Get Your Home Ready for the Holidays

They’re coming. The frenzied days of shopping, cooking, cleaning, wrapping, shipping, more shopping, and the hours spent making your home appear festive. Don’t let the calendar creep up on you and add to your stress. Cothran Homes wants to help you get your home ready for the holidays now. Take care of some tasks now and save precious time later. Make a plan.Sit down, pour yourself a cup of coffee (or whatever else relaxes you), and make a list of what you need to do. Putting those items down on paper will help you stay focused and give you a sense of accomplishment as you work your way through it. Write it all down so your list is as complete as possible.Next, to avoid feeling overwhelmed by the weight of all these chores, break them down with deadlines. Assign each one a realistic time frame. Then, only focus on the assignments that need to be done on a given day. If a chore is not on today’s schedule, ignore it.As you’re making this list, also include steps and items that are necessary for you to stay on schedule with your deadlines. For example, if you're going to assign “Baking” to a certain day, make sure you’ve also included “Buy ingredients” at least a day ahead of time.Prep your kitchen for kitchen prepIf your kitchen is going to be Ground Zero for holiday meals, baked goods, and entertaining, your first step should be kitchen organization. Go through everything in your pantry and discard anything that is past its due date. If you have herbs and spices that are more than a year old, toss them out and replace them. Put all of your basic meal staples (oils, breadcrumbs, dressings, mayo, seasonings, canned sauces and veggies) in one area and baking supplies in another. Place ready-to-eat snacks in one grab-and-go space, and pet food in another.Create task spaces. For example, if you do a lot of baking, put your mixing, measuring, and baking utensils within reach, and all together. You should also be able to grab baking dishes, trays, muffin and cake pans, and mixing bowls without taking more than a few steps. This is your baking zone. Organize other zones in the same way.Take inventory of your tools. Do you desperately need a new paring knife or a mandolin for all the slicing that’s coming your way? Check the condition of your cutting boards and pot holders. It might be time to replace them.Purge the closetsCleaning the closet is one of those tasks that people dread doing but are thrilled with the results. How about starting with your linen closet(s)? You probably have old towels and sheets that have been shoved to the back, never to be seen or used. Check the condition of your linens. Are you ready to replace your towels? With company coming, now is a good time to do that, before you hand someone a threadbare bath towel!Donate the linens you don’t need or use. Animal shelters always welcome sheets, towels, and blankets.Do you have storage closets that are overflowing with “stuff”? Clean them out to make room for stashing gifts as well as seasonal decor. Refresh the guest roomUnless you have a steady stream of overnight guests, you haven’t given too much attention to your guest room. Use the pre-holiday time to give it a fresh look. Do you need new linens? How dusty is the bed skirt? How about those pillows? Are they remnants of a long-ago time? At the very least, wash all of the bed linens so they smell fresh when company comes.Add some holiday decor to the room to spread the spirit. A fresh flower arrangement on the dresser, holiday theme pillows on the bed, and maybe a garland draped above the window perk up the guest room. Put fresh towels and hand soap and stash a supply of toilet paper in the guest bathroom and any powder room that people will be using. A basket of toiletries is another nice accessory.Do a home safety checkThe last thing you need during a busy holiday season is a trip to the emergency room. Make sure your home is safe for all visitors—from small children to elderly. Search for any tripping or slipping hazards. Keep all electrical cords and wires out of sight. Put away any breakables that can be reached by curious hands or clumsy guests.Check your front walk, porch, and entry for cracks, holes, bumps, exposed nails, wobbly railings, and slippery spots.Cothran Homes wants you to have a fun, safe, and joyous holiday season. If all your holiday home preparation leads you to the conclusion that it’s time for a new home, take a look at our single-family homes and townhomes for sale in the Greenville, SC, area. And next year, your holidays will be even more joyous!