Decorating for the Holidays in Your New Home

The season of family gatherings and holiday parties is upon us and it's time to get your new home prepped for the holidays. Get your residence ready for the season room by room and you will be all set for company in no time at all.

Living Room

Prep your living room for visitors by removing extra decorative items on tabletops, such as picture frames and vases, in order to make room for company to set glasses down. Also make sure that there are plenty of pillows and blankets for guests to feel comfortable and cozy when sitting down and chatting with others.

Invest in pillar and votive candles to add a warm and festive tone to your living space. Select candles with seasonal scents that add a subtle charming aroma to the room.

Bring the outside inside. Use evergreen branches and pine cones to affordably decorate and transform your living space into a cozy winter wonderland.

Keep your living space warm and cut down on heating costs by hanging curtains. The National Resources Defense Counsel reported that nearly a third of a home's heat loss is attributed to windows. Insulate them with heavy curtains—consider using rich seasonal fabrics like velveteen.

Kitchen and Dining Room

Before stocking your kitchen for the ultimate holiday feast, clean out your fridge and pantry. Throw away any old food to make plenty of room for all the new ingredients, dishes and beverages. Also have a few decorative bowls filled with nuts and candies for guests to nosh on while visiting in the kitchen.

Realtor.com also suggests to replace light bulbs not only in the kitchen, but throughout the whole house.

Create a killer centerpiece for your dining room table by getting innovative with pinecones, acorns, mason jars, candles, twinkling lights, holly, evergreen foliage and other holiday materials. Have some fun, but don't let your centerpiece become too overwhelming.

If you are serving wine, make sure that you are storing bottles in the proper environment. Wine Spectator suggests that light whites, roses and sparkling wines should be stored between 40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Full-bodied whites and fruity reds should be kept between 50 and 60 degrees, and full-bodied reds and ports should be kept between 60 and 65 degrees.

Bathrooms

Stock your bathrooms and powder rooms with hand cream, hand soap and plenty of hand towels. Winter dries out the hands and flu season is upon us. Also, consider swapping out regular hand towels for seasonal ones.

Light a festive candle to leave a pleasant scent in the bathroom.

Remember that your guests are there to enjoy themselves and have a fun time—they aren't there to inspect how clean you keep your bathroom. Don't worry too much about stubborn grime that won't go away no matter how hard you scrub. Just make sure that things are in order and do a general cleaning of the area.

Guest Bedroom

If guests are staying over for the night, prepare a room for them. Ensure that you have freshly washed your sheets and comforter before guests arrive. Leave extra pillows and throw blankets for your visitors in case they are chilly during the night.

Keep a soft light on in the hallway or bathroom so that they can easily see if they have to make a late-night trip to relieve themselves. Also have extra towels, wash cloths, soaps and lotions ready for them to use in the morning.

Outdoors

Aside from the decorating, the most important part of holiday preparation outside is ensuring that sidewalks and driveways are properly shoveled and salted. You want to avoid any accidents or injuries for the first holiday celebration in your new home.

Hanging holiday lights can be a little tricky your first time. If you opt out this year, hang a simple wreath on your door and wrap some garland around any handrails to give a festive flare to your home. Also use decorative bows, pine cones, and seasonal arrangements for subtle holiday cheer.

If you do decide to hang lights, be sure to plan ahead. Know what colors you want to use and how many strings of lights you will need for the design that you want to pull off. After purchasing the correct number of lights, make sure to test them all. Even brand new lights may wind up being duds. You don't want to be stuck with lights that don't work while you're outside on a ladder.

When hanging lights, make sure that you are doing so in a safe manner. Ensure that the ladder is stable and that it is placed in a spot free of ice. Also, let someone know that you will be outside or ask for a spotter to help you decorate the exterior.

The most important part of celebrating the holidays in your new home is enjoying yourself. Relax after all your preparations are completed and relish in all of the holiday cheer.