The holidays are coming! The holidays are coming!

It’s supposed to be an enjoyable time of the year, but for far too many people, it is a time of stress. Between preparing food, purchasing gifts, and scheduling parties, the holidays often bring more trouble than they’re worth.

One area that people struggle with is preparing their homes. If you’re hosting a party, you want everything to be perfect, but there is simply too much to do in a few days.

However, if you start early and plan accordingly, preparing your home can be easy and even enjoyable!

Focus on Partially-Finished Home Projects First
Did you start a project this summer that was never finished? Maybe you were remodeling a basement living room or painting a bathroom. Maybe you purchased a new chandelier, pendant lights, or a fan that was never installed. The first step to preparing your home for the holidays is to look at your on-going projects and wrap them up first. Then you can move on to other holiday preparations.

Replace Worn, Damaged Molding
You want your home to look as impressive as possible for the holidays, but worn-down or loose molding can quickly sap the charm from your house. Replacing molding is a fairly quick and easy project. If you can’t do it yourself, a contractor can probably handle it in less than a day, depending on the size of your home and how much needs to be replaced.

Tighten Up Cabinets and Drawers
Got ten minutes and a screwdriver? Then you can take care of your cabinets quickly. Start at your kitchen and inspect all the cabinet hinges and handles. Use your screwdriver to firmly tighten them, but just so they are snug; over-tightening can damage the wood and the screws. Now do the same for all the bathrooms and you’ll have no loose screws in your home. Sorry, we can’t help with the loose screws in your family!

Paint the Interior
Interior paint can make a big difference in the overall appearance of your home. Take the time to put a fresh coat of paint on the walls to make your home looks brand new. This is a simple step that you and your family can handle in a weekend, but you can also hire a professional to knock it out quickly.

Inspect the Vinyl Siding
Go outside and take a close look at your vinyl siding. Are there any gaps? Are there joints or connections that need to be fixed? Inspecting your siding before the holidays helps with two important factors. First, it helps your home look better from the outside, and second, it ensures any broken pieces get fixed before the winter winds start howling; which can make them an even bigger issue.

Stain and Seal the Deck
This is an important project that needs to be done before it gets too cold. If you are having company for the holidays, the chances are good that someone will want to be outside. Whether they need to escape the stuffy inside air or want to sneak away for a cigarette, a deck is usually the favorite outdoor location. Take the time to have your deck stained with a quality stain and sealer, which will protect the wood and prevent aging and rot.

Test and Clean the Oven (But Don’t Do Self-Cleaning)
Picture this scenario: you invite all your friends and family for a holiday dinner party. You make elaborate invites, decorate your home, and prepare every last detail. When it comes time to bake dinner, you discover the oven is broken!

You can avoid this disaster by testing the oven weeks before your party. A quick cleaning is also a good idea, but you may want to avoid the self-clean cycle, as this can be stressful to the appliance, causing it to fail. Besides, doesn’t it make more sense to clean the oven after holiday cooking?

Inspect, Clean the Dishwasher
Do you want to hand-wash every dish that gets used this holiday season? Then you better make sure your dishwasher is working efficiently. Take the time to check the strainer and drain area under the spray arm, remove any food debris that you find, and wipe off any detergent residue.

Be careful when cleaning the drain area, as there could broken glass or plastic inside. Wipe down the hinges, the rim of the door, and the latch. Your dishwasher is now all set for the holiday rush.

Clean Windows and Check the Seals
Dirty windows are tough to look at, and drafty windows will make your energy bill spike sharply. Do yourself and your wallet a favor by cleaning the windows thoroughly and checking to make sure no air is getting through.

Give all your windows a little shake; if they rattle, it’s an obvious sign that air is escaping. Talk to a window expert to see if your windows can be repaired or if they need to be replaced.

Clean the Grill
If you put away the grill for the winter, then you can skip this tip. But if you like to cook holiday meals, including turkey, prime rib, or pork loins over the grill, then make sure it is clean and ready for the holidays.

Start by taking off the grates and burn plates and remove any gunk or debris that you find at the bottom. Wipe off grime on the burners, and clean the burn plates and walls of the grill. Finally, thoroughly scrub the grates with a brush and reassemble the grill. You’re now ready to wow your crowd with holiday grilling magic!

Test Smoke Alarms
There could be a lot of fire hazards in your home over the holidays. Between cooking, burning candles, fireplaces, and gift wrappings laying all over, the potential for a fire is high. Make sure your smoke detectors are ready for your party by giving them fresh batteries and testing the entire system.

Get the Holiday Preparation You Deserve

If you need help preparing your home for the holiday season, let us know. We would love to help update your home so it is ready for the festivities!