Tips to prepare your home for the festive season

GET YOUR HOME READY... Some handy tips for getting your home prepared for Christmas. Photo: Supplied

IF your home is like most, this time of year is crazy. There seems to be a never-ending list of things to do, places to be and people to see. To top it off, it always seems to be the time for unexpected visitors and last-minute entertaining.

Your house probably always has the ‘lived in look’. Despite this, here are a few handy hints for preparing it for the festive season that may help to stay organised.

If you are expecting visitors over the holidays, or just want to sort out the house ready for Christmas, then try these tips:

Declutter
I am a huge fan of decluttering, so is the boss. She thinks there is something about getting rid of a heap of stuff that clears your head and gives you a fresh start. Before the onslaught of gifts from Christmas enter the house, take some time to clear out anything that you no longer need.

My motto when I did my 30-Day Decluttering Challenge was: Do you need it, do you love it and do you use it? If it didn’t pass those tests, then out it went. Be ruthless. Don’t keep things ‘just in case’.

Stock the freezer
Last minute entertaining is always going to be part of the festive season. Make your life easier by stocking up the freezer with a few baked goods (I’ve always got banana bread on hand), and a few BBQ-friendly meats. Bread also freezes well so throw some rolls in for any last-minute guests.

Give the garden a once over
With summer taking hold, our garden was starting to look a bit neglected. Everything needed a good water and there were plenty of weeds that were getting out of control. Get the kids involved by having them water plants, pull weeds, collect leaves, rake and sweep. If they are older you could let them loose with the lawnmower!

GET YOUR HOME READY… Some handy tips for getting your home prepared for Christmas. Photo: Supplied