As we welcome another year, no doubt we have some ideas on making the coming year safer and healthier for ourselves and our loved ones. After a long year of uncertainty, and staying at home, give your living space a reset. Revamping your home’s look might help you get to work on your other new year’s resolutions. If you’re unsure of where to start, here’s a list of our top recommendations.
Modify your floor plan
This is one of the most foolproof ways to renovate your home. Maybe you need more space or want to enclose a space. But this is a renovation you’ll need professional help with. Taking down walls will have repercussions on your home’s foundational integrity and should be tackled only by experts such as general contractors and professional builders.
Round things out with some new furniture
New furniture is a great way to make a change to your house. It might not be necessary to replace every piece of furniture you own, but select ones for certain areas and functions. Research shows that we perceive rooms with round furniture to be more inviting and conducive to productivity than straight-edged furniture. Try investing in round-shaped pieces such as tulip tables and swan chairs for your living room and home office.
Pressure wash your driveway
If you’ve caught wind of the viral pressure washing videos on TikTok, there’s a good chance that you’re craving to get the same treatment for your driveway. You likely want to get your driveway pressure washed to watch the very satisfying process of it. But even if your driveway appears clean, there’s likely still years’ worth of grime and dirt that have quietly accumulated on it. Having a driveway that’s clean like never before is a great way to greet the new year.
Spruce up your home office
Even with mass vaccinations well underway, it might take a while before we can return to the pre-pandemic norm of going to our workplaces. At the very least, it’ll be a slow transition that might begin with going to the office two to three times a week. Even so, it’s worth investing in making your home office as conducive to productivity as it can be. If you’ve come this far and are still working from your bed or your couch, then you haven’t been setting yourself up for productive work-from-home sessions or a good night’s rest.
Liven up the walls
Coating interior walls with a new hue of paint or sheet of wallpaper is a favorite D.I.Y. task among homeowners. Repaints are one of the home renovations that make homeowners happiest. Some colors are proven to boost our mood that you can use to your advantage.
Make your home smarter
Many people think that upgrading your appliances to smarter counterparts isn’t a necessary investment, but adding smart technology to your home can boost its real estate value. They can also help you cut back on your energy consumption. A smart thermostat, for instance, can help you save on heating and cooling costs. You can program it to turn on and off or set itself to a certain temperature on a schedule. You’ll also be able to monitor and control the system remotely using an app on your mobile device.
Remote monitoring and control is another advantage of smart gadgets. A smart security system will help you keep track of activity in or around your home while you’re away on vacation. Remote monitoring and control can also be useful to you even if you’re still at home. With a smart coffee maker, for example, you’ll be able to make your perfect brew while you’re still in bed. When you’re ready, you’ll come to the kitchen and see your preferred cup of joe waiting for you.
Retouch your caulk work
This is a much simpler home project, but it’s no less effective. Re-examining and redoing your caulk work will help insulate your home, helping you cut back on heating and cooling expenses. It will also help to keep pests out.
Be a better plant parent
If the lockdown got you into gardening for the first time, then you may have struggled with taking care of your plants. Sometimes being a better caretaker means not biting off more than you can chew. If your lawn is too costly and laborious for you to maintain, pave it so that there’s less grass to mow, weed, and fertilize. Choose plants and flowers for your garden that are native to your region. This ensures that they will thrive even with minimal care and maintenance.
After a long year full of uncertainty, now is the right time to give your home a makeover with the help of general contractors Manitowoc WI. Making some changes and improvements around the house is an instant mood booster and could even motivate you to fulfill your other new year’s resolutions.
