The first step toward the house of your dreams involves organization and decluttering. Whether we realize it or not, being locked in our homes these past few years means we have a buildup of odds and ends. There are many ways to organize your home, so choose the method that best works for you.

Start the year with a decluttering session and go through every room in your home, or if you feel the need, bring in a professional organizer. Analyze your current stock of shoes, books, pantry, supplies, equipment and more. Once you say goodbye to the items that no longer serve you, take time to sort and organize what’s left.

Your home is an investment. You’ve put a lot of thought and resources into making it the comfortable and beautiful home that you’ve dreamed of. However, we tend to postpone certain upgrades, like appliances, until our current ones give up. In 2022, consider upgrading to smart home appliances.

More than just looking sleek, having a smart home means you can focus more on your well-being. These appliances connect with your phone, track your daily habits and work seamlessly with your home to operate as a synchronized orchestra.

If there’s something most homeowners neglect, its maintenance. Just as you set resolutions to exercise, set one to follow up on your home’s maintenance. Start the year by changing your HVAC filters, cleaning out your dryer lint ducts, checking your gutters, inspecting the water heater, inspecting the foundations for termites and servicing your HVAC system.

Go around the house and create a list of all the maintenance items you should care for throughout the year. Write down a plan to tackle each one of them by month so you can check off this resolution by the end of the year.

Get an energy audit to learn more about your energy use if you haven’t. An energy audit can show you the overall efficiency of your home. You can start making low-cost improvements to save energy and decide on significant upgrades that will save you money for years to come.

With so many energy-efficient appliances and solutions, not going greener in 2022 seems like a missed opportunity.

If we learn anything about 2021, we’ll be spending more time indoors in 2022. Indoor air quality is one of the most important indicators of the environment you’re living in. Make it a resolution to maintain your HVAC systems and change furnace filters regularly. Using localized ventilation in bathrooms and kitchens can help you get rid of smoke, cooking fumes and humidity. Invest in air filters around the house to improve overall air quality and breathe clean air.

Sure, you can declutter and organize all you want. But, without a cleaning plan, your home will never be as organized as you want it. Create a schedule or a routine to clean the house regularly. Every day, do your best to do the dishes, pick up and put away items scattered across the floors, and start with routines as simple as making the bed.

Weekly, you can clean the house divided by segments. For example, you can make Saturdays the bathroom cleaning day and Wednesdays the day you vacuum. Having this written down and even scheduled in your calendar will help tremendously.

The new year is always a great time to think about elevating your home office space. From new technology to new chairs, if you’re still working from home, it’s time to up the game. Ideally, you’ll go all the way to decorate and arrange your home office, separate from your home life.

One of 2022 interior design trends is the separation of spaces—particularly the home office—to help create that division between work and fun. Not to mention, if you’re considering selling your home in the coming year, setting a dedicated home office can potentially increase your home’s value.

On your list of resolutions, include that project you’ve been putting off for far too long. Make your home feel homier by finally making the tweaks you’ve always wanted. Maybe that means working with an interior designer, adding a plush new carpet in the family room, or finally setting up an outdoor dining area.

Choose at least one space you’d like to spend time with family and friends and show it some love. Depending on your budget, you can embark on an overhaul or a full-blown space renovation.

Curb appeal is how attractive your home looks when viewed from the street. Sprucing up your home’s curb appeal will give you a newfound pride every time you pull into your driveway, and it may even increase your home’s value.

Curb appeal projects include painting the front door, installing new siding, power washing the exterior, planting new plants, installing path lights and even adding furniture on your front porch. Choose a curb appeal project that goes with your budget and try something new this upcoming year.

Many homeowners are already planning home improvement projects for 2022. Whether it’s renovating their deck, focusing on landscape, or finally getting the bathroom oasis of their dreams, completing a project that will make living easier will always be worth it. If you have a project you’ve been dreaming of completing, use 2022 as the year to make it happen. Plan and start thinking about the best season to complete that home renovation project you’ve been putting off.

If you’ve never DIYed, make this the year you try it. The pandemic fueled the rise of DIY activities for home improvements. DIYers plan to spend as much, or more, time on home projects from painting furniture to installing built-ins and beyond in 2022 compared to this year. If you still hire professionals for major renovations, consider adding your personal touch with decorative accents and other fun projects.

Lastly, make it a resolution to pay attention to neglected areas. Think about the last time you cleaned your refrigerator coils, the dryer vents, or organized the attic. Cleaning and maintenance jobs like these aren’t usually top of mind. But, doing them will keep your home running more efficiently for longer.

Other chores that fall through the cracks involve your dishwasher, showerheads and air conditioner. Sit down and write down the areas of your home that you often neglect, and make it your new year’s resolution to get them done before the end of 2022.