Preparing your home for visitors can feel like a never-ending task – from cleaning and tidying to sorting those nagging jobs that you never get around to.
We’ve compiled a list of some quick DIY jobs that you can power through, in time to get your home guest-ready for the holiday season.
Each of these easy DIY jobs should be easily completed within two hours or less, but will make your home feel put-together and organized. We’ve sorted the jobs so you can move from the outside in, reducing mess so your home can be pristine for visitors.
1. Fix entrance steps
Evaluating how guests will enter your home means checking for any slipped or cracked pavers, bricks or tiles that could be a trip hazard.
If the material is light enough, use a crow bar to pry the paver up, sharp sand to level and rest it back down. A spirit level rested on the problem tile and the tiles next to it will let you know if you’re in danger of any visitors taking a fall. A long, 48 inch level such as the Skyshalo Torpedo from Walmart will be able to reach between far-apart points.
For concrete or wooden entrance paths and steps, examine for cracks and pressure wash away any growing moss that could cause a slip. For gravel, ensure there is an even spread with no unseen lumps or valleys and use your leaf blower to clear away soggy leaves.
For more tips on making your home welcoming, check out our front yard walkway ideas and the other surprising things you can use your leaf blower for.
2. Replace outdoor lighting
Outdoor lighting takes some bashing through the year, but it’s never as important to have an illuminated garden, driveway and path as it is in winter.
Solar powered lights staggered down a pathway are really useful and can highlight where the path ends and a trip hazard might be. These Solar Path Lights from Yester Home have motion sensors to conserve their stored energy. Any outdoor lighting will need to be cleaned and checked for brightness regularly to best light a garden path.
3. Clean out guttering
Everyone’s least favorite job, I know. But learning how to clean gutters from the roof is essential to prevent dampness and leaks in and around your home. Overflowing gutters can also pose a risk of splattering onto your guests as they wait to enter. Leaks left unchecked can increase the risk of mold in your home, too.
On a dry day, use a trowel to remove leaves and debris before flushing the gutter out with water or a stiff broom. You can also buy pressure washer extensions (such as this one from Walmart) to really budge any stubborn dirt without getting up on a ladder.
A quick wipe of the downpipes wouldn’t go amiss, too - ready for your guests to see the best of your house.
4. Clean windows and check for repairs
Winter can be magical, but it is also the darkest time of the year and having dirty windows can reduce the light getting into your home.
Clean windows by wiping away any dust or debris from the last few months and use this opportunity outside to examine the state of your frames and sashes. If there is any rot at this point in the winter, it will only get worse with wet weather.
For hard to reach windows, use an extendable window squeegee, such as the ITTAHO swivel squeegee from Walmart that can reach 58 inches high for easy, safe, from-the-ground cleaning.
5. Draft-proof the entryways and windows
Moving inside the house, check for drafts around your front door. One of the best investments I ever made in our older house was tobuy rubber weatherstrip tape, available at Lowe's.
It sits inside the frame of the door or window and adheres with a simple sticky tape. It’s not a permanent fix and will need to be replaced every year or so. Alternatives can include a indoor draft stopper such as the Lakeside Collection underdoor seal from Target) that can be moved around depending on which part of the home is in use.
A draft blocker is a handy item to have in the house and can keep drafts out of leaky windows and under internal doors to keep rooms as cozy and comfortable as possible.
6. Clean the fireplace
Sweeping the inside of a chimney is a job that can be inconvenient at the best of times – it is messy and takes some specialist tools and little know-how – so many outsource this to a professional.
However, cleaning the fireplace surroundings is a quick task to do before hanging stockings or lighting the fire. Remove debris and sweep away ash from the grate and firebox before using a damp cloth to clean any glass, the mantel and the hearth.
This might be the perfect time to arrange kindling, logs and equipment. If you have young kids or pets visiting, a movable fender or guard gate, such as the three-panel black mesh fire guard from Amazon, will prove a helpful safety measure.
A set like this will get you ready to take on this messy job in no time. I keep mine on the fireside hearth to remind me to maintain our fire whenever we use it.
7. Touch up any damaged paintwork
We get so used to seeing small imperfections around our home, so this point of the year is a really good time to take stock of any walls that need paintwork touching up.
Focus mainly on the spare room, but if you have time take a good look at communal areas, too. First, use a damp cloth to see if scuffs or scrapes can be wiped away.
If not, use a small brush to carefully paint the walls or on kick boards – you don’t want huge chunks of new paint to show up the old and have to start again. I swear by Harris brushes in general, and they have a dedicated Ultimate interior woodwork brush, available at Walmart.
8. Bleed radiators
Bleeding radiators is one of those jobs that takes 30 minutes and can fix a common heating problem, but we never seem to get around to it. By providing a pressure release for any trapped cold air, the water within the metal can circulate and more efficiently heat the room.
Make sure to pop a bucket and towel underneath where you're bleeding the radiator to catch any spills.
This nine liter collapsible bucket/dishpan with drain comes in handy for lots of cleaning jobs around the home without taking up too much storage space when not in use.
9. Fix leaky faucets
Consider your house an old, comforting friend. Sometimes, we get so used to our home's quirks that we forget to let new people know what to expect. I can’t tell you how many times I have had visitors at my house and only when the faucet is drip, drip, dripping away do I realize I forgot to tell them to twist it in the perfect way, or not to use it at all.
Learning how to fix a leaky faucet can be as easy as using a wrench to tighten the washer or O ring and should certainly be on your pre-Christmas DIY list. It's a quick fix and an essential DIY skill every homeowner should know.
10. Prepare your kitchen
There are a few key areas you will need to focus on when preparing your kitchen for guests.
Remember, any good guest will want to help out during the busy Christmas period by cooking, washing up or tidying things out of the way from countertops in the kitchen. Make life a bit easier for you both by making it clear where different items go by organizing under your sink, and inside cabinets and drawers.
Next, protect your wooden surfaces from splashes and spills from cooking and entertaining by taking time to clean and learning how to oil countertops (you can't go wrong with Osmo's TopOil High Solid, which is food safe and brings out the best of any wood type).
Finally, clean your dishwasher by setting it on machine clean and top up the salt to get it in tip top shape – it’s going to work hard during this period, so it best be up to the task.
Next, learn about the most overlooked areas to clean before hosting, and the dirty spots in kitchen professional cleaners always notice.
