New Year’s resolutions for homeowners

Time to think ahead, as the end of the year approaches. There is something about this period that contrasts not only the passing of years, but the contrasting feelings they bring. Come January 1, some of you are all fired-up and eager to hit the ground running. Others suddenly worry and end up blindsided, imagining all they could have accomplished in the 12 months just passed.

Whatever category you are in, this article on New Year’s resolutions should resonate. All of us know people who make the best of resolutions in the run-up to January 1 – eat healthier, exercise more, drink less, clean better and so on. Readers, that may even be many of you. But that’s not what we’re focusing on here. Top of mind here are resolutions that relate to your home. Year-round, we tend to prioritise professional and social issues and leave things home-related on the back burner. To help you correct that next time around, read on for our mini (non-binding) guide including eight New Year's resolutions for your own home that are often forgotten – plus practical tips to achieve them. Enjoy having a go without any pressure!

8 resolutions for your home

1) Keep your house fit

Semantically, the term 'maintenance activity' suggests an action that takes place over time, on an ongoing basis, and not immediately. However, maintenance on your home is often something crucial that absolutely cannot wait. Above all, any systems and elements constantly in use or exposed to strong weather conditions require regular maintenance and must be regularly inspected, cleaned, lubricated or even repaired. Many of these tasks can be spread out over the year but should be done once a year at least. And as you’d expect, we’ve prepared a helping hand for you:

Practical: Liiva’s Maintenance Planner allows you to record an overall to-do list for all pending tasks and repair projects around your residential property and get a reminder as soon as one of them needs to be done.

2) Money under control, year under control

Have you got a handle on what your home is costing each year? Unless the answer is a resounding yes, change is needed. But no-one knows better than us how mind-numbing the number salad can be, and that’s why we strive to make it as appetising as possible:

Practical: As a Liiva Member, our financing overview makes it easier than ever to map out your mortgages online and free of charge, with an overview of the relevant costs and terms retrievable anytime.

Plus, any of you who wish to extend, increase or pay off your mortgage are entitled to a free, no-obligation consultation directly via Liiva.

3) What a relief – no-one knows my real name is Danny Declutter

We have things good in Switzerland, in fact we are all drowning in goods. Nationwide, Mr. and Mrs. A. N. Other tend to own about 10,000 items, only 500 or so of which are in regular use. And it’s homeowners with a lot of space who tend to accumulate the most junk over a year.

If you feel minded to go minimalist, why not start the year with a decluttering campaign?

Practical: If you have no idea where you should start, look no further than the tidying gurus like Marie Kondo and co.on YouTube for more inspiration.

4) Reduce your energy footprint

Most of us can probably recall things looking a bit pear-shaped around the same time in January each year. Grumpiness prevails and the household budget is also the worse for wear after all the "gift-giving" in December. So, this time round, why not save a bit more of your hard-earned money by reducing your household energy consumption?! Even things like using water responsibly, shorter showers and bathing less often can already make a big difference. And fortunately, it’s often even smaller investments, like replacing outdated household appliances, that can help you reduce your energy footprint. Saving you energy - which also means money, of course – and also giving you some good karma. Of course though, we have more than enough suggestions for those of you who want to go further.

Practical: The Liiva Modernisation Calculator is your easy and convenient way to analyse the energy efficiency of your building and thus identify potential for optimisation.

5) Renew your energies

New year, new energy. Come January, if you’re feeling less than bright-eyed and bushy-tailed yourself, heating costs are probably way down your list of priorities. But why not buck that trend? If you are keen to do something good, save money and help conserve the environment, a switch to renewable energies ticks the box. Out with the outmoded oil heating and in with solar and geothermal energy!

Practical: Our article on Replacing oil heating, gives you all the relevant information on this topic.

6) Clean all – even the smallest nooks and crannies

Hand on heart - when was the last time you cleaned your steam extractor fan or bathroom ventilation?

Even if you clean your house regularly, there are always spots you miss when you rush things or when life simply gets in the way. Even so, it makes sense to address these areas to prevent damage and maintain the value of your home. So, use those dark and short winter days to clean the bathroom fan, clean the steam extractor or thoroughly rinse out the fine sieves of the washing machine and dishwasher.

Practical: Our Checklist on the topic of household appliances and how to maintain and care for them is full of further valuable pointers on the topic.

7) Poetry is healing… but so is proper sealing

Keeping the heat in and your living space toasty warm depends on having window seals that are fit for purpose. To ensure they remain intact and to eliminate the risk of going from balmy to bleak midwinter, you should inspect them regularly. We recommend taking a time out (the time taken obviously depends on the size of your house) and checking the window seals for any porous and defective spots.

Practical: A burning candle is your best bet for pinpointing those pesky unwanted draughts. Simply hold it in front of a closed window. If the flame flickers, there’s more than likely a leak.

8) Rearrange things instead of reordering

And not quite last and certainly not least, here’s a great way to blow away those January blues – make your dwelling place diverse! Those long winter hours in your four walls mark the perfect time to look again at which of your furnishings no longer appeal or have that special spark. But instead of refurnishing the house yearly, sometimes rearranging the furniture and freshening up the wall décor may be enough to give the interior mood a whole new lease of life.

Practical: If you lack your own inspiration or this just isn’t your thing, you’ll find examples and interior design tips aplenty on social media like Pinterest that come tailor-made to revitalize your home.

Resolutions: Tips for doing rather than saying

Are you, too, a member of procrastinators anonymous? Don't worry, you're in good company! It could be laziness, hyper-perfectionism or a lack of time, but most of us tend to put off or even shelve completely those unpleasant tasks. To help you bring your 2023 resolutions to fruition, read on for pointers to stay on the commitment wagon!

Less is more: Remaining motivated and avoiding the slump into self-pity depends on being realistic. Don’t take on too much, choose your top three priority goals and laser-focus on them.

Record your resolutions: Recording your resolutions in our Maintenance planner is a great way to keep to them and keep them intact. You’ll get a reminder of your resolution at just the right time.

Reward your own commitment: Even small successes deserve a splurge. So don't over-pressure yourself and set yourself mini-incentives and rewards for the progress you achieve, whether leaps or baby steps.