The holidays are one of the most exciting times of the year – and can be the most chaotic too! We all hope for everything to go smoothly, be organized, and overall to be less stressful. Whether you are hosting for the holidays or having out of town guests coming to stay with you, here are some great tips on how to get your home prepared so you are able to enjoy your time with family and friends.

We always recommend that when undertaking such a large task that you start simple – Do a quick walk through of your home and try to focus on what your guests might see as being messy. Once you have done your walkthrough you create a to-do list, and prioritize the rooms to be cleaned. By prioritizing the rooms you can tackle the task in order – cleaning the most important rooms first, so if you run out of time it is less impactful overall. A little tip: Delegate! Don’t take on all the tasks by yourself, divide up the tasks among your (amazing and helpful) family members.

Often most people will start with the kitchen, as that is a common gathering room during family get togethers.

• Clean out the refrigerator of old leftovers and such to create more room for holiday food
• Wipe down all the large and small appliances (don’t forget the top of the fridge!)
• Make sure the front of the kitchen cabinets are wiped down
• Clean the top or your stove top or range and wipe the grates as well
• If there are items that you won’t be using, put them in a box and put it elsewhere, thus creating space for the holiday dishes you plan on using.
• Create space on the kitchen island to put appetizers and drinks since people love to gather in the kitchen around the island to chat and keep you company while preparing the food.

The next room on the priority list is most commonly the guest bathroom – especially if you are having out of town guests stay for a few days.  Along with making it squeaky clean, here are some ideas for prepping the bathroom for your visitors:

• Place fresh flowers and/or scented soaps to brighten up the room, and bring some nice ambiance
• Stock up on the clean hand and bath towels along with washcloths, and have them nicely displayed
• Put a basket with some amenities for your guests in case they forgot something. Usual items in the basket include toothpaste, toothbrushes (individually packaged), shampoo, razors and shower gel. These are often huge life-savers!
• If your bathroom is large enough, put a basket in the corner for used towels etc.

The guest bedrooms can be tackled next:

• Create space in the closets, drawers and nightstands so your guests can store clothes and other items they brought along. You want your guests to feel at home!
• Wash all of the bedding so that your guests have fresh and clean sheets
• Make sure the bedding is warm enough and the room temperature is comfortable

When it comes time to tackle the family room you can start by generally tidying up the room first – it may not be as messy as it appears to be. Grab a laundry basket and go through the room picking up everything that belongs elsewhere.

How about the dining room? Easy, clean the table. Of course, remove everything from the dining table that isn’t needed and dust, polish or scrub all that is remaining. Plan out what serving pieces, plates, and glasses you will be using and wash them prior to setting the table.

The list goes on and on since everyone’s home is different – but these are just a few basic tips to get started so you can have a relatively stress free holiday season.

Let Gerstad Builders help you find your dream home this holiday season. Located in McHenry County, stop in the Central Sales Center/ Design Center to get started. Visit the website or call (815) 385-4495.