The leaves are changing color, the air is crisp, and I’m not the only one noticing the festive decor showing up left and right on store shelves. This can only mean one thing, the holidays are just around the corner!
Whether you’re strictly a no-twinkle lights-until-after-Thanksgiving person or already planning cocoa-fueled viewings of It’s a Wonderful Life, a little advanced home preparation and organizing can keep holiday stress to a minimum.
When it comes to hosting for the holidays, every minute detail becomes the most important. Is it just me wondering if we’ll have enough toilet paper for everyone, enough seating space for everyone, and is my kitchen able to handle one too many cooks? Here’s a checklist of small home projects to tackle now as a gift you can give your future self.
Start Early and Prioritize!
I’m sure we’d all love to tear up the tired carpet and replace it with hardwood floors, and maybe your hall bathroom is crying for a remodel, but you need a reality check. Unless your job is already booked, there’s probably not enough time to take on significant new projects.
In a worst-case scenario, you could unwittingly find yourself in a situation like what happened one Thanksgiving at a relative’s home. It was my aunt’s house, and their kitchen renovation was nearly finished when they learned their scheduled countertop install was delayed. 25 guests were expected, and no counter for the kitchen island. They wound up using a large piece of plywood left over from the reno to make due. But, yikes, that was a major panic at the moment.
The good news, you can do great things to make your house feel fresh and festive, even with a short timeline. Make your to-do list in advance, and prioritize the projects that will give you the best “Wow!” factor for your time and money.
Focus on the Front Entrance
Paint is the simplest solution to many problems, including covering up stains and dirt. It’s also the shortest route to garnering that “OMG, the house looks great!” wow factor you want. It’s unnecessary to paint the whole house, although you might like to. Why not turn the focus on a new front entrance?
Painting your front door will impress your guests from the moment they walk up to your home. Trending colors for front doors this fall are jet black (like this beauty HomeSquare painted in Stamford, CT), white and your classic red. Express your style with your color choice that makes a statement. Or pick a timeless color as the prettiest backdrop for your favorite festive decor.
Ready Your Kitchen
No better smell in the kitchen than baking cookies getting ready for the yearly cookie swap. You’ll want to ensure that essential appliances are in good working order, so you’re not searching around for an all-important attachment while elbow-deep in cookie dough. As you get your kitchen ready for the holidays, you might be dreaming of a total redo. Although there may not be enough time to make that happen, a quick upgrade can do the trick in the meantime.
Why not opt for easy upgrades such as replacing a faucet, painting your kitchen cabinets, or updating your cabinet hardware? While baking those cookies, maybe you’re struggling to find the missing attachment to the mixer, and you’ve realized you have exhausted your storage space. Make every inch of your kitchen count, by adding toe kick drawers. You do this by ditching your baseboards and asking your carpenter to install shallow drawers in that space. Here you can store flat objects, like all your holiday platters and cutting boards, and even some mixer attachments. With enough time, you can contact HomeSquare to consult with a home professional on a custom solution.
Be Smart and Safe with Electrical
Don’t ignore safety in your desire to be festive. Spreading your decorative holiday lights throughout the home is essential to prevent overloading a circuit and blowing a fuse. Light timers are a great way to regulate your total circuit usage and are stress-free if you accidentally forget to turn off the Christmas tree.
Another tip to note is to make sure you are using the correct type of extension cord. People often use indoor extension cords outside without realizing it, and this may not be a good idea. Indoor extension cords are not made to handle outdoor lighting. You also don’t want too many things plugged into the extension cord. Consider trying a smart cord. It will alert you when you’re plugging in too much.
Check the Essentials
As you prepare your home for colder temperatures and guests, there are a few essentials to address: heating, air conditioning, and water pressure. You’ll want to assess your shower head’s water pressure and ensure that the shower head is clean before guests arrive.
Cleaning out your AC vents, fan blades, and filters is essential for good air quality. With the temperatures cooling down, people and pets are more apt to spend time inside, creating more dust, dirt, and allergens in the filters.
Last, you’ll also want to look at your furnace. Over the summer months, furnaces collect dust, and if it isn’t cleaned before you turn on the heat this holiday season, you can expect a foul odor of burning dust lingering in your home. Getting a tune-up can help to prevent poor air quality, but it can also help to avoid more severe issues, like carbon monoxide leaks.
Pre- Holiday Cleaning
Decluttering: The decluttering process can be so helpful and make decorating easier if there’s less in the way. If there are items you haven’t used in the past year, toss them, sell them, or donate them in the spirit of giving back this holiday season.
Organizing: Making sure every item in your home has a place is so helpful, especially during the holiday season. There is no better feeling than knowing exactly where to find the scissors and tape when you’re ready to gift wrap. When organizing your home for the holidays, here are some helpful questions to ask yourself: Where does this item go? Is there a place for coats and shoes? Where could guests put their things? Where can my bills/paperwork go that’s out of sight?
Deep Clean: There are plenty of nooks and crannies in every room of your house which need attention on a regular basis. We all know how to vacuum, dust, and wipe surfaces. But how thorough of a job are we doing? My favorite way to do this is by putting on a great playlist and taking the time to clean all the nooks, crannies, and forgotten spaces, such as lighting fixtures, fans, and baseboards.
The holiday season is around the corner. Following these 6 holiday-ready tips, you’ll be prepared and ready to be the best host. Remember, these actionable tips take time, and you don’t have to tackle them yourself. Get in touch with home professionals at HomeSquare to lessen the burden and stress and prep your home so it’s the best your family has seen for the holiday season. Happy Holidays!
Genesis Aquino
Genesis Aquino is a freelance home and lifestyle blogger and marketing specialist in Fairfield County, Connecticut.