AD. Fa-la-la-la-laaah. Call me Mrs Claus, because we're getting all festive up in here and I'm really flipping happy about it. I love the festive season; Even more so now I have my own little family. Seeing Christmas through the eyes of my children is just the most magical thing. However, with this wonderful time of year comes all of the house preparations; Something I've started doing earlier now I'm a parent (you can never be too prepared, right?). Here's what I'll be doing. Here's ten top tips on preparing your home for Christmas.
[Photo by Alsu Vershinina on Unsplash]
Preparing Your Home For Christmas
1. Declutter Before You Decorate
I cannot reiterate how much I love a good declutter. Having two small children means our home is more often than not overrun by toys, crisp packets and crayons that are hidden in the most random of places. My number one tip in preparing your home for Christmas is to declutter and start the holiday season with a clean slate.
Take a look at what little nick-nacks you have on your shelves. Do you really need them? If not, are they things you could donate to charity? If you've not used anything, perhaps you haven't even looked at it in the last year, it might be time to think about getting rid. The term 'out with the old, in with the new' is never more appropriate than at this time of year.
2. Deep Clean
Alongside your declutter, the next step on your festive to do list is a deep clean. I like to tackle one room at a time and give myself a decent time period to get everything done. I know cleaning isn't the most exciting of tasks, but if it's done properly I think it can be so beneficial for this time of year. Tidy home, tidy mind and all that.
Here are a couple of deep cleaning jobs to get you started:
- Cleaning light fittings
- Washing rugs/curtains/cushions
- Wiping down skirting boards
- Clean oven/fridge/freezer
- Clean inside kitchen cupboards
- Shampoo carpets
- Clean grouting
3. Give Your Kitchen Appliances A Once Over
Boring, yes, but essential, definitely! Giving your kitchen appliances a once over to make sure everything is in working order is crucial before cooking the Christmas day dinner. Can you imagine anything worse than getting up on Christmas morning to discover the oven isn't working or the slow cooker won't turn on. Sacrebleu! Ensuring everything is in working condition beforehand means your Christmas cooking will run smoothly... Hopefully!
Also, don’t forget to lube up your heating. You want to make sure the boiler is running at full capacity to keep you warm over the festive period. Nothing’s worse than shivering under blankets … although the mince pies can certainly make up for some of the comfort deficit!
4. Prepare For The Impending Chaos Of Kids Christmas Presents
As a parent one of my biggest Christmas concerns is how I'm going to make space for the mountain of toys the kids are going to get. Luckily we have a cabin bed which gives added under bed storage. Ours is mostly filled with books as both girls are big bookworms, but you could shove whatever you like underneath. If you can supply your children's bedrooms with even just a small bit of extra storage it'd be hugely advantageous. Ottoman storage beds, bookcases and shelving units could all be clever ideas to help prepare for (perhaps even banish) chaos.
[Photo by Tessa Rampersad on Unsplash]
5. Find The Perfect Spot For Your Tree
Finding the perfect spot for the Christmas tree has to be up there as one of the most important jobs during the festive period. It maybe only comes second to organising the dinner.
If your current interior layout leaves you feeling uninspired as to where to place your tree, think outside the box. Your furniture doesn't necessarily have to stay exactly where it is now. Nor does your tree have to go in the living room or dining room. You could move things around, you could even get rid of a few pieces to make way for your grand festive tree.
6. Audit Your Decorations
Oh lord this is boring, but it's something you should all to do in preparing your home for Christmas. Get that fuzzy feeling inside by taking the decorations out of the loft, then get down to business with your audit. You're looking for decorations that are a bit shabby, ones that are broken and ones which don't quite float your boat anymore. If you've found anything which fits under these categories, get rid. And please, please, please, I implore you to test your lights before you spend half a day putting them up!
7. Become Best Friends With Your Calendar
Utilising your calendar and knowing it inside out is so important during the festive season. We have more gatherings to go to, the kids have more activities with school and generally we want to be more social in our homes this time of year. Planning is key! You don't want to double book yourself, especially at Christmas time. It's useful to know who's coming and who's going within your house so you can plan any admin tasks like stocking refreshments and preparing gifts for your guests.
8. Don't Forget About The Exterior
Preparing your home for Christmas isn't just about preparing the inside, it's the outside too. Whether you put lights up outside or plan on giving your porch an extra pizazz preparation is key. Lights need checking as do their fixings. It's also worth giving windows, doors, even the guttering (if you're feeling fancy) a once over too.
[Photo by Olena Sergienko on Unsplash]
9. Ambience Is Key
One of the best things about Christmastime for me is that warm fuzzy festive feeling which seems to radiate from people. A great way of achieving this in your home is by setting the tone and creating an amazing ambience. The ambience of your home refers to its character and atmosphere.
A festive ambience can be created with:
- Festive scents
- A real Christmas tree
- Christmas music
- A warm cosy home
10. Winter Proof Your Home
It might not be the most exciting tip in preparing your home for Christmas, but winter proofing your home is an essential. Even more so this year with the cost of living crisis. When you are decorating your home it is a great opportunity to head up to your roof and inspect it. You don’t want your Christmas ruined by a leaky roof. If you notice anything then you should contact a local roofing company like Arkenstone Construction who will come and give your roof a once over.
A few ways you can winter proof your home inclide:
- Insulating exposed pipework
- Installing draft excluders
- Fix any radiators
- Cavity wall insulation
- Loft insulation
If looking to upgrade your home this winter into something more cosy, opting for a soft, luxurious carpet in your main living room area might be a great way to keep things warm and inviting. Online suppliers like Carpet Warehouse make it easier than ever to find a carpet that matches your home interior design preferences.
How will you be preparing your home for Christmas this year? What are you most excited about?
Admittedly, we don’t do all of these but I love it when it’s time to put the decorations up! We’ve switched up our theme these last few years, so we had a good declutter of old decorations last year and threw loads out which were old and crusty 😂😂 xx
What good suggestions! I hadn't thought about a good clean and de-clutter beforehand although it now feels like such an obvious step! What lovely photos as well it looks cozy and Christmassy! These are super helpful tips thanks for sharing!
I've already started decluttering for the festive period. We also have storage under our beds. It's a must!
Totally agree on the point about seeing the magic of Christmas through children's eyes. Can't wait for the main event this year!
These are some really great suggestions to help get your house ready for Christmas. I am really excited for Christmas. Thank you for sharing.
Lauren x
I love Christmas vibes! I don't celebrate Christmas at home, but I like to stroll around Bali and look for places (restaurant or cafes) that have a Christmassy vibe. I absolutely love snapping Christmas decorations!
Great tips, we definitely need to make out home winter-proof. I will keep these in mind. Thank you for sharing!
We always leave it too late to put lights up outside but I'm determined to do it this year!
Amy x
callmeamy.co.uk
I need to make a start of decluttering for the festive period! These are great tips to prepare your home for the Christmas period! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
These are fab tips! I've already started planning and prepping for christmas because the big cost all at once is not the way! So excited for november to hit because my decorations will be STRAIGHT up! x
mia // https://miasdiyprojects.com/
Since watching Sort Your Life Out by Stacey Solomon (highly recommend it if you haven't seen it!), I want to go home and declutter the house. We tend to go big when it comes to Christmas decorations so the more organised, the better for sure x
I appreciate these tips as I want to make sure I do the decorations I've got a bit better this year. As my husband and I have moved into a new place earlier this year I want to make the space look really cozy and Christmassy. Great ideas and tips!
I have to admit, I'd rather pay someone to deep clean our house than do it myself, but good tip! Also about checking appliances in advance, I hadn't thought of that. Funny you should mention ottomans, I was thinking about one the other day, my parents had one and I loved it! x
So sad that I won't be able to put a Christmas tree up this year, but I'll make it even more special next year!
I'm glad you mentioned winter-proofing, it's not glamorous, but it needs doing. As part of the winter-proofing checklist, I would add checking the interior and exterior of the roof for any signs of damage so that they can be fixed before the weather gets too severe, especially if you're going to be putting up lights!
Really enjoyed reading this. The tips about decluttering before decorating and creating a cosy festive ambience are so practical and realistic for busy families. I also liked the reminder to prepare outdoor spaces and winter-proof the home before Christmas arrives. A very helpful and inspiring festive guide.