Why is home maintenance so important? It’s easier and cheaper to do than it is to repair a home.

If you’re all about saving time and money, check out this handy checklist of home maintenance tasks to tackle this New Year.

Post-holiday cleanup

You’ve had all your fun – now it’s time to get rid of the evidence.

When taking down your Christmas lights, a good tip is to wrap them around a hanger to prevent tangling.

Looking for a midwinter mulching? Clip and scatter your Christmas tree around garden beds and shrubs.

The idea of winter mulching is to shield the soil from sunlight and keep it cool. This will keep plants from growing in a brief warm period.

If your mess is too much to handle, call in the pros. Pay for a one-time cleaning service or ask friends to come to lend a hand.

Do a deep cleaning

Yes – cleaning counts as home maintenance!

The New Year is the perfect time to clean those filthy places that people don’t see but you know are there.

This deep cleaning goes past scrubbing the floors. Take the time to dust behind those light fixtures, bulbs, and top of ceiling fans.

Also, did you know that you can put vent grilles and dirty sponges and rags in the dishwasher? This is the quickest and easiest way to clean fast.

Shine and tighten nobs and pulls and level out cabinet doors. Cleaning pulls, nobs, and handles is simple but very impactful.

It’s as easy as washing with soapy water and then shine with a microfiber cloth dipped in vinegar.

There’s no need to remove the pulls, just clean what you can see and maneuver around the doors and cabinets.

Banish piles and clean out those closets and drawers. If you haven’t touched something in a year or don’t love it – then toss, donate, or recycle it.

If you can’t face it all, do little bits over a few days. Pick one room or a corner of the room to organize.

Another way to break it down is every time you walk into a room, put/throw one thing away.

Home maintenance extends beyond the actual home too.

Look ahead to spring and grab those seed, bulb, and bare-root plant catalogs, and start planning your flower and vegetable gardens.

Home maintenance ranges from inside to out and takes place all year long.

Get a head start this New Year and start tackling those home maintenance projects now.