Here Are 5 Achievable New Year’s Resolutions in 2023 for Every Homeowner

What a year it has been. So much has happened in the property market since the start of 2022 that it almost feels like no time has actually passed. But the new year is fast approaching, and it’s almost time to dust off your journal, open up a new note on your phone, and start listing down your New Year’s Resolutions. 

I know, I know. I rarely accomplish any of the resolutions I set out to do at the start of the year, too. But the ones I’ve listed below are simple enough that it shouldn’t be too hard to tick them off one by one. (I’m crossing my fingers here, because I, too, really want to keep to these resolutions for the new year.) Here goes. 

New year’s resolutions for homeowners in 2023

#1: Get organised 

Around this time of year, my brother and I like to stroll around IKEA for some home organisation inspiration. Their drawer organisers, with a variety of sizes, are my favourite. They keep my things where they should be, and not on the floor or any available counter space in my small room. 

Not that you should buy anything new, but having a set space for all your belongings — make-up, clothes, kitchenware, tech gadgets, sanitary items, and other little baubles that clutter a cabinet or a room — can organise your organised mess.

Studies over the years have shown that any improvement to the state of your home can directly benefit your mental health. It releases endorphins, gives you a sense of order and control, and improves your focus, so you can be less stressed, happier, and able to zero in on the things that matter most to you. 

So I’ll just be here clearing out the whole house, throwing away any items that are only collecting dust or gifting them to others who need them more, rearranging the furniture for a “new” look, and reorganising all my drawers.

Read More: How to Drive a Bidding War for Your Home With These 5 Home Staging Tips

#2: Make a budget and stick to it

With the impending GST hike, rising housing prices and rent, increasing interest rates, and inflation, now’s the time to get your finances in order. 

A good first step to managing your finances in the new year is to create a budget that clearly outlines your incoming and outgoing expenses. This will help you identify the areas where you may be able to cut back, like your weekly intake of bubble tea or underused Disney+ subscription.

You should also actively track your spending. Some do it with spreadsheets, some use apps — either way, don’t just let your hard-earned money dwindle out of your account. Set up a spending limit via online banking to actually keep within budget. 

And set financial goals to stay motivated and focused on the end goal — whether that’s paying off your mortgage or other debts, building a nest egg for a home investment, or saving up for your emergency fund.

As I’m no financial advisor, these are very basic tips (but still important, as basics always are), so set a time to meet yours. If you need assistance with financial planning for your home purchase or home sale, we’ll be very happy to connect you with our partnered banks. Simply fill up this form and we’ll be in touch with you right away.

You can read more about Ohmyhome’s Mortgage Services here. 

#3: Save energy and reduce your carbon footprint

I’ve previously shared 5 sustainable living tips you can easily start at home and I’m going to bring them back now. Let me summarise the points for you:

• Fix any leaks in your home. Leaks can actually waste a significant amount of water and energy, and I mean, nobody just lets their pipes continue leaking anyway.

• Turn off the lights and any electronics when not in use. You’ll save on electricity bills and reduce your energy consumption at the same time. Win-win.

• Open your windows for some fresh air instead of using your air-con. Especially at this time of year, the wind is nice and cool (and very strong).

• Lower your use of single-use plastic. I know it can’t be helped when you eat out, but you can bring your own cutlery. Muji carries some wooden chopsticks and spoon-and-fork sets for less than $10, and they look good too. (I just bought some for my family and me this Christmas.) For drinkware, I highly recommend the collapsible Stojo cups or the compact mugs from Fellow, or these latte cups from Rivers. These are also very aesthetically pleasing, so you can have the best of both worlds: save the planet and keep your drink cool or hot throughout the day.

• Recycle the right way. Yes, there is a correct way to recycle, and it starts with washing and drying recyclable materials before chucking them into the recycling bin. This ensures that they are clean and free of contaminants. You should also keep different materials separate, such as paper, plastic, metal, and glass. This makes it easier for the recycling facility to process the materials. And don’t forget to break down your cardboard boxes and other large items — I’m guilty of just throwing my packages without even folding them, so I need to do this too. 

#4: Maintain and improve your home

Take the time to maintain and improve your home — it will make a world of difference when you decide to put it up for sale in the future. The goal of many homeowners when selling their homes is to make a profit, and that can be difficult to achieve if you don’t put any time or effort into making your home attractive to buyers. The good news is, you don’t need to go through a major renovation to do that. 

You can try your hand at any of the following to boost the appearance and value of your home:

• Give the space a facelift with a fresh coat of paint
• Replace or upcycle any old fixtures or furniture to give your home a more modern look
• Upgrade your lighting and/or any old appliances

Read More: 10 Ways to Increase the Value of Your HDB Home Before Selling

#5: Stay informed

2022 seemed to be the year of scams here in Singapore as more than $220 million was lost in just the first half of the year. There was also the slew of property agent impersonation scams earlier this year, which resulted in almost 1,000 people losing a total of $3.9 million.

Those are not good numbers, and so we should all strive to be better digital citizens in 2023:

• Know who’s real and who’s fake. In terms of property, we have this guide you can follow to spot fake property agents and/or listings and how to check their CEA record.

• Don’t just answer calls from anyone. If the phone number has a “+65”, the call is coming from overseas and most likely a scam. (90% of scams actually come from overseas.) Singapore telcos have dropped that prefix in actual local phone numbers. 

• Fact-check everything. Even if your mum swears her friend knows what she’s talking about. In Singapore, you can still trust local news outlets to give accurate information about any new measures or mandates. 

• Protect your personal information. Don’t just share your password, or bank account information, with anyone. Don’t even text it. Speaking of passwords, don’t use something that’s easily hackable like “Password_123”. Use a unique string of characters instead. 

There’s so much more I can talk about, but I don’t want to keep you from your holiday plans for too long. So I’ll save the rest of my tips and advice for the actual new year as things happen.

Before you go, check out our HDB Resale Market Outlook for 2023 where we list the 4 property impacts you need to keep tabs on in the new year. 

If you need assistance with your property at any time during the holidays, you can still reach us. The property market doesn’t sleep, and that includes us. So don’t hesitate to drop us a message on WhatsApp to get an immediate reply from our Relationship Managers about any of your property needs.

With that, let us all together say, Thank you, next.