When welcoming loved ones this season, it’s natural to want to create the perfect space. A little attention to detail can help create a warm, comfortable experience when family gathers. Consider these eight practical tips to prepare your home for Christmas guests.
Our Guest-Ready Home Prep List
As you prepare to welcome holiday guests, focus on their need for comfort, convenience and functionality. A few practical improvements can help them relax and enjoy while you showcase your best hospitality.
1. Refresh Curb Appeal Before Guests Arrive
Capture the festive spirit outdoors by putting out seasonal wreaths, lights, greenery and other exterior decorations. Also, use your outdoor decorating time to take care of practical repairs that can enhance safety and security. For example:
- Fix driveway damage.
- Tighten wobbly front porch railings.
- Replace damaged steps.
- Install motion-sensor or darkness-activated lights.
2. Upgrade Entryways
When preparing entryways, your goal is to reduce clutter and make it easier for guests to come and go.
- Put away the usual accumulation of coats, shoes and umbrellas near the front door.
- Leave space for guests to store their own items. If you don’t have coat hooks or a shoe rack, think about adding them.
- If your front door isn’t opening or closing properly, tighten, oil or replace the hinges, or check the seals for cracks or breaks. If that doesn’t fix the problem, consider a new entry door.
Now’s also the time to add a new welcome mat, touch up paint around the front door and clean storm doors, transoms or sidelites.
3. Stage Lighting For Comfort
The right blend of natural and artificial light ensures guests can see comfortably at any hour.
- Position cozy sitting areas near windows for extra daylight, but add slatted blinds or sheer curtains for continued privacy.
- Layer your lighting options so each room has a mix of overhead and accent lights.
- Install soft white bulbs to capture warmth without making spaces too dark.
- If your system supports it, add dimmer switches to individual lamps or overhead lighting for easier ambiance adjustment.
4. Create a Cozy Guest Room
Your guest rooms should be your visitors’ holiday havens. Stock the space with fresh linens and extra blankets, and add a Christmas bedspread, throw rug or accent pillows for seasonal flair. For additional improvement:
- Clear out everyday clutter that might accumulate in these spaces at other times of the year, so your guests have space to store their things.
- If you know guests like warmer or colder areas, place a floor fan or space heater in the room.
- Consider new curtains or blinds to balance natural light.
5. Upgrade Guest Bathrooms
Your guest bathrooms should be easy to operate and ready to use, and now’s the time to think about smaller bathroom upgrades that can give your space that extra flair.
- New mirrors and improved lighting are smaller upgrades, but they can do a lot to give a bathroom a new look.
- Replace old faucets or showerheads with modern fixtures that are more efficient and add a touch of convenience to existing spaces.
- If you have time, repair or replace broken tile and grout.
Of course, don’t forget to thoroughly clean and freshen guest bathrooms, and consider adding festive bath mats or decorative hand towels. Also, add a few essentials like new toothbrushes, travel soaps, hand lotion, cotton swabs, combs, hair dryers and nail clippers to give your guests a few essentials in case they left something at home.
6. Update Kitchens for Entertaining
Get your kitchen ready for extra guests and extra holiday food by keeping space and functionality in mind.
- Clean off countertops and put away any decorative items that aren’t space-friendly.
- Bring in a new shelf, baker’s rack or island cart for extra storage.
- Dispose of old or expired food in your cabinets or refrigerator and stock up on a few of your guests’ favorite things.
If your kitchen needs a bigger refresh, a few cost- and time-friendly solutions include new cabinet hardware, paint touch-ups or a new backsplash.
7. Tackle Seasonal Home Maintenance
Before guests arrive, tackle maintenance tasks so you don’t have to worry later.
- Prep your HVAC system by replacing air filters and cleaning the vents.
- Clean gutters, repair leaky faucets, sweep porches and decks, change smoke alarm batteries and make any needed updates to paint, flooring or wallpaper.
- Check around your windows and doors for drafts, holes or air leaks that could make entertaining uncomfortable. Re-seal areas as needed.
If you notice a significant problem with windows and doors, it may be time to replace them with new, energy-efficient models.
8. Stage Your Living Spaces for Entertaining
Alongside putting up your Christmas decorations, think of other ways to make living spaces more inviting.
- Put away everyday items that might clutter sofas, chairs or coffee tables, but leave out essentials like throw blankets, pillows, TV remotes and coasters.
- Have designated areas for electronics, purses, backpacks or outdoor clothes.
- Rearrange spaces to create flow and intuitive walkways, keeping entryways and patio doors clear.
- Place grips on rugs and carpet runners to reduce fall hazards.
- Avoid placing items over air vents or in front of electrical outlets.
Upgrade Now, Gain Value Later
Getting your house ready for Christmas can have benefits beyond the holiday season. Things like new fixtures, fresh paint and better curb appeal can increase your home’s resale value. Updated lighting, well-sealed windows and balanced doors improve safety, ensure comfort and promote better energy efficiency. The fact that you can make many of these long-lasting improvements in as little as one afternoon is just the icing on the cake.
We’ll Help You Create Christmas-Ready Spaces
A holiday-ready home delivers the comfort and warmth you and your loved ones deserve this time of year, and Window World can help you create that perfect space. If your windows and doors need an upgrade, we’ve got the quality solutions you can rely on for beauty, functionality and durability from season to season, for years to come.
Get your free quote today to get started on your next home upgrades.