January offers an opportunity to start the year off on the right foot. Beginning the year with deep-cleaning, reviewing, and planning out your home care will set you up for success; and we’ve got just the list to get you started.

1. Prepare for Summer Projects Now

Take the time to finalize any plans for warm weather projects. Decks, patios, outdoor lighting, pool installation, landscaping… the possibilities are endless, so the time to prep is now. If you know you’ll need a professional contractor for your plans, be sure to book them now. Don’t risk the waitlist!

2. Deep Clean Where it Counts

Freshen up the New Year by giving a little extra attention to these areas of your home:

• Clean or replace all of the filters found in your house, including filters for your air purifier, vacuum, fridge, water, and other appliances. Getting this out of the way at the start of the year will let you breathe easy- literally.
• Go through your pantries, fridge, and freezer to properly dispose of any expired goods from the past year. If you’ve accumulated excess canned goods, consider taking some over to your local food bank.
• Organize your seasonal storage! During the Holiday rush, it can be difficult to properly pack away any holiday related items. If you dedicate time to fixing your storage situation now, you’ll thank yourself later in the year.

3. Update Records of Your Home Inventory

In the case of a disaster, you’ll need detailed accounts of your possessions in order to file insurance claims. Unless you’re familiar with home disasters, you’ve most likely neglected keeping these records updated. January is a great time to review and learn about these processes!

Check out this detailed guide from todayshomeowner.com on the best approaches to updating your records.

4. Test your GFCI Outlets

To do their job properly, GFCI’s need to be in working order. Malfunctions to the outlet system can put your safety at risk in the case of an electrical emergency.

Take these steps to easily test any GFCI outlets in your home:

1. Plug a lamp into the GFCI outlet.
2. Turn the lamp on.
3. Push the TEST button located on the GFCI outlet.
4. The GFCI should trip, and cut off the electricity to the lamp.

Afterwards, the RESET button will pop out on the outlet.

If everything works as it should, restore power to the outlet by pressing the RESET button.

If the lamp doesn’t turn off when the TEST button is pressed, or if the power isn’t restored to the lamp after hitting the RESET button, then the outlet needs to be replaced.