Why Home Improvement Resolutions Are the Key to a Fresh Start

The New Year is a time for fresh starts—not just for you but for your home too! While you may focus on personal goals like starting a new habit or regularly exercising, why not set some resolutions to improve your living space? A well-maintained home can enhance your comfort, save money, and even boost your health. Most New Year’s resolutions are about self-improvement.

A healthy home is ground zero for a healthy life. To me, that’s a no-brainer. I think anyone experiencing issues with their home would agree with me. It invades every part of your life and your family’s lives. So I’m giving you my top New Year’s resolutions for your home to help you stay ahead of the game and your home ready for a new year. 

 

 

#1 Take Care of the Home’s Exterior

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Homeowners are always thinking about renovating the kitchen or a bathroom, knocking down a wall, or making a room bigger. They spend all their time choosing tiles, flooring, appliances, and lighting. But do you know where the money should be spent first? On your home’s exterior.

 

I always say- Fix from the outside in.

 

Here’s a quick checklist to get started:

• Inspect the roof for missing shingles, cracks, or leaks.
• Clean the gutters to prevent water buildup and ice dams.
• Examine the foundation for cracks or signs of shifting.
• Check siding and windows for damage or gaps that let in drafts.

 

By addressing these small issues early, you’ll extend the life of your home’s exterior and protect it from seasonal wear and tear. Plus, too many homeowners don’t realize that their home’s interior is at risk if they don’t take care of the exterior. So they spend their savings on a kitchen or bathroom remodel.

 

 

If you have problems with the roof, the foundation, the weeping tile, or the insulation—anything that has to do with your home’s building envelope—that new kitchen or bathroom might have to be torn down to address the problems behind them.

It’s only a matter of time before those problems make their way to the surface. Cracked tiles, ceiling leaks, and indoor air quality issues can all happen if you don’t take care of the exterior.

 

Here are some resources to help with the exterior of your home:

Types of House Foundations Explained

New Windows – Here is What You Need To Know

Protecting Your Roof

 

Keep Water Away From Your House

We always want to direct water away from the home, especially around the foundation. That’s why we have grading, roofs, a system of eavestroughs, and downspouts—all working together to do one thing: drive water away from your house.

Help it out over winter. Shovel snow away from the foundation. You don’t want all that snow and moisture sitting up against it, because when it eventually melts you know where it will end up. 

Look for water stains in the attic, especially around the rafters. I’ve said it before, but your home’s first line of defence is its roof. The attic can tell you if it’s holding up.

Here are some extra steps to help keep water at bay:

• Ensure downspouts extend at least 6 feet away from your home’s foundation.
• Grade your lawn to slope away from the house.
• Regularly inspect your basement or crawlspace for signs of moisture, like musty smells or peeling paint.

 

RELATED

Finishing your basement? Read this first.

Do You Have a Leaky Foundation? Here is How To Fix it.

 

Don’t forget about your foundation. Our foundation walls are under a lot of stress. Expanding and contracting soil, excessive moisture, and drainage issues are some of the most common threats to your home’s foundation. A leaking foundation needs to be addressed. We want the foundation to keep water on the outside.

 

 

RELATED:

How Serious Is A Crack In The Foundation?

 

#2 Test Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality

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When it comes to the air you breathe do not take chances. The air you breathe inside your home can impact your health and well-being. Poor indoor air quality often goes unnoticed but can lead to respiratory issues, allergies, or fatigue.

 

Testing for Radon

You should be testing for radon—which is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers—mould and VOCs.

The best advice I can give anyone interested in having a healthy home is to get a healthy home inspection. This is an inspection that looks at specific areas and systems in your home that impact your health. A qualified healthy home inspector will then compare your test results to national health and safety guidelines to verify if your home has potentially harmful levels.

I don’t like DIY indoor air quality tests. A professional should be conducting it for you because they know how to do it properly and what to do with the results.

My Mike Holmes Inspectors operate in select areas in Canada and will do a thorough assessment of your home.

The good news is making smarter, healthier choices for your home and your family is getting easier. You can make it a Happy New Year by making it a healthy one, too.

 

A healthy home is ground zero for a healthy life.

 

READ MORE:

What Is Radon Gas In A House?

Have You Considered Radon Reduction System

 

How to Improve Your Indoor Air Quality

 

 

Here are EASY ways to improve your indoor air quality:

• #1 Get your air tested
• #2 Have your ducts professionally cleaned
• #3 Open your windows for about 15 minutes every day
• #4 Invest in an ERV or an HRV
• #5 Invest in an air purification system. I personally LOVE the whisper air repair from Panasonic (no ductwork required).
• #9 Use your kitchen and bathroom fans

 

 

RELATED:

HEALTHY HOME TIPS

5 Tips for Creating a Healthier Environment

 

#3 Keep up with Seasonal Maintenance

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This one is very important. When problems start happening in the home most people want to blame the builder or contractor or someone else. You think they used cheap materials or installed them incorrectly. But sometimes the source of the problem isn’t a bad contractor, sub-trade or builder—it might be a little closer to home.

 

Nothing lasts forever unless you make sure it does. That means building it right and doing the proper maintenance.

 

 

There are maintenance tasks you can do yourself every season. Some of these are:

• Change your furnace filters
• Check your bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans for blockages, and make sure they’re removing moisture
• Check for cracks or holes in your home’s exterior walls and foundation
• Clean out the gutters and check if they’ve corroded or disconnected

 

 

Hire a professional to come to your home and do a thorough check of all its major systems. Have them check the roof, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), plumbing, electrical, the basement, the garage, the attic, and the basement crawlspace—get them to check it all. This will help you know what the issues are and what needs to be addressed first.

If you are planning on renovating, your inspection checklist will give you an idea of what needs to be addressed first.

 

The Ultimate Home Maintenance Checklist

10 Tasks For Your Winter Home Maintenance Checklist

Indoor Fall Home Maintenance Checklist

Fall House Exterior Maintenance Checklist

Summer Maintenance Tips for Your Home

Spring Home Maintenance Checklist

Spring Yard Maintenance Tips For Your Outdoor Space

 

Reassess Your Home’s Safety Features

Safety is a cornerstone of a well-maintained home. Take time to ensure your home’s safety features are up to date:

• Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, replacing batteries as needed.
• Ensure fire extinguishers are accessible and fully charged.
• Consider upgrading to smart security systems for added peace of mind.
• Develop or update your family’s emergency evacuation plan.

 

Taking these steps will help protect your home and loved ones year-round.

 

#4 Take A Look At Your Energy Usage

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Do you unintentionally leave all the lights on when you leave the house? Is your thermostat always set too high?

You can start paying attention to these habits and adjust them, or you can work towards a “smart home”. A smart thermostat will save you money on your monthly bills. You can control your heating and cooling remotely (so you can turn up the heat just before you come home). You can also review your home’s energy consumption in real-time.

Here are other small things you can do that can lead to big savings over time:

• Seal gaps around windows and doors with weatherstripping.
• Replace old appliances with energy-efficient models.
• Switch to LED bulbs for lighting.

 

For more information on building an energy-efficient home and utility programs check out this guide by Eaton Electric

 

I also love automation hubs that allow you to control your lighting. Left the house and accidentally left the lights on? With an app, you can turn them off.

 

#5 Test Your Water Quality

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I had my water professionally tested after noticing my water was cloudy. And when I pulled out some of my pipes to look inside, I saw A LOT of scale buildup. I thought, seriously, have I been DRINKING this water? I had a very high level of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), which is the concentration of organic and inorganic dissolved solids.

 

 

Most companies will offer a free water test, and I highly recommend getting your water tested professionally.

How to Identify If Your Home Has Hard Water

Hard water contains high levels of minerals like calcium and magnesium, which can cause problems over time. Here are some signs to look for:

• Spotty Dishes and Glassware: After washing, your dishes may have white spots or a cloudy film.
• Soap Scum Build-Up: You’ll notice residue in sinks, tubs, or on shower doors.
• Dry Skin and Hair: Hard water can strip natural oils, leaving your skin and hair feeling dry.
• Scale Buildup: Appliances like kettles, dishwashers, and water heaters may have visible scale or reduced efficiency.
• Reduced Water Pressure: Mineral deposits can clog pipes, leading to lower water flow.

 

 

If you notice these issues, consider installing a water softener or filtration system to improve water quality and protect your plumbing.

I had hard water and now I have a whole home water treatment system and a reverse osmosis drinking water system (from Kinetico) in my house.

 

 

RELATED

How To: Improve The Quality of Water Flowing In Your Home

How To Choose The Best Reverse Osmosis (RO) Water System

What Is The Best Water Filtration System For Your Home

 

So there you go! A quick list of New Year’s resolutions I want every single homeowner to make. PROTECT IT RIGHT!

 

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