Take some time to get your home ready for the holidays. Just a few minor tweaks can take your living space from zero to holiday hero. This is also a great time to winterize your home and get it ready for the chillier months.

Deep Cleaning

You’ll need to perform a massive deep cleaning and purge of your home before you hit the department stores for decorations, accent items, and candles. Before you even think of adding a bough of holly or a sprig of mistletoe to your home, you need to get rid of the stuff that’s funking up your feng shui.

Remove sun-bleached curtains, discard stained dish towels, and for the love of the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future: lose the mismatched flatware.

Window Treatments

Dust your blinds and clean your shutters. Take note of any panels that need replacing.

If you don’t have blinds and shutters, consider their value: you’ll save money on heating in the winter, and you’ll protect your window treatments from future sun damage.

Once you’ve got your windows protected, you can add personalized touches to them with custom drapes and curtains. You might even want to consider ones in warm colors just for the holiday season.

Decorations

The fun part of getting ready for the holidays is the decorating. Once your home is clean and pretty, it’s ready for your decorating skills. Choose boughs of holly for the windows and mantle, candle rings for the chandeliers, and festive throws for the couches and chairs.

Candles should be switched out with ones scented with gingerbread, eggnog, and wassail. Your music playlist should get switched up to include a few of your favorite holiday songs and ballads.

Guest Comfort Items

Don’t forget about your guests this time of year, either. Whether you love them or just accept them, your home should be a comfy haven for all. Ensure your guest rooms are welcoming to visitors. Even if you don’t normally entertain guests throughout the year, make sure the windows have coverings, the beds are comfy, and there are fresh linens in the closet.

If your guests are a different religious denomination than you and your family, include a few decorations of their denomination around the home too.

Stock the guest bathroom with essentials like toilet paper, guest towels, toothpaste, tissues, and a hairdryer.

Getting your home ready for the holidays is a task best completed as soon as possible. Luckily, it doesn’t take much to ensure your family and friends are comfy and cozy this season.