30 Favourite New Year's Resolutions in the Houzz

Get a notebook and write down the 'stuff' you do connected with your house or apartment, every day for one year. Things like, 'Dusted the cobwebs off the ceiling fan' and 'repotted the aspidistra' and 'new garden hose' and 'new batteries in alarm clock,' 'chimneys inspected.'

Keep an envelope in the back of your notebook for receipts, warranties, and the business cards of people who have helped you keep your home (repairmen, caterers, that nice kid who shovelled your snow).

Don't try to make this 'perfect': you're keeping notes, not making a scrapbook.

Writing down these things and then going over your record after 6 months or a year will give you a sense of how to schedule regular tasks around your house and whether you're getting your money's worth for what you spend on home maintenance (How long did those dollar-store alarm-clock batteries last? When was the last time you changed the code to your home alarm system? Has it really been that long since you cleaned the screens in your range hood? If you had to call the repairman back three times for the same job, maybe you need to find another repairman.) You are then on your way to making a master plan of the regular maintenance tasks in your home, and putting them on a schedule.

In future, you can make a list of things to do around the house, month by month. Such a plan can be followed by all members of the household (or future personal care assistants in the home or house-sitters). It also gives you a good sense of where you spend money in your house, jobs you keep putting off, repairs that might need professional help.

If you decide to sell your home, both the record and the month-by-month maintenance guide will show future buyers that your home was well-maintained. For renters, it's a record of how well you've cared for an apartment, and can help you get back a cleaning deposit.

THANKS Vanessa for this inspirational piece!