How To Prepare Your Home For Holiday Guests
The holidays are here and it's time to focus on this year’s hosting responsibilities. If you are welcoming friends and family into your home this season, save yourself some stress and start to prepare this week! To be the hostess with the mostest this holiday season, be sure to complete the following tasks before your guests arrive. De-Ice Walkways and Driveways Good news! You may or may not have to complete this task this year! We haven’t had any snow yet, but you know how Pennsylvania weather can be. In the event that it snows, you want to be prepared with bags of salt! It is important for homeowners to keep sidewalks, porches and driveways clear of snow and ice. Pre-treat these surfaces so winter weather does not catch you off guard. Keep Your Home Well-Lit The last thing you want to do when you’re entertaining guests is repair broken holiday lights. So, don’t pull a scene from one of your favorite holiday films. Ensure your holiday lights are properly working before guests arrive. Take it a step further by putting this year’s light display on a timer. That way, you can simply sit back and admire your beautiful, hard work with your guests! Make Space For Cold Weather Gear In warmer months, it is easy to let your coat closets get filled with just about everything but coats. If you’re planning to welcome family and friends into your home this holiday season, clean out your closets or entryway to make room for heavy coats, extra sweaters and wet shoes. There is nothing festive about tripping over stacks of coats and shoes that are left out. Show Your HVAC Unit Some Love If you haven’t done so already, it is time to perform a little home maintenance on your heating and cooling unit. You don’t want to have a house full of guests and no heat! On the opposite end of that spectrum, you don’t want your house full of guests to be too hot either. Be sure to turn the heat down a bit while you’re entertaining. Overstock Your Bathrooms Not only should you make sure that you have more than enough toilet paper and tissues on hand (and easily accessible) for holiday guests, but you can really impress them by keeping a few extras out, too. Fill a small basket with lotion, deodorant and even dental floss. Guests will love it and be particularly glad they didn’t have to ask for any of those items. Add Seasonal Scents A fresh evergreen. A warm fireplace. Home-baked cookies. Don’t you wish your home could always smell like the holidays? Well, it can with a few seasonal candles. Don’t be afraid to infuse your home with a little help. Pick up some of your favorite candles or diffusers and put them to work to add that extra touch of holiday spirit to your home. Ensure You Have Ample Seating When it comes time for you to open your door to guests, do yourself a favor and add a few extra seats. The holiday season is all about relaxing with family and friends. You may think you’ve got plenty of seating space in your home. But, when your home is full of guests, you don’t want anyone to feel like they’re playing musical chairs in order to find somewhere comfortable to sit. Before your holiday guests arrive, make sure your home is ready! Start prepping this week and follow these seven tips! Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices The Preferred Realty wishes you and your family a safe and happy holiday!
