"My holiday hot take is that New Year’s is entirely overrated. I love the idea of a new beginning, but the pressure to completely transform your life in one night is overwhelming. While everyone else is popping champagne and ringing in the new year, I find myself overthinking the goals I should set and the to-do lists I need to complete to kick off 2025 right.
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This year, I’m ditching the last-minute “New Year, new me” stress and focusing on getting my home ready ahead of time. Instead of cramming closet cleanouts, mood boards, and journaling into one night, I’m tackling these tasks early to make the transition into 2025 smoother. Here are the 10 things I recommend doing now to prepare your home for a fresh start.
1. Deep clean your space
The first step in a home reset is a good old deep clean. I’m not talking about taking a Clorox wipe to your countertops—I mean really putting the elbow grease into a full-home clean. Before the new year, handle those often-overlooked spots like baseboards, ceiling fans, and appliances. You may want to spread out these tasks over a couple of days so it doesn’t become too overwhelming, but there’s no better feeling than waking up on January 1 to a sparkling-clean home.
2. Put away your holiday decor
I get it—it’s hard to part with the festive vibes, and I have definitely been known to keep the tree up well into January. However, I would argue that putting everything away before New Year’s Day is superior. Starting the year with holiday decor still up means you have a huge chore ahead of you in the first few weeks of 2025. This can start the year off with some anxiety and dread and make it more tempting to procrastinate even further. Take some time before January 1 to pack it all away so you have one less thing to do in the new year.
3. Declutter your home
This might be a tall order, but you will definitely thank yourself later. It’s so easy for clutter to accumulate throughout your home during the year, and most of it is junk you don’t want to take with you into 2025. Take a sweep of your home and say goodbye to the random junk taking up space in your drawers, closets, and cabinets.
4. Rearrange a room you don’t love
If there’s a space in your home that isn’t working for you, consider rearranging the furniture instead of diving into a full makeover. Just moving around the pieces you already have can give a space completely new life and make it better suited for your day-to-day life. It’s a budget-friendly way to reinvent a room you don’t love.
5. Organize your pantry
If your pantry is anything like mine, it’s full of expired baking supplies and random snacks you’ve completely forgotten about. As we close out the year, use this time to clear it out and organize the essentials. After a season of holiday baking, it’s the perfect opportunity to reorganize what’s leftover and figure out what you need to restock.
6. Clean out your closet
Not to brag, but I just finished my annual end-of-year closet purge, and trust me, it wasn’t as hard as you might think. There’s something so satisfying about seeing only the clothes you actually wear in your closet. Channel your inner Marie Kondo and donate anything in your closet that doesn’t “spark joy.” Once you’ve curated a capsule wardrobe of pieces you love, putting together outfits every day is so much easier.
7. Add fresh flowers or plants to your home
There is no pick-me-up like a vase of fresh flowers or a new plant. If your home feels a little stale and empty (especially after putting away all that holiday decor), this small addition can make a big difference. Not only does it perk up your home, but it’s also a fantastic way to treat yourself for getting through 2024.
8. Take on that project you’ve been procrastinating
We all have that one thing we’ve been putting off for months. Whether it’s a junk drawer you’ve been meaning to organize or a wobbly chair that drives you crazy, now is the time to tackle it. Whatever it is, check it off your list now. You’ll feel accomplished heading into January with one less thing hanging over your head.
9. Consider upgrades
If you’ve been eyeing an upgrade—like a fresh set of bed sheets or a replacement for your coffee maker that struggles to function—that didn’t make its way under the tree, the start of the year is a great time to invest in those items. After your cleanouts, you’ll have a clearer idea of what your home truly needs. Just make sure it’s something you’ll genuinely use and love, not a future decluttering project.
10. Cleanse the energy of your home
This one might sound a little woo-woo, but hear me out: Clearing old energy can be as simple as opening your windows for fresh air or lighting a new candle. If you’re into it, burn sage or palo santo for a deeper energetic cleanse. If that isn’t your vibe, even just setting intentions for your space in the new year can help it feel renewed.
Lauren Blue, Lifestyle Staff Writer
As a Lifestyle Staff Writer for The Everygirl, Lauren ideates and writes content for every facet of our readers’ lives. Her articles span the topics of home decor, delicious recipes, hobbies, travel itineraries—and everything in between. When she isn’t testing the latest TikTok trend, she can be found scouring Instagram for beautiful homes to feature on the site.