We always want to show off the home we love to its best advantage, but never as much during the holiday season. When we celebrate the day, we’re also celebrating those we love. To welcome family and friends into our home takes time, thought, and a little bit of organization. Here are some home maintenance ideas for the holidays.
Cleaning Your Home’s Exterior
Hanging a wreath on the front door? Adding pine branches and winter berries to the window boxes? Putting up Christmas lights? Decorations and seasonal greenery attract the eye. If you didn’t get a chance in the summer or the fall, make sure the house exterior is clean. Just removing surface grime can improve your curb appeal by 75% and provide the perfect canvas for holiday decorations.
Cleaning the Windows
When you don’t have time to clean the exterior of your house, at least clean the windows, both interior and exterior. Streaked, grimy, or smudged windows aren’t very welcoming. Windows, especially if outlined with lights or garlands, will most likely be the first thing guests will notice as they approach the front door.
Surface Clean the Gutters
Here is another area of a home’s exterior that is sometimes overlooked when washing the exterior of a home. Tiger striping and other types of grime can make a home appear dingy or unkempt. Paying attention to the outside of the gutters is a good curb appeal investment.
Tidying up the Property
Put away any summer and fall items you are no longer using. Sweep or power wash the driveway. Rake the lawn to remove any late fall leaf arrivals. Remove twigs, leaves, and dead blooms from the flower beds.
The best time to trim trees on your property is in the winter months when they are dormant. The ones close to the house with branches extending over the roof and the gutters need to be trimmed back far enough to prevent them from adding more debris to the roofing system.
Inspect the perimeter of the property for anything that needs your attention such as a squeaky gate, hedges that need trimming, or a fence in disrepair. Check stairs or steps leading up to entry doors to ensure they’re in good shape and guests won’t encounter any tripping hazards or obstructions.
Prevent Unwanted Visitors
Inspect your home’s exterior for cracks, holes, and gaps that might be inviting to squirrels, rats, mice, or raccoons wanting to keep warm until spring. Repair holes, patch up damaged siding panels, and fill cracks.
Check the roof for any entry points into the attic. Cover vents that might be large enough for unwanted visitors to gain access.
Check Exterior Lighting
Ensure your property is well-lit. Replace light bulbs as needed. Add outdoor lighting to areas such as overshadowed pathways, hard-to-navigate steps, or a dark driveway to make your home safer for you and your holiday guests.
