Giving Your Home a New Year MOT

Most of our New Year’s resolutions revolve around the things that are important to us. You might want to make changes to your health or fitness levels. You might be trying to lose weight. A lot of us make financial resolutions in the hope of having more money. Others concentrate on things that they’d like to improve or change at work. But, few of us think of our homes.

In the New Year, we are reflecting on what has gone and looking forward, assessing our lives, and the things that we want to improve. And yet we don’t think about our homes, even though they are probably the most important place in our lives. 

Your home, just like your car, and your health could benefit from the occasional MOT. Taking the time to look around your home, assessing how it looks and feels, and making some changes to help keep it at its best, is a great idea. It could even save you money on costly repairs in the coming months. Here are some things to do to give your home a good MOT. 

Check Your Window Seals

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In the summer, you might not notice if your window seals were damaged. There’s little wind, and the air is warm. Unfortunately, we don’t tend to spot this kind of problem until it’s making our home unbearably cold. Walk around, running your fingers around the frames of your windows. If you can feel a breeze, they may need replacing. Try cleaning them first though. You could save yourself money. 

Book in Some Services

Your boiler and other equipment in your home should be serviced once a year to keep them working at their best. Book services now, even if everything seems to be working fine. 

Check Your Habits

You should also take the time to think about your habits. Do you leave doors open? Do you leave your curtains open when the sun has gone down? Do you use your heating too much? Or set your thermostat too high? Do you always use the fan in your bathrooms? Bad habits at home can lead to damage, so check them now.

Check the Radiators

It’s not uncommon for radiators to need bleeding. Nor is it unusual for us to feel that our radiator isn’t working and panic, calling in an engineer and facing an expensive bill. If a radiator isn’t working, or the heat isn’t, try bleeding it first. 

Look for Obvious Signs of Damage

Sometimes, it’s hard to tell that there’s something wrong until it’s too late, in which case you might need a service such as emergency ac repair to deal with the issue quickly. But, sometimes, there are visible signs of damage, or that something is starting to go wrong. Most of us are guilty of ignoring these signs until they are much worse and need to be addressed. Often, this just means that damage becomes worse and repairs more costly. Look for obvious signs of damage, and get them sorted as soon as you can. 

Send Someone Up to the Roof

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It’s hard to know if there’s something amiss on the top of your house until water starts dripping into your bedroom. Get up there, or send someone else up, to take a look. 

KEEPING THOSE NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS: EFFECTIVE WAYS TO BECOME YOUR BEST SELF IN 2020

Every year, so many of us make resolutions to improve our lives but nearly 80 percent of us fail to achieve them. In fact, about 80 percent of us drop our resolutions by mid-February.

Why?  Because most of us set unattainable goals.  But here are some top tips to help you stick to your resolutions for 2020 and beyond.   

1). Accept responsibility for your own actions. Don’t blame others for the way your life turned out.

2). Always put yourself first. This isn’t selfish, but rather it’s the best form of self-care.

3). Be realistic – make one small change at a time.  Making a million dollars doesn’t happen overnight.

4). Forget the past and keep your sight in the future.

5). Become more self-aware.

6). Learn from others’ mistakes and experiences.

7). Think through decisions. Stop being impulsive.

8). Don’t let your emotions make decisions for you.

9). Don’t be afraid to reward yourself when you achieve a goal.

10). Be flexible. Things will not always go your way.

11). Avoid people that hold you back or put you down.

12). Try to read as much as possible. A worldview gives you an entirely new perspective on life.

13). During the difficult and challenging times, try to look at the positive side of things.

14). Put together a plan for what you want to achieve-then go after it.

15). Surround yourself with people who will bring out the better in you.

16). Strive for work-life balance.

17). Even when you’re afraid you’ll fail, keep a positive frame of mind.

18). Make new friends.

19). Get a new hobby.

20). Exercise more often.

21). Setbacks suck. Don’t give up though.

22). Humility is the key to winning at work and in life.

23). Forget the ego.

24). Always ask for what you want.

25). Eat more vegetables and fruits.

26). Help others when they need it.

27). Get more sleep.

28). Enhance your skills.

29). Be kind even to those who are mean.

30). Be patient.

31). Be mindful of the way you deal with your emotions.

32). Eliminate stress.

33). Don’t burn bridges. You never know when you will need someone.

34). Establish boundaries.

35). Be honest.

36). Remember, it’s not always about you.

37). Stay true to yourself. Never compromise your integrity.

38). Trust your instincts.

39). Don’t let your job or material possessions define who you are.

40). Make time for family.

41). Don’t take yourself so seriously.

42). Stop being hard on yourself.

43). Learn to relax.

44). Learn to accept the things you can’t control.

45). Stop caring so much what others think of you.

46). Look at the long-term.

47). Avoid toxic friends.

48). Keep your dreams to yourself because someone will always shatter them.

49). Smile more.

50). Appreciate your family.

51). Measure your success.

52). Remember, you are in control of your own happiness.

53). Meditate more.

54). Get rid of the clutter

55). Remember, if you’re alive, it’s not the end of the world.