How to Prepare Your Home for Christmas

The Christmas season is just around the corner, and in anticipation of all the festivities, you must get your home ready. While the holidays are exciting and happy times for everybody, preparing your home for this season is less exciting and more daunting. There is usually an unending list of to-dos, to-buys, and to-cook in preparation for Christmas. Ticking off home preparation early enough makes the task less daunting and gives you more time to do other things before the D-day. Preparing your home for Christmas is overwhelming without a comprehensive and easy-to-follow guide. Here are ways to get your home ready for Christmas.

1.  Make A Plan of What To Do

A detailed plan gives you an idea of what to do, how to do it, and the time needed to carry it out. Writing down your plan on paper (or type it on your phone/tablet) simplifies the task ahead. Write down a list of tasks to be done, including subtasks of each big task. This list should include decorations, buying gifts, meal plan & prep, confirming expected guests (if you’re expecting guests during the holiday), and making reservations for outings. You can also go the extra mile of having a theme for your Christmas celebration. Include the theme of the holidays in all your plans. The planning phase takes time, so, you should start as early as possible. With your detailed plan, your preparation is a lot easier.

2.  Declutter All The Spaces in Your Home

A home ready for Christmas is a decluttered and clean home. Cleaning is easier before doing the decorations and bringing in the Christmas tree. Declutter the living room, bedrooms, stores, and kitchen. Clear out shelves and surfaces and put away unwanted items. This is a good time to declutter wardrobes and clear out clothes you do not need in preparation for Christmas and the coming new year. Declutter the refrigerator, cabinets, and countertops too. Inspect your Christmas decoration items for the ones to be reused, stored for later, or thrown out entirely. Do not forget the guest rooms too! Decluttering your home frees up space for new additions and clears your head in preparation for the holidays. Arrange items you are keeping, donate, and throw out the others.

3.  Deep-clean Your Home

After decluttering, cleaning is the next step. Deep-clean rooms, storage spaces, and surfaces. Clean kitchen equipment like refrigerator, ovens, microwave, and dishwasher. Do not try to clean your entire home at once, it would get overwhelming. Clean bit by bit. To save time, you can also clean as you declutter. If you have kids, delegating cleaning tasks helps you get the job done and creates the holiday spirit. It is good practice to get your home sparkling before you deck the halls with boughs of holly.

4. Make a Christmas shopping list from what you need

Before buying anything, unpack the decorations you already own and decide what you want to use this year. Make a short list of what is missing, rather than starting with a fixed number of new items. A few additions may be enough to bring an existing collection together.

• Tree and space: if you need a new tree, record the available height and floor space first. Include your topper and room to move around the tree. Use our guide to measure your Christmas tree space before choosing a model.
• Lighting: note whether you already have lights you want to use. Compare Pre-Lit and Standard Christmas trees if you are deciding between installed lights and a separate set.
• Decorations: list the colours, sizes and types you need to complement what you have. When comparing Christmas ornaments, check the number of pieces in each pack instead of treating every box as the same quantity.
• Full cost: include any separate lights, topper, base covering and other chosen extras, plus applicable delivery charges. Check exactly what is included in each product or set.
• Your setup date: choose when you want to decorate, then check the current delivery or collection options for the items you are ordering. Leave time to unpack and check your purchases before that date.

Planning early gives you time to compare suitable options. Compare current prices, pack contents and applicable delivery charges when setting your budget.

5. Decorate the spaces you use most

Choose the places where you want the decorations to make the most difference: perhaps the tree corner, a dining table or a shelf in the living room. Start with those areas before deciding whether to add more. Keep everyday access to doors, seating and storage in mind as you arrange the room.

A shared colour or finish can connect decorations you already own with new pieces. Browse Christmas home decorations for the spaces around your tree, checking each item’s dimensions and intended use before choosing it.

When you are ready to decorate the tree itself, follow our Christmas tree decorating guide for the order of lights, ribbons and ornaments.

6. Wrap Gifts for Family and Friends

Christmas is not complete without nice gifts. After buying thoughtful gifts for family and friends, wrap them in Christmas-themed wrapping papers. Adding ribbons, raffia, or fabric scraps adds design and a personal touch to the gifts. Tag your gifts as you wrap them.

7. Meal Prep in Advance

The delicious meals are the best highlight of Christmas. However, Christmas cooking can be a lot of stress. Making meals in advance will help you ease the stress of Christmas cooking. Cook meals that can be stored for weeks (for example, casseroles and soups). Mix doughs and baking paste and store in plastic bags and foil papers. Wash, cut, spice, and do all other mini-tasks to make your Christmas cooking less stressful.

8. Set The Mood

Stock up on blankets to make your home look and feel cozy. Buy CDs and play Christmas music to create the Christmas mood. Use candles to add ambiance.  Handcrafts and throw pillows also add to the mood of the holidays.

9. Prepare for Guests

If you are having guests over during the holidays, you should prepare for them. Prepare their rooms and everything they will need to be comfortable in your home. Organize fun activities for your guests.

In preparing your home, do not neglect the exteriors. Add topiaries, lights, flowers, and decorations to your front door and entryways.

Christmas is a jolly good time for fun and exciting celebrations. Your home is where most of the holiday fun happens, so, preparing your home is a necessary step. Early preparation guarantees you the ease of taking your time and getting your home ready as soon as possible.