How to Prep Your Home for Holiday House Guests
“Winter is coming,” and although that has ominous overtones for Game of Thrones fans, it isn’t always bad. With Thanksgiving and other holidays fast approaching, you could be looking ahead to having family or friends visit you. Prep your home for holiday house guests with these top strategies targeting simplifying things for you. That way you can actually enjoy the festivities.
Marie Kondo would recommend her KonMari Method of choosing to keep “what sparks joy” and discarding any items that don’t “speak to your heart.” Still, you don’t have to read up on her philosophy to get the heart of this strategy right. Make your home more welcoming to guests by decluttering.
Taking the time now to clear countertops and declutter public areas such as the kitchen, living room, den, and dining room will also make it easier to keep your home clean with more people living in it. If you leave it too late to sit and see if something sparks joy, simply gather up all that clutter and put it in the attic or garage. Sort through it all later. If you haven’t missed it over the holidays, that may be a good sign it doesn’t need to go back inside.
You don’t have to remodel the guest room to make it attractive to prep your home for those holiday guests. Instead, you can make small changes to make the house more welcoming to temporary residents. This could include:
Learn about Home Trends of 2022 to see if there’s a tweak you can make to update your interior before guests arrive.
Having holiday house guests means more people in your home. Meet the uptick in traffic by getting new small rugs to put at doors in and out of your home. This can help cut down on dirt tracked through your house. You can also add coat hooks and clear out your shoe rack and entryway closets of out-of-season apparel to provide room for your guest’s winter wear.
In the kitchen, you’ll want to make sure you have enough coffee mugs and cutlery. You may also need to add a stool or two to your island. In the bathroom, stock up on toilet paper and tissues. Then, make sure your house guests can easily find both!
In the guest room, make sure there is a light by the bed. Also, leaving out a spare phone charger can help in these days of multi-device use.
It can also help you to relax if you plan activities in advance. These foot tours in Charleston or fun winter activities in Charlotte could be a good start.
Find out first if your guests have any special dietary requirements. Then, stock up on food and beverages that can make it easy for your visitors to feed themselves if they’re up earlier than you or need a midnight snack.
You might also set up snack stations to keep guests satisfied between meals. You likely don’t want to spend your entire visit in the kitchen preparing food. So, stock up on things that are easy to snack on like dried fruit, popcorn, nuts, and cheese sticks.
Show your family or friends how happy you are to see them by adding a little festive touch to their space. You don’t have to get out your glue gun necessarily. But, it can be a nice addition to the room to:
Check out our Holiday Home Decoration Ideas for the Carolinas.
Once your guests arrive and the fun is in full swing, you’ll be less inclined to clean the house. So, right before guests arrive, try to do a deep clean of your home. Or hire a cleaning crew to do so (but you’ll want to book that well in advance — this is a busy season for professionals).
If you don’t have time to get everything spotless, turn your attention to the high-traffic areas. At a minimum you’ll want to:
You have a home you’re proud of and want to share it with family and friends. These tips will help you prep for holiday house guests. The only drawback? If you do it too well, you could become the go-to house for every holiday to come. At least with a Saussy Burbank home, you have a house to celebrate.
