Housing News

It’s That Time of Year: 6 Tips to Holiday-Proof Your Home (And Your Sanity) This Season

The holidays can be a wonderful time, but they can also be quite stressful—especially if you’re hosting large gatherings of friends and sometimes critical family members.

There is deep cleaning to be done, furniture to be rearranged, and food to be prepared.

“Staying awake until 2 a.m. to get the house in shape before the in-laws roll in for Thanksgiving is a universally American experience,” said Laura Waterson, general manager of Koehn Painting in Wichita, Kan. “But it would be nice not to feel bone-tired during the holidays.”

Thankfully, with a little bit of pre-holiday planning, when the big days roll around, it doesn’t need to be too chaotic. Here’s how to get your home ready for hosting this holiday season.

Holiday Prep No. 1: Pay attention to the first thing you see

Kick off your holiday home prep with the first thing that your guests will notice: your front door. It sets the scene for the rest of your home, and it’s an easy starter project to begin with, too.

Take an afternoon to wipe down your front door, add a festive wreath, and maybe even repaint it if it’s looking a little worse for wear.

You can also add pumpkins or mums to your stoop or outside your front door in the fall and lights and winter, seasonal decorations in December and the beginning of the new year.

Holiday Prep No. 2: Focus on lived-in spaces

Updates to your bedroom shouldn’t be at the top of the list when it comes to your holiday to-dos. Instead, focus on the areas that people are much more likely to see and spend time in.

“Entryways, dining rooms, kitchen, and restrooms are where guests tend to gravitate, either to gather or to get some quiet moments,” said Waterson.

Make sure these areas are decluttered, deep-cleaned, and ready for your guests.

If you have toddlers visiting this festive season, put away anything breakable. If you’re expecting a large family gathering, clear out bulky furniture, and bring additional seating to make room for lots of people.

Holiday Prep No. 3: Rent, borrow, or buy more of what you need

If you’re hosting for the holidays, you’ll likely need a few more home goods than you already have. Extra tables, seating, dishes, glasses, fancy napkins, and cutlery all come in handy when feeding a crowd.

But you don’t have to buy all these items new. Ask friends about borrowing a few chairs, place settings, or a folding table. No luck? Look for a local business that rents these items out instead.

You may also be able to find some of these items cheaply at a dollar or discount store.

Holiday Prep No. 4: Clean those bathrooms

If you can only deep clean one space in your home, make it your guest bathrooms. A sparkling bathroom makes for a more pleasant experience for guests, and it helps the rest of the home feel cleaner, too.

Before any big events, make sure your guest bathroom is stocked up with extra hand towels, toilet paper, and soap.

If you’re hosting an extra-large crowd, give another nearby bathroom a deep clean. You don’t want guests stuck waiting in line for just one bathroom.

If you don’t have any additional bathrooms, you may want to consider adding another. This could be a temporary portable bathroom rental outside or even a more permanent addition to your home.

Holiday Prep No. 5: Do a decor double-check

Before the holidays really get going, conduct a little audit of your home’s decor.

Look for items you can put away, even if it’s just temporarily. When it comes to filling your home with people, the less clutter, the better.

Put away valuables that you’re worried could be lost or damaged.

And be sure to take down any potentially offensive or political decor to minimize the risk of awkward conversations or arguments. Even displaying sports memorabilia can be controversial if you know that fans of the opposing team will be joining your party.

Holiday Prep No. 6: Start early

Perhaps the most important tip is not to wait until the week before Thanksgiving to get these projects in motion. Instead, start ASAP to give yourself plenty of time to get them done.

Consider assigning yourself one project a week to prevent burnout or procrastination. Try to make sure these holiday chores won’t take more than an hour or two at a time. This will ensure you won’t lose all your pre-holiday weekends to crossing items off your checklist.

Whatever you do, just get started.

“Scheduling projects early means less stress,” said Waterson. When your guests finally arrive, you should have “some energy left to have fun.”