5 Ways to Prep Your Home for the Holidays

At this point in the year, the rush of the holiday season is all around us. Soon, your homes will be filled with loved ones and laughter, so at McGuinn Homes, we thought it was only right to help ensure that your home is ready to take on your relatives. Read on to see our top five tips to get your home ready for the holidays.  

Break out your best dishes

Although your best dinnerware sets look exquisite as decoration pieces in your kitchen, the holidays give you the perfect opportunity to use them. They give your holiday meal a sense of elegance and help elevate your table settings with their intricate patterns. Whether you’ve inherited your set, received them as gifts or purchased them yourself, odds are they don’t get brought out much. With that being said, you’ll want to ensure you give them a quick wash before divvying them out at the dinner table.

Prep your kitchen

Your kitchen will undoubtedly be where most of your guests spend their time whether helping with cooking or milling around to chat, so you’ll want to put a little extra effort into getting it ready before your guests arrive. Thoroughly wipe down your appliances like your fridge and microwave, scrub the counters, dining room table and floors, but leave the heavy clean of the oven for when the season is over—there’s no point in creating extra work for yourself during one of the busiest times of the year. 

Spruce up your bathroom

As much as we may not think about it, the bathroom is one place in your home where most, if not all, of your guests will undoubtedly end up at any point in the night. With this in mind, take a little time out of your day to dress it up. Add in a cozy scented candle, swap out your typical hand towels with a few festive ones and place an extra basket of toiletries into the room so your guests can always find what they need. 

Decorate with younger guests in mind

When you have a large family gathering to prepare for, keep in mind when setting up your holiday decorations that there could be children and pets roaming around your house who could potentially get into things they shouldn’t. Best practice is to keep all of your delicate decorations in places that are harder to reach, and place your more durable ornaments near the bottom of the tree to ensure that they don’t easily break if they get knocked off for any reason. 

Plan ahead when possible

The main point of the holidays is to enjoy time spent with your family and friends, so plan ahead wherever possible to ensure that your holidays are stress free. Planning ahead can mean that you set a schedule to send out Christmas cards early this year, or perhaps take a look at a few items that need maintenance around your home. Create a to-do list in advance, but don’t worry if you don’t get to everything on your list— just remember to enjoy the season spent with your loved ones.

At McGuinn Homes, we hope that you have an incredible holiday season, and if you’re ready to make the move to a new home for when the holidays rolls back around, contact us today to find your dream home for the holidays.