Happy New Year! What resolutions have you made this New Year? To get fit? Quit smoking? Start saving more money? But what goals have you set for your home? January is a great time to start working on your house - the social calendar is light, January sales are on, and some of you are on Christmas holidays the first week of January. You can make your home beautiful, organized, clean and energy efficient in the coming year by following our list of easy home resolutions.
When you have a cluttered home, it’s hard to de-stress and decompress. To help get back a feeling of Zen in your home one of best and most inexpensive ways is to clear out your clutter.
Every year most of us end up collecting a mountain of stuff. If we do not do a regular purge, closets, cabinets, drawers, and countertops can get jam-packed, and it becomes difficult to find anything. If you have a lot of clutter right there in your face, it starts your day off on the wrong foot plus all that clutter can make your house look smaller, messy and dated.
Start by going into each room periodically and asking yourself if you have used the clothes/objects in the room within the last six months. If you haven't used it and you're not in love with the item then clear it out and donate it to charity. Going forward try to think twice before purchasing something else, even if there's a fantastic sale on. Plan a garage sale or sell your items on Kijiji - that extra money can then be put towards your house.
Small items such as DVDs, remotes, chargers and all those batteries rolling around in your drawer can all get placed into decorative woven baskets. Items that you don't use every day such as seasonal or sentimental pieces can be placed in clear plastic boxes with labels and stored in your basement or a storage unit.
Once you're done clearing out all that clutter, you'll be amazed at how much nicer your house is, and you can start to breathe a little easier.
Making your home clutter free and beautiful is one thing but creating a safe environment for your family is a top priority. Thankfully there are easy steps every homeowner can take to ensure they're not living with a potential health hazard or fire risk.
First, check your house for radon. This colorless, odourless gas claims some 3,200 Canadian lives every year in the form of lung cancer, which is caused by the radioactive particles - it gets trapped in your lungs as you breathe, according to Lung Cancer Canada. For more information about getting your home tested for radon go to the Calgary Herald's article.
While we are on the topic of deadly gases, make sure you install a carbon monoxide detector on every bedroom floor. As well, it's essential to get fuel-burning appliances and fireplaces serviced every year. If not correctly maintained, a block or leak in your chimney flue or other devices could occur, and carbon monoxide could back up in your house and kill you. One handy solution is buying a smoke and carbon monoxide detector, which will offer protection from two deadly threats in one unit. Units usually cost around $70 or more, which is a small investment for your family’s peace of mind.
Other things you can do to keep your home safe include watching out for your dryer lint. Lint may sound innocent, but it's actually highly combustible and has the potential to start a house fire. We know you probably regularly clean out the lint trap just inside the door, but most people don't know that they should also clean the vents and ducting behind the dryer as well.
Make sure your home can breathe. That statement may sound funny to you, but home inspectors are always surprised at how many people's bathrooms and attics are not vented to the outside, which can make your home a prime candidate for toxic mould.
If you're considering a remodel and your home was last built or re-modeled around pre-mid-1980s, care should be taken when completing repairs to a stippled/Artex ceiling as it might have been constructed with asbestos-containing material. It will have to be appropriately handled during removal, or particles can be released into the air for you to ingest.
When people think of going green, they usually envision installing solar panels or using a hybrid car.
Yes, those options can help, but a little old-fashioned common sense can make a world of difference too.
One of the best places to start cutting down your energy use is in your own home:
Try out composting, and watch your garden grow.
Daily Tasks: Dirty dishes go in the dishwasher as soon as you finish with them - no excuses! Dirty clothes should go into hampers, and coats and clean clothes should be hung up in the closet. Ensure you have an assigned place for everything.
Weekly Tasks: Clean your entire house, using these tips:
We hope you found these tips helpful. For additional advice on your home renovation or a comprehensive quote, please call us at (403) 991-2813 or fill in our online contact form.
The Tara Construction Team would like to wish you and your family a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!
135 11th Ave NW
Calgary, Alberta, T2M0B7
Canada
ian@taraconstruction.ca
(403) 991-2813
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