing home emergency preparedness kit or making your entrance more inviting is also a great idea.

8. Get your finances right.
Creating an annual budget will help you figure out what you need to spend and help to avoid overspending. Don’t forget to allocate some budget for improvement and maintenance of your house. Cutting down the use of energy will also help a lot. So turn off your air conditioner when you are not at home and dial your heater down to a lower temperature at night. 

9. Work out a system to keep your house clean.
Everybody loves to live in a clean house but almost everyone dreads the act of cleaning itself. Devise a daily, weekly as well as monthly plan to keep your entire house clean. Try focusing on one particular type of cleaning at a time. You can wipe windows and mirrors first and then move on to sweeping the floors. 

10. Make your place more welcoming.
Every year, we vow to spend more time with family and friends. So why not make your house friendlier? All it takes is a little bit of rearrangement and a couple of updates. You could start with your living room – the place where you welcome your family and friends. It doesn’t need to be very complicated either. Even adding a few bright cushions or placing down a new rug can make a huge difference. 

[Thanks for the great list LifeHack!]