Find Storage Near You

Managing the Holidays: Your Ultimate Holiday House Prep Guide

The holidays are quickly approaching, and we’re committed to helping you make this most enjoyable, stress-free holiday season yet! A study by Michaels reveals that holiday celebrations may be shifting, but are far from declining, which means the preparations are only growing.Typically, this time of year is met by stress and non-stop preparation as you aim to make it a season to remember for the whole family.

This season forces you to wear multiple hats and execute flawlessly between juggling wishlists, decluttering, cleaning, and decorating. How can you manage everything? With so much constantly going on, the most challenging part of the season is actually taking time to enjoy it!

Xmas gingerbread man, holiday dessert

The Gameplan

You can’t begin anything until you have a clearer idea of what you’re doing, so start with a plan. Planning not only ensures you cover all your bases, but ensures you’ll finish everything in a timely fashion without feeling overwhelmed. After your list is created we can break down the list according to priority.

Starting the List

To begin the list of to-do’s, the best starting place is to consider what rooms you’ll be addressing in your holiday prep list.

Are you hosting family members for the holidays? If so, where will they stay in the house along with their belongings? Additionally, are any of the rooms like the living room and bathrooms set up to cater to guests?

If it helps, go into each room and start noting who will stay in this room and what might need to be moved out to make space. If you’re wanting to make the most of your to-do list then you can even go so far to note which decorations you’ll use in each room. After sleeping spaces have been addressed move onto the main living spaces, followed by bathrooms and, of course, the exterior.

Pro Tip: Break down the steps required for each room or space to be “complete.” This helps make sure you don’t miss anything and with the next step of prioritizing!

Holiday Prep Checklist

Prioritizing Tasks

Just as it’s important to create a list of tasks, prioritizing them is just as crucial. Time is your greatest ally and biggest enemy when it comes to getting ready for the holidays. Prioritizing tasks is a surefire way to use your time wisely and ensure everything gets done in time without running around at the last minute. However, prioritizing can be difficult to determine, because isn’t everything a priority?

Structuring the task list based on the time it takes to complete and when it will need to be done by. No matter how long a task might take, it might still be a higher priority over others, because of a time constraint. Obviously getting tasks related to guest room preparation should be prioritized over other tasks to ensure you’re ready when they arrive.

When possible delegate tasks to your family, friends or neighbors who don’t mind helping, or even hiring a professional service (professional declutters can help you consolidate both time and money). There are many professional services available to help with everyday tasks such as grocery shopping or evening getting items from retail stores.

Remember, not all tasks are created equal and may require sub-tasks, so it’s vital to be realistic with your time-setting. For instance, your task of decorating a room might seem simple until you realize you have to fish out boxes of decorations before you can even begin.

Starting with a solid plan with realistic time-bound tasks will be the key to starting off your holiday preparations right!

Pro Tip: When time-bound tasks, always give yourself more time than you think you need. You never know what may pop up after starting and if you don’t use all the time then you’ll be ahead of schedule.

When to Consider a Self-Storage Unit for Holiday Home Prep?

Self-storage isn’t just a place to store your old boxes, nor is it only long-term. Many people use self-storage as a solution to help prepare for the holidays, such as creating some extra room around the house only for the holiday season. The holidays tend to bring more people in and out of the house, especially if you’re hosting major celebrations.

A short-term self-storage unit can drastically help your holiday preparations and should be on the top of your consideration list when looking for an easy way to make this holiday season a breeze.

Holiday Home Prep Checklist - The Game Plan

Ready to start looking for your next self-storage unit?

Find Your Unit

Declutter and Deep Clean Before You Decorate

Decorating is arguably one of the most fun, and essential, activities you can do for the holidays. There’s nothing better than transforming your home into a cozy, festive place for everyone important in your life to enjoy the season together. This time of year is also a perfect opportunity to declutter before you begin decorating. Decluttering will not only help make room for decorations, but help the rooms and home from feeling too stuffy.

Decluttering your home before the holidays is a perfect way to help get ahead of your post-holiday/new year home reset!

Keep. Donate. Store. Toss.

If you let it, decluttering can turn into a major task that can eat up hours, if not days of your time. Aimlessly sorting through all of your items without any order is surely a great way to prolong this task. To save time and streamline the process, create four separate piles to sort items as you go through them.

Keep. Donate. Store. Toss.
The four piles should be:
  • Keep – These are items that you want to hang onto, because they provide value to your life in some way or another. This can be the hardest category to determine, because you’ll likely want to keep more than you need or actually want to hold onto. When evaluating an item ask yourself how often you use it and what it provides to your life. Photos that have been passed down from generations are likely items you should keep over the unused appliances that have been collecting dust in the closet.
  • Donate – After you’ve decided that an item needs to go, you should evaluate it to see if it can be reused by someone else. If it can still be used, then consider donating it to save space at landfill and help enrich other people’s lives!
  • Store – This category is for those who have items they desperately want to keep, but don’t have the room or can’t justify keeping it at home. Even a small 5’x5’ storage unit can dramatically increase your home storage capacity and help you hang onto all of the items you want to keep without overfilling up your home.

    Pro Tip: Just because you’re throwing it into storage doesn’t mean it’s for the long-term! You can get a storage unit only for the holiday season to clear temporary space.

  • Toss – As the name insists, once you’ve ruled out keeping, storing, or donating an item it’s time to toss it in the trash. Be sure to properly dispose of waste, because responsible disposal is part of owning those items, even after we’re done with them.

Ready to start looking for your next self-storage unit?

Find Your Unit

Deep Clean as You Rearrange

Decluttering and deep cleaning go hand-in-hand. While you’re decluttering, take this as your chance to deep clean those areas of the home that often go neglected. The simple truth is it’s nearly impossible to keep up with the demands of maintaining a whole house all year while tending to everyday life responsibilities.

Even if you did annual spring cleaning, by this time of year, your house likely needs another deep clean to take care of what accumulated through your summertime fun.

It’s only normal for certain areas of your home to go untouched for long periods of time until moments like this where you are decluttering and rearranging furniture. This two-birds-one-stone approach will save time by knocking two tasks off your list at one time and help give the entire home a reset before the holiday festivities and guests arrive.

Holiday Home Prep Checklist - Declutter
  • Wipe down shelves and cabinet faces as you empty them out and sort items into their appropriate piles.
  • Vacuum and steam clean under furniture as you move it around to make room for guests or clear out clutter.
  • Wipe down baseboards, vents, and light fixtures as you’re moving furniture and clearing drawers, cabinets, and closets.

Pro Tip: Tackle one room at a time to stay consistent and organized. Remember, organization is key!

Create Functional Guest Spaces

Hosting guests for the holidays isn’t just about spending time with each other, but also ensuring they have a fun, memorable time too. One of the best ways to give your guests the best experience possible is by keeping them comfortable and feeling at home. No one wants to be thrown into a room that has poor lighting, nowhere to store your belongings, and even worse, that smells and has dirty linens.
Holiday Home Prep Checklist - Create Functional Guest Spaces

Create the ideal temporary living space for your guests by:

  • Clean the linens before the guests arrive. As a fun bonus, replace your current linen sets with fun, holiday-themed sets to help your guests get into the spirit!
  • Provide them with plenty of places to store their personal belongings in drawers and hangars to hang delicate clothing. Nothing will make them feel less at home than by living out of a suitcase, even if it’s family returning home for the holidays. Since it is the holidays they might come with gifts too, so having a private closet or area to store presents will be a great help for them.
  • Once you decide where the guests will be staying, be sure to clear out your personal clutter and items out of the way. If you happen to use this room to house your crafts or other hobby items then maybe they can go into a short-term storage unit till after your guests leave if your home storage is at capacity.
  • If you want to go the extra mile then provide them with things to make their stay with you better like toiletries, welcome baskets, and also extra linens and blankets.
Amazing Basket for Holiday Guests

Ready to start looking for your next self-storage unit?

Find Your Unit

Tackle Seasonal Decor Smartly

Decorating is arguably the most fun, and pinnacle, activity of the holiday season. It’s so much fun to hang the decorations that we’ve been collecting for years, sometimes generations, as they help us embrace the holiday spirit.

However, decorating can get out of hand quickly, especially during the holidays since many of us go from one holiday to the next in no time at all. Consider some of the following tips to help keep your decorating efficient.

Holiday Home Prep Checklist - Tackle Seasonal Decor Smartly
Tackle your decorating smartly by staying organized
  • Unpack holiday decor early and organize by area (indoor, outdoor, tree, table, etc.).
  • Store off-season decor in labeled bins or clear containers.
  • Use a self-storage unit for holiday bins to keep your home storage areas neat and organized.
  • Decorate one room at a time, when possible.
  • Think about where decorations might need to go depending on your planned holiday events or where guests are staying. For example, if you normally hang your favorite decorations in an office that’s occupied by guests, then you won’t be able to see and appreciate it throughout the season.

Easy Ways to Maximize Living Space for Gatherings

If only our homes could get larger when we host. However, you’d be surprised how much room you can create without knocking down walls or major renovation. When considering how much more room you’ll need, it’s important to think about what you and your guests will be doing during their stay. If you’re anticipating being gone from the home doing other holiday activities then you likely don’t need too much conversational space.

However, if you’re planning on staying home more for the holidays then considering how to make your family, you, and your guests more comfortable may require more moving around.

Holiday Home Prep Checklist - Easy Ways to Maximize Living Space for Gatherings

Function Over Form

Not every item in the home provides a specific function, in fact most items in our homes are there to improve the overall aesthetic. However, every item we have in our home takes up space no matter its use or location. To maximize your hosting capacity, you might need to move non-essential furniture or bulk, non-seasonal decor to a different area of the home to make room for your guests.

Even better, you can place these items in a short-term storage unit until after the holidays or your guests leave. That antique bench does add a quaint look to the room, but unless someone can use it, it might be best stored elsewhere to make better use of space.

Multi-Use Furniture is Key

Your greatest ally will be furniture that can be used for a variety of different uses such as portable tables or benches. The more ways you can use one item, the better it’ll serve you and your guests.

There are a lot of benches that double as both seating and extra storage space to place additional blankets or other comfort items. Foldable tables are excellent, because they can be used and then easily stowed away for later use without taking up more room in the living and hosting spaces.

The Small Stuff Adds Up

One of the best things about the holidays is the endless amount of guilt-free, delicious food we can eat. Hosting large family meals means you’re going to need as much counter space as possible for dishes, appetizers, plates, and cutlery. You may not realize it at first, but all of the smaller appliances and decor that sits on your counter are taking up precious hosting space.

Even if the items are small, they’re taking up some much needed real estate that could be used for more productive purposes.

Ready to start looking for your next self-storage unit?

Find Your Unit

Prepare for Comfort & Convenience

Let’s be honest, the holiday home preparation begins before the season even kicks off. Ensuring you have enough supplies, toiletries, and decorations before the season begins will give you the upper hand all season long.

While you’re preparing for the holiday seasons, don’t be afraid to stock up on your home essentials like paper towels, extra toiletries, bedding, and other everyday home supplies.

Additionally, loading up on snacks, drinks, and other goodies will keep you from having to repeatedly run to the store throughout the holiday season. Part of creating a warm, comfortable home includes making it convenient for you and everyone else.

If you want to go the extra mile then consider setting up a mini coffee station or drinking area where you and your guests can fix festive drinks!

Keeping the home comfortable includes moving some of your everyday home items and furniture out of the way. To avoid making the entire home feel stuffy, a short-term storage unit can help drastically increase the readily available space in your home.

Speaking of convenience, renting a storage unit for the holidays is easy and convenient for everyone – win-win!

Inside view of food for sale in country store

Pro Tip: Are there any drinks, snacks, or other consumables that you and your family enjoy? Maybe stocking up before the season begins will keep you from going without it and also ensure you have enough in case the stores run out.

Home Holiday Prep - Prepare For Comfort and Convenience

Don’t Forget the Exterior

It’s the colder season, so most of your holiday events will be inside, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take care of the outside. There are still plenty of instances where everyone might find themselves outside, whether in the front or backyards.

This is especially true for the backyards, because the front yard will get a lot of your undivided attention as you plan your decoration strategy.

Despite the backyard not getting the most attention, you can still plan to decorate lightly to carry the holiday spirit throughout the entire home. As you prepare the exterior, this is also a great opportunity to do some maintenance as well.

Holiday Home Prep Checklist - Don’t Forget the Exterior

Exterior maintenance can include:

  • Raking up leaves and sweeping up the patio of debris.
  • Pressure washing off moss and other build up from walkways to ensure safe walking conditions.
  • Wiping down patio furniture or even moving patio furniture into a short-term storage unit to clear up more space. Plus, if the patio furniture isn’t going to be used throughout the season, then placing it into storage will help preserve their condition until the warmer months roll around.
  • If you live in an area that gets a lot of snow or rain in the winter, then it’s a great idea to create a ‘wet gear’ station for everyone coming inside. This will help keep the house drastically clean throughout the entire holiday season.

Ready to start looking for your next self-storage unit?

Find Your Unit

Leaving a Lasting Impression

Do you believe first impressions are important? When it comes to your holiday decorating and hosting, first impressions are almost everything. No matter if you’re hosting a giant holiday extravaganza or simply decorating for the season, the first thing people see of your home is what they’ll remember.

Most people won’t see any niche, backyard holiday decorations, except for you, your family, and guests, if you’re hosting. However, almost everybody will see the front half of your outdoor holiday decorating whether they’re just driving by, dropping a package off, or stopping by for a visit. The front half and visible areas of the home deserves your acute attention if you’re looking for the “wow!” factor.

Don’t forget, more than likely everyone coming to your home will be entering and leaving from the same place, so this is your chance to hit them with a first and lasting impression!

Holiday Home Prep Checklist - Leaving a Lasting Impression

Focus On The Details

It’s not only about hanging decorative lights, ribbon, and garland; it’s about the thought and intention that you put into all of your decorations. When someone thinks they’re decorating through, it shows!

Here are some extra ideas to make your holiday decorating stand out:

  • The front porches, foyers, and even coat areas and mudrooms are the main places where people will be entering and exiting your home, so taking time to refine your decorative process here will pay off. Candy cane hooks for coats, holiday themed welcome mats, garland wrapping front porch posts, and even a scented pinecone bag at the front door are welcoming invites to your festive home.
  • Lighting is everything. Your decorative lighting sets the tone and mood you want everyone to feel when they come to your home. Be thoughtful about the type of lighting, color, and brightness and don’t forget the light housing is also another fun area to be decorative.
  • There’s no better way to compliment lighting than with music. Even a quiet, holiday jingle can set the mood you’re striving for, so don’t be afraid to bust out the speakers!

The Aftermath…

A true holiday home preparation guide isn’t complete until we talk about the plan for after the holidays are over and our guests are gone. Taking the time to have a plan for your whole home reset won’t take much time and will save you from headaches and stress. It’s always easier to do something when you know what needs to happen, when, and how.

The key to a successful cleanup plan is to repeat the order of how you set everything up, but in reverse with an emphasis on saving cleaning for last. Fortunately, since you deep cleaned and decluttered before the season began, cleaning should be fairly quick after decorations have been taken down.

Here are some cleaning and storage tips to consider when formulating your post-holdiday reset:

  • Wipe down counters, sweep, vacuum, and mop after all decorations have been put away. Holiday decorations tend to leave glitter everywhere, so wait till everything’s put away before you begin cleaning.
  • Vacuum and mop before you move all of your furniture back since this is likely when you’ll have the most room cleared for one last thorough cleaning.
  • Limit trips to your storage unit. Load up your vehicle with everything that needs to go back to your storage unit first, so you can come home with the returning items. If you’re planning on vacating your storage unit after the holidays then it’s also recommended to bring a broom and dustpan to clean out the storage unit.
  • If you want to reorganize or redecorate the house for the new year then now is the best time! As the new year rolls in, it’s nice to shake things up and change furniture layout, repaint rooms to different colors, or completely revitalize the house while everything is still not fully put back together.

Preserving Holiday Decorations

Your holiday decorations are here to serve you for many years, and even in some cases, decades to come. However, they can only take care of you as much as you take care of them. When taking down your holiday decorations, be sure to give them a quick wipe down and store them appropriately.

Depending on the type of decoration, placing them in a protective bag keeps dust and potential critters off of them while in storage. Many holiday decorations are sensitive, so it’s important to use solid storage bins for extra protection and be sure to not stuff too much into one bin.

Be cautious when storing decorations at home, because common storage areas are prone to extreme temperatures and critters. Which is why we advocate for safely storing holiday decorations in a storage unit, specifically a climate-controlled storage unit.

Girl decorating a Christmas tree at home
These types of storage units keep the internal climate of the unit at the ideal temperature no matter the weather. Common home storage areas include attics, garages, basements, and crawlspaces, all of which frequently experience the worst storing conditions in the home. Since holiday decorations are usually more sensitive, forcing them to sit through the extreme highs and lows of the weather in your area will cause them to degrade faster.

Ready to start looking for your next self-storage unit?

Find Your Unit

Holiday Home Prep Made Easy

This comprehensive guide was designed to give you a new perspective on how to best manage the holiday season. As much fun as the holiday season can be, they tend to be fast-paced and a little stressful at times. Despite this, the holidays are meant to be a time where everyone puts their everyday stressors aside to spend quality time together. By taking the time to plan ahead and tackle your holiday to-do’s early, you’ll help yourself stay in the spirit all season long.

Storage and space around the house is a common issue for many homeowners – no matter how big the house, there’s still never enough room! Consider a self-storage unit to help alleviate some of the pain that comes with holiday reshuffle. Even a short-term storage unit for the holiday season can be a massive relief, especially during a time when you need it the most. Storage units are also one of the ultimate places to hide your presents, especially knowing they’ll be looked after 24/7 and you’ll be the only one with access.

Home Holiday Prep - The Aftermath

Hopefully this guide helps set you on the best path forward to a happy holiday season!

Download our Holiday Home Prep Checklist to keep up with your holiday prep!
Holiday Home Prep Checklist

author avatar
Gaige Byerley Digital Marketing Associate
Gaige Byerley is part of the Digital Marketing team at West Coast Self-Storage and is a writer creating engaging content on self-storage, relocation, decluttering, and everyday living.
Self Storage Storage Tips