Are you expecting guests over the festive season? Make sure your home is prepped and ready to host by doing a bit of upfront planning. Hosting at Christmas can and should go smoothly, but the thought of it can seem very daunting. Use our experts' top tips on how to get your home ready, in order to guarantee a more relaxing, stress-free day for you.
Prepare for Christmas guests with ease
1. Oven TLC - Hosting Christmas day usually goes hand in hand with cooking a large amount of food. To avoid the frustration of cooking your Christmas dinner with an inefficient or dirty oven, why not book your oven in for a professional clean? This will ensure your oven is in top shape for its busiest time of year.
2. Address any leaks - Leaking taps, pipes, and radiators can spell disaster if ignored. Don't let a minor leak turn into a major headache over the festive period. Book in with a plumber to get your leaks fixed in time for Christmas and avoid any extra unnecessary stress.
3. Clean your fridge freezer out - There is nothing worse than opening your fully stocked fridge on Christmas day only to be hit with a warm waft of air. Keep your fridge and freezer in tip-top condition by regularly cleaning and defrosting them. This will ensure efficient cooling, therefore guaranteeing your ingredients stay fresh for your Christmas feast.
4. Brighten your exteriors and interiors - Christmas Day in the UK isn't renowned for being a great day weather-wise. The majority of the time it can be an overcast cold day, with little natural light. Make your home as bright, cozy, and welcoming as possible for your guests, with the installation of indoor LED lights, lighting fixtures, and outdoor lighting.
5. Stock up - Christmas shopping can be a very stressful ordeal if left to do all at once. We recommend avoiding the last-minute shopping rush and saving money, by stocking up gradually over time. Our top tip is to create a list of Christmas Day essentials and tick them off on each weekly shopping trip.
6. Draughtproof your home - A cold draught flowing through your home will make it difficult for you to keep your guests warm during the Christmas period, even if you have your heating ramped up. Draught excluders or draught-proofing kits are an affordable and effective way to prevent the cold from ruining your festivities. Also sealing cracks in floors, skirting boards and chimneys can reduce your heating bills by up to £35 a year.
7. Get your boiler serviced - As the weather gets colder, it's important to make sure your boiler is serviced and running smoothly. Although a boiler service may seem like an unnecessary extra cost, getting a regular annual check can prevent issues as well as save you money in the long run. Around the festive period, our heating systems get kicked into overdrive, causing boilers to present faults that could lead to a breakdown and loss of heating and hot water. Don't risk a breakdown during the festive season - book a boiler service now.
If you are gearing up to host guests this Christmas, our experts at Go Assist highly recommend getting organised in the weeks leading up to the big day. By doing so, you will be able to relax and enjoy the festivities as much as your guests.
Christmas is a time to be with the people you love, prepare now – and have some fun on the 25th.
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