The fireworks have gone off, the champagne has been drunk, the Auld Lang Synes have been sung. It’s officially 2016, and we’ve got out our (virtual) pens and papers, and we started making our list of resolutions, as homeowners.
We’re often so busy working to pay the mortgage on our homes that sometimes, we forget to actually live in our homes. So here are six resolutions we came up with, to be better people, and better homeowners.
1. Time to declutter.
 You can barely see the closet for the clothes |
Yup, those online sales are definitely tempting, and perhaps we went a little crazy during the Great Singapore Sale. But the fact of the matter is, the square footage in our home didn’t grow a single square centimeter in the past year, even if the closets are filled to bursting. So we’re going to get a head start on Chinese New Year Spring Cleaning, and really de-clutter. Good, usable items will be donated to the Salvation Army, or sold online. |
2. Don’t buy stuff I don’t need.
 Don’t need photo frames if I don’t make a gallery wall |
And of course, after decluttering, we need to make a resolution not to buy more stuff than we need. We don’t really need photo frames for that gallery wall that won’t happen because I haven’t printed the photos off my phone from that vacation two years ago. Nor will we need a fancy noodle maker for my kitchen when we barely cook once a month. So no matter how tempting the sale, we will resist and keep from buying what we do not need. |
3. Invest in greener appliances.
 Green appliances save money and natural resources. |
If we do need to buy something however, like a new washing machine to replace the current unit that only partially cleans our clothes, we’ll invest in appliances that consume less resources and energy. This helps us to conserve the environment, and helps us save money in the long run as well, by keeping our PUB bills down. |
4. Have more plants.
 Cleans the air and looks good. What’s not to like? |
Speaking of green, we think that we should have some plants in our home. Aside from cleaning the air, houseplants are supposed to affect productivity, fight indoor pollution, and help to prevent illnesses. And they have the added benefit of making our home look better. Now, if we only we can remember to water the plants regularly. |
5. Creating a quiet place.
 I’d love a quiet corner like this. Who wouldn’t? |
Since these resolutions are to help us really live in and enjoy our home, we think we should create a lovely quiet corner on the balcony, a place that we can sit, relax, and read a book. Sip at a cup of coffee. It’s important to have those quiet moments, to think and to re-center ourselves. Perhaps we could put a couple of plants there as well. |
6. Do at least one DIY project.
 Can’t be too hard to make one of these on my own right? |
We’ve seen the TV shows, the “hacks” and the magazines. Perhaps it’s time to try this ourselves? We’re not going to be over-ambitious, and build a new sofa or something, but something that we can show off to our friends when they come over. Perhaps one of those Edison bulb light fixtures that we see so often in cool cafes. Can’t be too hard, right? Right..? |
Let’s see where we’ll be by the end of 2016!
What are some of the resolutions you’ve made? Share it with us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!