Holiday season typically means visitors galore! Hosting guests can be a lot of fun, but it can also take a lot of work, especially when they’re relatives who might have a lot to say about dusty curtains or a cluttered garage. Try out these five simple home improvements to give your guests the best holiday experience!
Inviting guests over for the holidays probably means parking will be limited. Maximize driveway space by making room for your car(s) in the garage. The garage is where many people store all the junk that will be needed eventually, but isn’t important enough to keep inside the house. Installing a storage system will allow you to keep the boxes you have in your garage while still making room for vehicles. Invest in a shelf bin organizer or wooden shelf to store hardware and sports equipment. This will keep junk organized and off your garage floor, leaving room for a car. It is a relatively cheap way to unclutter space without having to get rid of too much stuff.
The holidays generally involve a lot of time in the kitchen. Make your job in the kitchen easier for yourself by throwing out unneeded ingredients before the chaos begins. You might be surprised how many spices you bought to use once and haven’t had a need for since, or maybe a few of your ingredients have expired without you even noticing. This is a 10-minute job that will save you the stress of digging through the spice cabinet to look for cinnamon sticks and all you can find is an unopened container of pickling spice. If you haven’t used it in the last year, it probably doesn’t need to be taking up space in your kitchen cabinets.
Family holidays tend to bring hyper-critical relatives and uncomfortable conversations. Avoid an unnecessary conversation about your five-year-old’s fingerprints on the living room walls by adding a fresh coat of paint. Focus on the rooms that you know your guests will spend the most time in. It’s not necessary to repaint the entire house, but a fresh coat in your dining and living areas will spruce up all the spaces that count. This is more of an investment than tidying up your garage or throwing out a few spice jars, but it is an improvement you will enjoy for a long time even after your guests leave.
Throughout the year, curtains and flat surfaces collect dust and grime. It is not hard to remember to run a duster over the top of the china cabinet, but curtains are easy to forget about. Run your curtains and tablecloths through the washer to brighten their color and get rid of any residual dust that has collected throughout the year. Be sure to use a gentle cycle to preserve the shape and structure of your curtains.
Holidays are made better by the cozy aesthetic that lit candles create. A Thanksgiving table is not complete without a candlestick or two. However, if you set your tables with the same candlesticks you used last year, you run the risk of spilling wax on your favorite seasonal tablecloths. Pick up a few new ones and your guests will surely be impressed by how well-prepared your home is. New candles are more likely to save your tables and tablecloths from spilled wax and will spruce up your entire table setting for a renewed, seasonal look.