Refreshing and upgrading your life is what New Year’s resolutions are all about, but what about your apartment? While you make preparations for the new you, don’t leave your space on the back burner. Here are a five things we think you should resolve to do differently this year with your space.
Resolve to tidy up more effectively and efficiently
According to the Cleaning Institute, though most Americans spend six hours a week cleaning, many don’t know if they are cleaning enough, if they are cleaning correctly or where to focus their cleaning efforts.
We recommend spot treatments and maintenance on a daily basis and deep cleaning a section of your apartment once a week–don’t forget things like dusting the ceiling fan or cleaning the baseboards! With small and consistent effort, you’ll always have a tidy place to come home to. If you’re not convinced, here are the best cleaning practices backed by scientific research.
Resolve to never be late on bills again
Adulting is hard, and worrying over rent, utilities and other bills can really dampen the mood. If you’re no stranger to late payments and skipping a bill to pay on another, we proudly declare, NEW YEAR, NEW YOU! Pro tip: Creating spreadsheets and calendar reminders can help you stay on top of all of your bills and keep you accountable.
First, make a spreadsheet of your total expenses: this includes all your bills, debt, subscriptions and survival needs – ie transportation, groceries and household needs (like toothpaste and toilet paper). Second, make a spreadsheet for the pay periods these bills/expenses fall on. Lastly, set calendar reminders for when each bill is due.
If done right, these quick tips should help you stay on top of your bills 2019.
Resolve to fix what’s broken
We all have those things we need to fix around our apartment – the leaking faucet, your bed’s foundation or that sagging shelf. Don’t let those things go unfixed in 2019! If you take a seasonal approach to these things, getting your Bob the Builder on won’t be such a pain.
Pick one or two things to fix up every three months. We know you love procrastinating and this will give you time to save up and plan accordingly.
Resolve to have a well stocked apartment
We admire your survival instincts but, eating out because your fridge is empty, figuring out how to maximize one roll of tissue and using dish washing liquid in place of detergent should be left in 2018. Much like the bill management tips we recommended, spreadsheets or lists are great tools to utilize here as well.
First, make a list of the things you need around the house that are consumable and thus need frequent restocking, like trash bags and body soap. Second, set aside money for these items (as previously mentioned). Finally, set a schedule for when you’ll need/repurchase each group of items; we recommend weekly grocery tips, because throwing out the produce you bought two weeks ago on a major grocery haul but forgot to use is financially and physically traumatic.
These tips can keep you from white knuckle panicking when you run low on things.
Resolve to have designated places for (almost) everything
A place for everything and everything in its place! Giving your belongings a designated home in your apartment will help you worry less about who stole that thing that no one cares about. Imagine, a life where you aren’t wasting time looking for your keys. We recommend starting a healthy, long-term relationship with the countless organization tools that litter the interweb these days. And if you haven’t yet, we strongly urge you to check out your local Container Store–you can thank us later!
2019 is right around the corner! Reclaim your space this upcoming year. If you’ve resolved to moving to a new place, we can help with that too. Fill out this form or call/text 713-482-1323 and we’ll make that resolution happen.
