A New Year’s resolution is a tradition that dates back some 4,000 years ago. It is said that the tradition stemmed from ancient Rome when the ruling emperor Julius Caesar rearranged the calendar and pronounced January the 1st as the start of the new year. Consequently January held significant importance for the Romans whom conceived that Janus signified reflecting upon the previous year and into the future. Moreover the Romans put forward sacrifices to the gods and committed promises of good behaviour towards the year ahead. The start of 2017 is the perfect time to draw your attention towards your property furthermore it is the perfect time to make changes to your bad habits and upgrade your interiors.

Household Plants

Every home should have a houseplant! If you don’t already then here are a handful of health benefits that your missing out on:

If you don’t already know plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen which is vital for our bodies functioning. It’s said that whilst photosynthesis will cease overnight the majority of plants flip things over and absorb oxygen and release carbon dioxide. This is not ideal for our homes therefore when shopping for household plants keep an eye out for plants such as orchids and succulents to name a few. These particular variants go against photosynthesis tradition and constantly breath in carbon dioxide coupled by the release of oxygen regardless of sunlight. 

A study by the University of Michigan found that indoor plants also help you work better, improving concentration, memory and productivity. Of course that would make sense if emitting oxygen. Plants such as an Aloe Vera are handy especially in the kitchen, as they are renowned for possessing numerous healing properties particularly common household burns.

Review energy habits 

Are you paying too much for your energy? If you don’t know spend 5 minutes on a comparison search it’s likely you will discover an improved or in most cases significant improvement on your current rates. Dropping your heating by a couple of degrees lower than you normally set it, switching appliances off when not in use. There are numerous small tweaks that you can implement into your daily lifestyle that could create noteworthy savings and reduce your energy consumption. Numerous properties could take advantage from not depending on their central heating as much, instead by embracing a zoned heating practice. This is where electric radiators can create significant savings through the ability to heat rooms independently from one another, heating rooms on demand when required. This is especially beneficial in large properties whereby heating the entire building at cosy temperatures isn’t justified. With eco electric radiators you benefit from 24 hour 7 day programming combined with precision thermostats. This offers the potential to create significant savings through tailoring your heating around your routines and only consuming energy when necessary.

Evaluate waste reduction

In an age of a disposable intellect perhaps now is the time to play your part in reducing household waste. This can transpire from wasted food. It’s common for many of us to undertake a ‘big food shop’ often on a weekend, but are we purchasing more food than required particularly when we change our schedules last minute. This is where a common dilemma unveils especially if you are living on your own or with one other when food become ‘out of date’ due to not consuming it quick enough. Remember to check the date on food when selecting your purchase. Next, when boiling the kettle for your warm drinks which is very comforting over those cold wintery nights, to only boil enough water for your designated amount of cups. Making a warm drink for one? Then maybe refrain from boiling the entire kettle as this will increase you electricity bill and carbon footprint.

Add a lick of paint

Fed up of coming home to the same old colour scheme which you’ve had for years? Maybe you’ve even tolerated an interior decoration since you moved in but now enough is enough? What ever the reason, mixing up your interior decoration simply by adding a splash of fresh and contemporary colour to your walls can only do one thing for you. Make you feel good. This is also rather fun! Nipping down to your local paint merchant and selecting an array of tester pots to try out on your walls allows you to narrow down your most suited decision. Following this you may also be inclined to add fresh carpets to your colour scheme adding a quality underlay for the ultimate insulation. Like all fashion trends appear to swoop back around in cycles, styling colours this year have arrived as light avocado’s, neutral / light greys and complimented with white architraves, cornicing and scripting to break the room up.

While New Years resolutions are notoriously difficult to maintain especially when they are self oriented moreover why not turn to your home as an attractive substitute. Results are extremely rewarding requiring minimum effort. As the saying goes you have to get your house in order to be at your best!