The festive season is one of the busiest times of the year, with presents to buy, friends and family to visit, food to prepare and a home to keep warm. Thankfully, careful planning can help relieve the unwanted stress that Christmas time can often bring. Here are our top tips for preparing your home for Christmas this Winter.
1. Declutter
Before you deck any halls, it's important to start with a thorough declutter. Set aside a day to go through each room, arranging items into piles to keep, donate to charity, or throw away. As a general rule of thumb, if you haven’t used an item in the last year, it is most likely a sign that you do not need it. Decluttering your home will help create more space for the important Christmas decor, and will make storage in the New Year a lot easier to manage.
Should you require any extra space when preparing for Christmas, Make Space Self Storage can also help. We offer secure storage units, available on both long and short-term basis in our convenient locations in Billericay, Horsham and Clapton. To find out how much space you need, use our online tool to get a free household quote.
2. Deep Clean
Now that your home is free from any unwanted clutter, it's time to start a thorough deep clean. Start by dusting all of the surfaces, and then hoover and mop all of the floors as you usually would. You can then polish everything with an anti-bacterial spray to get rid of any grime or germs that can often fester at this time of year. Having a clean base will make cleaning top-ups between Christmas and the New Year a little bit easier.
3. Mark Your Calendar
Christmas time is incredibly busy. With work Christmas parties to attend, and friends and family to see, it’s important to mark your calendar with any important dates to ensure that you don’t forget your busy schedule. You can also use your calendar to mark down cut-off dates for present buying to ensure you have the right gift, for the right person, at the right time.
4. Wrap Early
The key to a stress-free Christmas lies in the preparation. Try buying presents as early as possible, and then wrap them either as you go, or in bulk. Then, store them all in a safe place either in your home or in a personal storage unit, keeping them secure in a box or sealed bag. Ensure that if you’re storing them in your home, they’re kept in a dry environment free of any dampness.
5. Be More Efficient
With the months getting colder and the cost of living crisis surging, preparing your home for Christmas goes beyond the fun decor. Check that all of your door and window seals are secure, and consider investing in some draft excluders. To feel extra cosy at Christmas, keep blankets on sofas and beds to keep yourself warm.
Discover more tips on How To Save Energy In The Home in our blog.
6. Decorate Outside
Make the exterior of your house sparkle with added Christmas wreaths and decorations. Christmas house lights will help to brighten up your outdoor space and will make your home feel warm and festive. You can even arrange some lanterns on your porch steps, or wrap garlands around your railings.
Looking for some more tips for this Christmas? Take a look at our guide on How To Get Organised For Christmas.