Happy 2016 everyone! New year's mean new beginnings for everyone and that includes making new year resolutions. New year resolutions are basically goals you set for yourself at the beginning of the year .

This year, for a change, why not set some resolutions for your home and hearth? Surely the place where you live deserves some love and improvements as well. Here are some of the new year's resolutions that you can make for your house or apartment. You can always start out small and then work your way up the difficulty ladder.

Get organized



Start de-cluttering your home by removing all the extra, old and unwanted items. Start putting stray items that are similar into the same basket. Throw out or donate things that are making you depressed and fill your home with items that raise your energy level.

Put a little more into that mortgage payment



This year, try to make that little effort and pay slightly more than the minimum for each monthly home loan. You will see that at the end of the year, your little bit adds up to a lot in helping you reduce the amount of interest you'll have to shoulder.

Make your home safer



Try to make your home free of dangerous items that could end up hurting your children. Additionally, invest in some security measures to protect your home from intruders.

Save energy and carbon footprint



Not only will you help bring down your own electricity bill, you will also be helping to save the environment and ensure a more sustainable future for your kids. Start simple by switching off unused electrical appliances and unplugging them. Fix any leaky taps and shut the water when you're shampooing or brushing your teeth.

Educate Yourself on Home Financing



Read up on concepts like refinancing your home, second mortgages and how to keep your credit scores low.

Volunteer in Your Community



Get more involved in your community by joining the local resident's association and volunteer for programs like the weekly 'gotong-royong' and 'Rukun Tetangga' or night patrol.

Have a home improvement project with your family



It can be anything from planting new trees, repainting the gate, or building a rock garden, but sharing these projects with your family will allow all of you to bond and you get to spend more time with them.

Create a maintenance and cleaning schedule



Try to come up with a fixed schedule on what you need to do weekly, monthly and annually and then try your best to stick to this plan.