New year, new you, as they always say. It’s that time of the year once again when we begin to think about starting the New Year right and turning over a new leaf.

There’s no better time than today to start making small changes in how you deal with your house keeping. Small improvements are helpful, but forming habits in keeping your home in good shape will literally give you and your home a fresh start in 2018. With just a few steps, you can even keep it that way for years to come.

1. Always be on the lookout for signs of wear and tear

Your home may be beautiful, but are you sure it’s still safe?

Look for signs of wear and tear such asdents or watermarks. It may look small now, but left unchecked, it will cause bigger problems in the future. Also check for signs of infestation, rotting, or moisture damage. The hot and humid weather of the Philippines isn’t very forgiving when it comes to building materials, so make sure you have these issues fixed right away.

If your house is built with durable and flexible materials, then there shouldn’t be much to worry about. But if there are walls or ceilings that need more than a simple patch, this is your chance to replace it with resilient materials that won’t give you the same problems the following year. Affordable alternatives can be tempting, but investing in high-quality fiber cement board removes the headaches, not to mention the costs, of repairs for years to come.

2. Prepare an emergency fund

You fill your home with nice pillows, trinkets, and other knickknacks, but do you have enough set aside to replace a broken doorknob?

You can’t simply leave a broken door wide open. Don’t fret too much on how much you need to set aside for as long as you do. It’s better to have a bit of savings to help you out on the total costs than having to shoulder it all at once.

The good thing is that there are high-quality products in the market that come with warranties. This assures the quality of materials that you won’t need to worry about too much. In the event that something still happens, your repair costs will still be covered and there will be very little you’ll have to take out of your pocket.

3. Find and start a relationship with a good carpenter/contractor

You’ve checked your home, you’ve found the problem, now what?

The right materials will only be effective if it’s used and installed the right way. Ask for referrals, check reviews, and spend time to talk to a carpenter before allowing them to get to work on your home. An unskilled carpenter may just as likely cause more damage than fix them.

You’re not just looking for skill, either. Find someone you can trust with your home. Your carpenter is making your home more safe and secure, so he should be someone you’ll be comfortable letting inside your house. Once you’ve established a relationship, it will be less stressful as well when new issues come up.

4. Don’t let home repairs pile up

It’s just one little dent, right?

Home repairs are not fun, and the tendency is to put it off for another day. Before you know it, you’ve put it off for a year and more damage has been done.

Small, one-off repairs are more manageable and easier in the pocket, so don’t wait until you need to do a complete overhaul. If it’s small enough, you might even be able to patch it up yourself and save a lot of time and money on repairs. The key is making sure that the repairs are done well and with good materials and you’ll survive the year without much trouble.

5. Schedule a regular general cleaning

Not only is a general cleaning good for your health, it also helps you catch early signs of wear and tear. Get to it as soon as possible or risk facing bigger problems in the future.

Once a month is a good rhythm. It’s not too often to feel tedious, and there’s not a lot of time in between for things to pile up too much. Get rid of dirt and grime lurking in the dark corners of your home, and patch up any issue you find on walls or ceilings.

At the end of the day, new year resolutions for your home are new year resolutions for yourself. Making your home as safe, secure, and relaxing as possible is a reward in itself.

The tricky part is ensuring that the repairs you make in your home will actually hold up for years to come. While budget/cheaper alternatives are tempting, they will not necessarily offer you any peace of mind in the future.”

Make home repairs the least of your problems and choose the only real HardieFlex®.

HardieFlex® durable fiber cement boards areresistant* to impact, fire, mold and moisture damage.  They also come with a 10-year warranty, so you won’t have to worry about them once they’re installed in your homes. All you have to do is to look for the green stripes and back branding on the board to know that you’re getting the real deal.

*When installed and maintained correctly and to the extent set out in James Hardie’s published literature current at the time of installation. ® and ™ denote a trademark owned by James Hardie Technology Limited. Additional installation information, warranties and warnings are available at www.jameshardie.com.ph