How To Prep Your Home For The Holidays
The holidays are just around the corner, which means you will probably have lots of people in and out of your house. Whether you are hosting your family’s Christmas meal or having a New Year’s Eve party, you want your home to be in tip-top shape. Below, you will learn how to prep your home for the holidays in a jiffy.
How to Prep Your Home for the Holidays
If you are like me when you start cleaning for guests to arrive you want to pull apart junk drawers and clean out linen closets. However, prepping your home for the holidays is not the time to do all the deep cleaning you think you want to do.
The main thing you need to do to prep your home for the holidays is to declutter your home. Below, you will learn just how to do that and other things you can do to prep your home for the holidays.
Related: How to Declutter Stuff in Your Home Quickly
Clean Up the Entryway
The entryway in your home is the first place guests see, so you want to make a good first impression. Declutter this space as much as possible. Here are some things you can do:
- Clear out coats, shoes, umbrellas and other things you normally have in your entryway.
- Add some extra hooks on the wall so guests have a place to hang their coats and hats.
- Consider a storage bench where guests can sit and remove their shoes or boots.
- Put a small welcome rug at the entrance to keep it clean from mud and snow.
Declutter Main Areas
Guests will most likely be in your foyer, kitchen, living room, den, and dining room. You want to make sure these spaces are as open and decluttered as possible. Here are some things you can do:
- Remove any unnecessary items from countertops, coffee tables, and ottomans.
- Move items you don’t use into a storage room or the basement.
- If it is out of sight, keep it out of mind.
- If you run out of time, bag up all your clutter and store it in the trunk of your car, the basement, or closets that guests won’t see.
You can always sort through stuff after your guests leave. The main goal is to get everything out of the line of sight in those places where your guests will be.
Related: How to Instantly Declutter Your Home
Add Extra Seating
One of the worst things that can happen is not having enough places for your guests to sit. One way to make sure there are places for everyone is by adding a coffee station.
A simple table with extra chairs or stools prevents people from standing while others are taking over the couches. Here are some coffee station tips:
- Put your extra table and chairs in the family room so guests aren’t crowding the kitchen to get coffee.
- Put a coffee pot and paper cups on the table.
- Make sure all coffee essentials are there so guests don’t have to try and find them.
Create an Extra Sleeping Space
If you have family from out of town as I do, they may need somewhere to stay. In my home, I created an extra sleeping space by making our home office into a shared usage room. Most of the time the office is filled with some table workspaces, printer stand, etc. When the guests come we pull down the Murphy bed after all the other items are moved into some spare space in the master bedroom.
If you don’t have an extra room that you can put guests into, you can carve sleeping space out of public areas.
Folding screens or rolling bookcases provide privacy for sleepers and you can fold it or roll it away in the morning. Additionally, you will want to make sure your sleeping space has the following:
- A fold-out bed, futon, or air mattress.
- 2 blankets for each person.
- A pillow for each person.
- Extra sheets and bedding.
Think About Your Bathrooms
One place in your home that you want to really deep clean is your bathroom. Make sure that your tub is scrubbed, the toilet has been cleaned, and the sinks don’t have shaving particles in them.
You may also want to organize your drawers and remove medications you have in there as you might have some snoopers. Additionally, arm your bathroom with the following:
- Extra toilet paper: Make sure there is plenty of accessible toilet paper.
- Towels: Place extra towels in the open so guests can use them without asking where they are.
- Toiletries: Put out the shampoo, conditioner, soap, and other toiletries for guests who will be staying in your home.
- Bath Mats: Make sure you have a bath mat outside of each tub to avoid slips.
- Plunger: It’s really embarrassing when you flush the toilet and it doesn’t go down. Arm each bathroom with a plunger right next to the toilet.
Place items that guests will need on open shelves. If you don’t have shelf space, add some baskets in your bathrooms with things you think they may need.
Make Sure Your House is Safe and Prepared
In addition to cleaning, you will want to make sure you have everything you need just in case something were to happen. As a prepper, I try to prepare for anything and everything that could happen. So, here are some of my tips to get you through the holidays:
Replace Fire Alarm Batteries
Of course, you are going to be cooking, and with cooking, there is always a chance of a fire. You might forget to take the pie out, so it’s always a good idea to change all the smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector batteries.
In addition to fire alarm batteries, make sure you have a fire extinguisher in close proximity to the kitchen.
Have Jumper Cables
Let’s face it, if you are expecting a big crowd, it is inevitable that someone will need a pair of jumper cables at some point. It always seems someone has a bad battery, or they forget and leave a car light on. It seems it’s usually the car that blocks everyone else in.
Get Your First Aid Kit Ready
You will want to double-check your first aid kit to make sure you have everything you may need. Remember, most places are closed on the holiday. Here are some things you want to make sure you have in your kit:
- Burn cream
- Ice packs
- Bandages
- Alcohol swabs
- Antibiotic cream
- Wraps
If you really want to be prepared for anything, check out our “First Aid Kits: What You Need to Survive” post.
Childproof the House
If you have little children coming to your house, it is always a good idea to childproof. Here are some things you can do to childproof your home:
- Cover electrical outlets that aren’t being used.
- Move lamps and vases away from table edges.
- Block stairways to prevent falls.
- Make sure all medications are out of a child’s reach.
- Please lock up all firearms.
Final Word on How to Prep Your Home for the Holidays
Prepping your home for guests makes them feel at home and ultimately makes the holidays go just a little bit smoother. Plus, being prepared for the inevitable is kind of what we do.
Luck favors the prepared, so make sure you are prepared for everything this holiday season!
If you are looking for gift ideas for the prepper in your life, check out our Emergency Preparedness Gift Guide.
How do you prepare your home for the holidays? Share your tips in the comments below! And, don’t forget to pin this post so you can refer back to it year after year. Happy Holidays and may God Bless this World! Linda
Hi Linda, may I ask where you got your Murphy bed? We really need one for our little cabin, but they are quite expensive. Merry Christmas to you from New Mexico!
Hi Roxanne, we decided to get a murphy bed because my husband was paying for office space in a business complex in our neighborhood. I called around and found a company called Classy Closets. They were so much cheaper than the company in Southern Utah that specializes in making them. So they “built” an office that included the murphy bed. I think the whole thing cost us $6000.00 that sounds like a lot of money which it is. But in six months we would have paid for office space for that amount. Thereafter no office space ever again. If you know someone who is handy they can build it for you. The reason it cost so much was that we built an office with cabinets, closets, and drawers. Of course, then we had to find a good mattress that wasn’t too thick to “close” the murphy bed. Best purchase we have ever made. We can use the room year-round and use it as a guest room 5-6 times a year when we need it. Good luck, Linda
Thanks for the info, yours sounds very nice!
Another great article. Jumper cables,yes! Provided someone knows how to use them. (think I’m kidding)
One thing I would add. Move your firearms and tactical possessions to a safe place!
Not just from snooping guests but children… You would be amazed how fast these things can and will be found! Wow, do you always sleep with this in your nightstand drawer!!!???
Stay safe and Merry Christmas.
Hi Bill, oh my goodness, thank you!! I’m adding lockup your firearms if they aren’t already!!! Merry Christmas! Linda