With the new year upon us, it’s a chance to look forward to 2021, put the glum parade of 2020 behind us, and think of better days where we live happily as better versions of ourselves.
That’s what it’s all about, right? Each new year must bring something better than the last, and on this new year’s eve, without wanting to tempt fate, it can’t get much worse.
As part of our endless quest to be better humans, we set new year’s resolutions, steadfast pledges to do something, or stop doing something, as a symbolic representation of saying goodbye to the old and hello to the new.
Problem is, of course, most of us give up on our resolutions before the end of January, soon after we realise that, despite the fact that it’s a new year, nothing has actually changed.
So, with that theory in mind, perhaps the best way to ensure we keep our new year’s resolutions is to make sure that this new year is actually different to the last, that change has come that we can evolve alongside.
And what’s the perfect way of creating change in our lives? A new home, of course. Here is how a new home can help you keep your new year’s resolutions.
I’m going to exercise more…
It’s a classic resolution, do more exercise, especially after enduring the overindulgence of Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Instead of feeling full and lethargic, we want to feel vibrant and alive. Exercise is, apparently, a great way of achieving this.
But if you live on an A-road, or in a flat above a shop on a busy city high street, the idea of going for a run is hard to get excited about. You need a new home.
Homes by parks tend to be more expensive, but for good reason. You get lovely views and you also get ease of access. Now, when you feel the urge to go for a run, you’ve got a beautiful, large park to jaunt around without a care in the world. And when you’re done, it’s just a short trip home for a hot shower.
Suddenly, the idea of jogging isn’t quite so daunting…
I’m going to drink less booze…
Of course you are. Aren’t we all? But for how long? A month? Or maybe you’ll make it all the way through to summer. But as soon as the sun comes out and the beer gardens open, new year’s eve will be so long ago that you can’t even remember making the resolution.
What you need to do is move home. Move far away from civilisation and society. You need to be far enough away from the pub that you’re not tempted to visit on a whim. And you need to be far away from shops that you can’t, at 10pm on a Friday night, suddenly think ‘sod it’ and pop to the supermarket for some beers.
Country living, that’s what you need, where the city’s conveniences are kept at arm’s length along with the temptation of 24hr shops. Suddenly, you’re dry not because you want to be, but because it’s too much effort not to be. Job done.
I’m going to save more money…
If 2021 is going to be the year that you get your finances sorted and start saving money, moving home can be a great start.
If you’re renting, how much are you paying? If you rent a flat in London’s Zone 2, for example, you can think about moving out to Zone 3, maybe even 4. Doing so will save you a tonne of cash each month.
If you’re a homeowner and mortgage payer, you might be able to save substantial amounts of money by switching your mortgage supplier. It’s often the case that the mortgage you secured upon first buying your home is no longer the best possible rate/deal you could get.
There are numerous price comparison websites out there that can help you understand whether you’re paying too much for your mortgage each month and switching is easier than it’s ever been.
By making this one small change, you could save yourself hundreds, if not thousands of pounds each year.
I’m going to read more…
Yes, you are, if only because there’s too much crap on tele and the pile of new books you received for Christmas will otherwise stand unread on your bedside table like a leaning tower of shame.
Luckily for you, there are still parts of the UK where digital TV reception is poor and WIFI signals are weaker than your Grandma’s brews.
As the modernisation of the world continues, however, your choice of such locations is slimming. To read more, you’ve got no choice but to move somewhere either halfway up a mountain or deep in the depths of a valley. Somewhere that our digital signals still cannot reach.
It may seem extreme, but if you want to keep your resolution, you have no choice. Sorry.
I’m going to spend more time with friends and family…
After the year we’ve all had, crammed full of lockdown, isolation, and social distancing, it’s been difficult, sometimes illegal, to spend time with our loved ones, whether it’s Friday evenings in the pub or Christmas day with the extended family.
As such, many of us are pledging to spend as much of 2021 as we can socialising and interacting in order to make up for everything that 2020 has taken away from us.
Moving home can be a big help. First, you can move closer to your friends and family. When you live too far apart, hanging out becomes a whole procedure of planning and coordinating calendars and then someone always bows out early because they’ve got a long trek home to make. But when you all live close together, the nights don’t ever have to end.
Alternatively, you could move into a new home which has generous reception spaces and plentiful bedrooms, or at least enough floor space for some blow-up beds, and take on the responsibility of playing host to your loved ones. You might end up having to do a whole load of dishes and vacuuming, but you’ll be keeping your resolution and that means you’re a great person, capable of doing great things. When was the last time you could say that about yourself?
