Everyone loves a fresh new start in the new year – we all have resolutions, new ambitions, and frankly after 2016 we probably all hope it’ll be a bit calmer in the next 12 months. What better way to reshape your thinking and turn over a new leaf than updating your home environment? Changing your home can seriously affect how you use each space, so here are a few ideas that can give you a head start to your 2017 new years resolutions.
Create a Deck So You Can Entertain More
If you feel like you never see your friends and want to make more of an effort, creating an entertainment space at home will give you an excuse to invite them over for some drinks or a BBQ in summer. You can even see if they’ll come and pitch in with the build in exchange for a good dinner. Make the most of your outdoor space by making it clean, safe, and attractive all year round. It’s just a weekend project, and one that will encourage you to have people over and get in touch a little more often.
Declutter to Create an Exercise Area
Losing weight and exercising more are the most popular new year’s resolutions in the UK, but they are tough to keep. Instead of forking out for a gym membership you’ll never use, create space at home to exercise so that you’re more likely to do it – after all, there’s no driving out to the gym when you’re already home and you don’t feel guilty about paying the fees and never going. You can just pop into your exercise space when you have a moment and then get on with your day. There are so many ways to do this – one of the simplest is to move things out of the house if you rarely use them. Storage fees can be surprisingly high, so buying a shed is often a cheaper way to create storage at home (and you won’t need to drive across down and check opening times when you need something).
Feel Like a Grown Up
Even if you’re a few decades out of school or university, you might still feel like a student if you’re still using the wobbly coffee table you put together and those flat-packed bed side tables you don’t even remember buying. There are plenty of impressive and sturdy pieces you can make yourself from railway sleepers or even using timber and building your own farmhouse style table or bed.
Large changes are difficult to maintain, but small changes to your environment can help you alter patterns in the long term, whether that’s seeing the weather and texting your friends to come over or just taking 20 minutes to do some weights and stretches in your spare room.