How to Prepare Your House To Host Holiday Events

The holidays are a time for families and friends to get together to eat, drink, and share.  To children it's a magical time filled with suspense but to many adults who must make the magic happen, it's a stressful time of shopping, cooking, and getting the house ready.   So, what's the best way to prepare to make sure your hard work is appreciated? 

First Impression

​If you want to truly make your holiday event stand out, start with the outside of the house to make a great impression.  This means have the front of your house clean and neat.  While you may not be up for a National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation style of decorations, some simple decorations can go a long way; such as a wreath and candles in the windows.  

Also, think about when your guests will be arriving.  Is the front of your house well lit?  The most important areas to light include the front enterance and the path that leads up to the door.  Consider installing a new front light fixture if your current light is too dim.  Using solar powered lamps is a great way to light up the front walk way.  Finally, light up the inside of your home and open blinds to make the house feel inviting.  All of this will help your house feel welcome to holiday guests and ensure there aren't any accidents on the way to the house. 
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Clean and Clutter Free

Cleaning your house before entertaining may seem like an obvious step but it is important and it can be helpful to have areas to focus on to give your holiday party that extra pop.  Many people collect holiday decorations throughout the year and many carry sentimental value.   However, some good rules of thumb are to not think of the decorations as in addition to your normal decorations but as a replacement.  Keeping the house form feeling cluttered will help your guests feel more relaxed. 

When cleaning, ensure your floors are as clean as possible.  Before the holidays could be a good time to get the carpets cleaned but just make sure that you allow enough time for the carpets to dry. 
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Don't Forget the Bathroom and Kitchen

While your main entertaining spaces may not include the kitchen and certainly not the bathroom, they can be a critical to hosting a successful party.  

If you plan to do a lot of cooking for the holidays, it may be good to ensure your kitchen is ready.  Take this opportunity to clean out your refrigerator and freezer to make room for the increase of food.  You may also want to verify that both the refrigerator and freezer are operating at optimal temperatures.  Make sure your all your burners are operating correctly and that the oven is heating to the correct temperature by using a thermometer. 

In the bathroom, make sure everything is neat and clutter free.  If you haven't recently, it may be a good time to scrub the grout to give it an extra clean feeling.  Also, make sure you have adequate lighting in the bathroom and consider changing to brighter bulbs.  

Overall, plan to get these preparations done early as we all know that the holidays can be stressful.  You will be thankful you took the time and paid attention to these details when your guests arrive and you can enjoy the holidays.