New year, new…backyard? If you’ve been pushing off tackling projects around the house, the tradition of making a new year resolution could provide the motivation you need! Not sure where to start? Here are a few ways you can transform your outdoor space in the new year.
Say goodbye to your old, rickety deck
With the snow piling up and more of your time being spent indoors, you’ve probably been reminiscing about hot summer days lounging on the patio. If your front porch or back deck was looking a little worse for wear, now is a good time to start planning a deck renovation. Choosing composite decking and sleek glass railing will give your deck the ultimate “new year, new me!” feeling.
Start a vegetable garden
Want to become more self-sufficient in the new year? A new vegetable garden is a great place to start. Winter is the perfect time to learn about gardening, stock up on seeds, plan your vegetable patch or even get a head start by building raised garden beds in your workshop.
Develop a home maintenance plan
Owning a home comes with a ton of jobs and responsibilities, and the smaller ones can become forgotten about over time. Creating a list of simple things like changing your furnace filter every few months, having ductwork cleaned seasonally, inspecting exhaust fans, doing a deep clean of pipes or drains, changing batteries on your smoke detector – to name a few – are easy home maintenance tips to tackle in the new year.
Declutter
Out with the old, in with the new. We’ve all got a junk drawer or perhaps even a shed filled with unused items and tools that we can’t seem to part with. Make 2023 the year you say goodbye to clutter and get to work on getting rid of old patio furniture, tools, electronics, chords, and more.
Make eco-friendly updates
Switching to LED light bulbs, installing a programmable thermostat, ditching your old HVAC unit for an energy efficient whole-home heat pump or scheduling an energy audit are a few ways to start working towards lessening your home’s carbon footprint — and save some money in the process.
