Tips for Preparing Your Home For Christmas

Home Christmas TipsThere’s no place like home for the holidays, is there?  Especially in northern Virginia, relatives come from all over the country to share Christmas.  Multiple generations under one roof, with the cheerful clatter of kids playing and the chatter of spirited discussions around the kitchen table. But if you’re hosting one of these shindigs, you’ve got a few chores to check off before the relatives descend.

Use these tips to get your northern Virginia home in shape for the holidays.

Clean The Obvious, as Well as the Not So Obvious

  • Clean the coffeemaker. The first one up makes the coffee– that’s the rule. But do you want your prim aunt Helen to see all the scuzz built up in your coffee maker? Don’t use soap, though, that’ll ruin the taste. Perk some vinegar through it then give it a thorough scrub and a rinse.
  • Don’t clean the oven. The self-cleaning cycle might turn out to be the self-destruct button, and it’s too close to the holidays for that. Just clean the stove top and leave the oven itself for the New Year.
  • Empty the fridge and freezer as much as you can. You’ll need room for all the leftovers, not to mention prepping ahead of time. Now’s the time to clean out all the old junk.
  • Clean the microwave. Oft-neglected, this little appliance works hard all year (harder than your oven, probably.) Thank it for it’s service by scrubbing it clean with a soft cloth and soapy water.

Prep, Tune and Fix

  • Tackle those little jobs. You might know which drawer needs a jiggle to open, which door has a loose hinge and so on, but your guests won’t. Get all those pesky little fixes out of the way to help things run more smoothly.
  • Make the house childproof and slip free. Whether it’s your elderly grandparent or six kids under the age of 10 running around, you’ll want to assess every room for hazards. Bonus: putting away the slippery, the small, and the breakable will make your home seem instantly more tidy!
  • Troubleshoot toilets and showers. Let’s face it; houseguests strain household plumbing. Make sure yours can handle the load.
  • Prepare the first line of defense. Clean out the filter and bin on your vacuum cleaner, and stock up on cleaning supplies. Where families gather, chaos and untidiness follows.
  • Sharpen the knives. If you’re not familiar with the technique, it’s probably best to look up a video tutorial. Remember, dull knives cause more accidents than sharp ones!
  • Make sure the first aid kit is stocked. Speaking of knives, someone always seems to need a bandaid.

Follow these tips for a stress-free holiday season, from all of us at Linton Hall Realtors®.

About Ashley Leigh

Ashley Leigh is one of the most successful real estate agents in the United States and founder of Linton Hall, Realtors®, the premier real estate company in Prince William County, Virginia. In his book Billion Dollar Agents, Steve Kantor featured Ashley for individually producing well over $2 Billion in career sales selling thousands of homes. Ashley Leigh's innovative marketing programs have been have been written about in Fortune magazine. Additionally, Ashley has been profiled in RISMedia’s Real Estate Magazine and Power Team Report and has been recognized by REALTOR Magazine as one of the Top Sales Agents in the U.S. The Wall Street Journal ranked Ashley as one of America’s Top 20 Realtors in the Nation for his sales production for several years. Connect with Ashley on Google+

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