Deciding which home improvement projects to prioritize is easier said than done. Luckily, factors like your budget, the time of year, and any safety issues in your home will help you determine which fixer-uppers deserve precedence.
9 Home Improvements to Do Before the Holiday Season
Check off these holiday home improvements before your guests start to arrive
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Home improvements before the holidays include cleaning windows, securing loose stairs, and stocking bathrooms to create a welcoming space for your guests.
Deep-cleaning your kitchen before the holidays saves you time later, letting you focus on cooking and hosting instead of scrubbing ovens mid-celebration.
Clearing leaves from your driveway and walkways before guests arrive keeps your entrance safe and prevents tracking wet debris into your home.
Hiring a local chimney sweep professional provides peace of mind with annual inspections and thorough cleaning, keeping your fireplace safe for the season.
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As you prepare to get your holiday feast on and host people in your home, there are some tasks you may want to tackle first. While you’ll probably want to avoid major home improvements before the holidays, these smaller fixes and maintenance items are things you can do right this very moment. Plus, any home improvements you make now can help create a more festive and calming atmosphere for everyone.
1. Bust Out the Leaf Blower
The last thing you want greeting your guests is a slippery, 2-foot-deep carpet of wet leaves at your entrance. So, before you open your home to others, it’s smart to take a leaf blower to remove all debris from your driveway, front walkway, and any patios or decks. Leaf blowing will serve the dual purpose of keeping guests from tracking grime into your house, meaning less mess for you to clean up later.
2. Clean Your Chimney
How can Santa shimmy down your chimney if it’s clogged with ash and soot? For safety reasons, it’s a good investment to have a local chimney sweep inspect your fireplace and chimney annually, particularly before you light the first fire of the season.
3. Spruce Up Your Windows
Planning to hang wreaths, lighting or other exterior decor pieces on your house? Allow an extra hour to clean the glass, both inside and out, before you do. All eyes are going to be on your stunning window displays once your decorations are up, and you want the wreaths to shine, not the grime, right?
4. Paint Your Front Door
What’s more welcoming than a cheerful front door? Adding a fresh coat of paint to your front door is a great way to change the look of your home's exterior with minimal work and investment. You could also consider doing any interior touch-ups at the same time or transforming a smaller space like a powder room that could use a holiday glow-up.
Not confident in your painting ability? Consider hiring a local painting contractor.
5. Fix Any Wobbly Stairs or Loose Floor Boards
Photo: David / Adobe Stock
Every home has that one creaky stair, and chances are you’ve been putting off fixing it until later. Before grandma and her squad arrive, though, you’ll want to make sure all entry steps and other stairways are solid with no loose or rotting boards. While you’re at it, check to make sure all handrails are secure and add rubber treads to stairs or other parts of your house where visitors (and you) may need more traction.
6. Clean Up Your Lawn and Home Exterior
If you're preparing for the holidays early enough, it may be a good time to do a deep clean around your home's exterior and landscaping. Any abandoned branches or lawn waste can rot and cause issues with pests when things start to warm up again. You can also plan to winterize any outdoor elements before you get too busy with the holidays.
Planning an even bigger lawn makeover? Contact local landscapers and lawn services.
7. Perform a Deep-Clean of Your Kitchen
Whether you’re hosting a major holiday dinner or just planning to stay at home, the holiday season is a great time to get your kitchen in order. Scrub down your oven and stove by hand—then run the oven’s self-cleaning cycle if it has one.
You can also re-oil your counters if you have a stone top like soapstone and strip and polish your flooring if needed. Also, consider giving all your pots and pans a good scrub down. Future you will be thankful for the foresight when you’re too busy for fussy projects like these next year.
8. Stock Your Bathrooms
Deck the halls and stock the bathrooms: Ensure that all of your powder rooms and other bathrooms have an ample supply of toilet paper, hand towels, air fresheners, and anything else you need to make your holiday guests feel welcome.
While you’re at it, do a once-over of all towel hooks and toilet paper holders to make sure they don’t need to be re-secured.
9. Clean Out Your Closets
As the weather starts to turn, many organizations across the country are in dire need of coats, scarves, gloves and other warm-weather wear donations. Allot an afternoon to sift through all of your winter wear and donate anything that no longer fits or serves you.
Chimney sweeping services reviews from real Angi homeowners in Columbus, OH
5.0★ avg. • 15 total reviews
- Justin W.
Ace Fireplace Services' chimney sweep service is truly exceptional. They used advanced technology to ensure a thorough cleaning process, and my chimney has never looked better. I highly recommend their services.
Ace Fireplace Services - Bobby G.
This company went above and beyond with their work, chimney sweeps are usually pretty messy, but the clean up was spot on.!! Josh explained every thing that he was doing, and the things that he was checking to make sure the chimney was safe for me and my family. He was very professional,...
Supreme brick & chimney - Lori C.
It was a good experience. During the call, we ran through a series of questions to determine what was in my chimney. We determined it was likely just a bird or a mouse. Thankfully the animal couldn't get into the house because the flute was shut. I was able to wait until Monday for them to...
Critter Control of Columbus - Michael S.
<p>I was anxious to replace my old, leaking water heater because once they start to leak, they can "blow up" at any moment, creating a huge and expensive mess. Once the heater I'd ordered from Lowe's arrived I got a call from Water Heaters Plus and we set up an install for Friday afternoon. ...
- Shanna H.
Called on Friday, was able to get appointment on Monday morning. Service rep requested a reminder call from me to make sure that he was awake and that he could make it in Monday morning. I agree that none of us like Mondays, but that seemed a little lazy and since I needed help, I was happy...
Columbus Locksmith LLC - Fordham.
Outstanding service. Dick Neff was prompt in estimating and added the chimney work overnight, even though it required use of a lift and color matching stucco. The plaster and stucco workers were courteous, careful, extremely competent in their craft, and cleaned up.
George F Neff & Co. Plaster & Stucco - Rick B.
We had to replace rotten wood on both buildings and shingle the sides of our dormer walls on the main building. Prior to replacing the roofs we had to tear down a deteriorating chimney to the roofline and Muth and Co worked with our hired chimney vendor to complete the project. While...
Muth & Company Roofing - Martha K.
This was my first time having someone come into my home to clean. Sandra with Sparklin' Kleen was great. She called me back promptly, explained her services and her fees. She spent 7 1/2 hours cleaning, scrubbing, washing, sweeping, etc...my house has never been so clean, especially the...
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