NEW YEAR, NEW HOME.

 

4 New Year's Resolutions You'll Want to Keep for Your Home

 SF Girl By Bay

It's traditional around the new year to make changes that plan a new start. Chances are, however, about a week into the new year, you may decide it's just too much trouble to keep any of those resolutions. This year is going to be different—you're going to want to keep those five resolutions for your home. All you have to do is revisit them a few times over the year to get good results.

• 01of 05

  Make a Long-Term Plan

  

   

  Alexa Williams / Unsplash

  Because none of these resolutions are things you have to do every day, one of the best ways to make sure that you'll stick to your goals is to plan the tasks out in advance. Make a list, whether monthly or quarterly, of what you need to do to keep an organized home. Then, consult it regularly to check off those tasks.

  Tip

  Now is the perfect time to plan not just for this year but for the next holiday season as well. While it's all still fresh in your mind, think about how you will like to handle things next time around. Think whether you had enough chairs, or if the dining room carpet got trashed because you put the bar cart next to the kid's table. Writing down a few notes at the beginning of this year is sure to help save you some stress at the end.

  Continue to 2 of 5 below.
• 02of 05

  Clean Room by Room

  

   @walfredcabrera1 / Twenty20

  The very start of the year is always about cleaning: You have to gather up the wrapping paper, get rid of the tree, and clean up after the party you had to ring in the new year. Because you have to do all of this already, it's easy enough to just keep going and do a deep-clean of your home. Take it step by step, making sure to tackle the rooms that have the highest foot traffic first. Scrub, vacuum, rinse, and repeat until your home looks brand-new again. At the start of every new quarter (that's mid-April, mid-July, and mid-September), do another deep clean room by room.
• 03of 05

  Purge Your Spaces

  

   Mokkasin

  Cleaning is always a great place to start, but creating real change in your home will require you to take it a step ahead and drop some of the things you don't need. At first, this can seem a little daunting, but be relentless. If something hasn’t seen the light of day for an entire year (or more), then you've spent an entire year proving to yourself that you don't really need it.

  The important part about this step is to be methodical. Don't just start ripping open closets and drawers and pulling everything out. You'll wear yourself out much sooner than you think, and the pile of things that will end up sitting on the floor is more likely to discourage than encourage you. Instead, use the same plan you had when cleaning, and go one room at a time. The process will take a little longer, but it will be much more manageable and far more likely to reach completion.

  Tip

  When purging, make two piles: one for items that you will throw out and one for pieces that you will donate. Then, schedule a pick-up with a service such as Green Drop to send everything that's in good shape to a charity.

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• 04of 05

  Bring Fresh Flowers Home

  

   One Kings Lane

  This may sound like a little thing, but you'll be surprised at the impact that a range of fresh flowers can have on various rooms in your home. Compared to some of the other options, florals are among the least expensive makeovers you can bring to a space. Finding the right colors, heights, and arrangements can really complement the existing decor in your rooms. And the right plants can do anything from cleaning the air to providing at-home aromatherapy to lift your mood or help you relax.