7 Tips For Hosting the Holidays at Your House

When buy a new house, you are sometimes automatically volunteered to host the next big family gathering at your place.  This task doesn't have to intimidate you. With a little bit of preparation, things can go smoothly and a good time can be had by all, even you, the host.  Here are a few tips form Devine & Associates Real Estate office to help you get your home ready to entertain this holiday season.  



Deep-clean high traffic areas.
Bathrooms and kitchens will be getting a lot of extra use with house guests around.  Focus your cleaning efforts on these two areas. 

Speed-clean other areas.
As long as every other room in the house is dusted and shiny, it's clean enough to get you through the season.  Extra people means that things will have that "lived-in" look even quicker than usual.  Save the deep-cleaning of these spots for after the guests leave.  Plan ahead for any spills or stains that could happen while you are entertaining.   

Arrange furniture for traffic flow.  
Your furniture arrangement may be perfect for a regular day, but with extra bodies in the house, you may need to move a few things around.  Spacing furniture a little further apart leaves more room for foot traffic to flow.  Strategically place extra side tables around a room to collect drinks and plates.  Some furniture items can pull double-duty for this time of year, like using a small cabinet for a makeshift bar.  



Make extra storage room.
Think about all of the extra things that your guests will bring along with them and plan a place for it.  If it's only a one-night party, set aside a spot to keep coats.  If it is snowy outside, you will also need to have a place for wet shoes.  For overnight guests, clear out a drawer in the guest room for them to use.    

Curb appeal that's festive and safe.
The holidays are an excellent time to really jazz up your house's curb appeal. Christmas lights make every house look beautiful.  Place a wreath on the front door to welcome your guests, and you can even put some decorations in the windows to be seen from outside.  That's the "festive" part.  The "safe" curb appeal means that you should make sure that the outside of your home is not only lit up for beauty, but also visibility.  You don't want your party guests tripping over anything on the way in.  Take proper precautions to keep your sidewalk and driveway clear of ice and snow too.

Stock up on the basics.
Thinking about the things that your house guests will need while they are there or may have forgotten to bring with them is a nice gesture.  Keep extra essentials on hand, like razors and toothbrushes, in case they are needed.  If not, you will use them at a later date anyway.  Other things like toilet paper, kleenex, soap and shampoo, coffee, etc... are great to have more than you need so that you don't run out.  

Have an emergency plan. 
No one likes to think about bad things happening, but unfortunately they sometimes do.  Make sure that everyone visiting you knows where fire extinguishers are and how to get out of the home in case of a fire.



These few tips will help to make the holiday entertaining in your Lake of the Ozarks home go smoothly.  Get the worry out of the way before guests arrive so that you can enjoy your time with them while they are there.  Devine & Associates Real Estate group would like to wish our customers, family, and friends a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.  May you enjoy the season to its fullest.  




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Devine & Associates Real Estate
Eldon office:  (573) 392-9900
Laurie office: (573)207-8407

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