It’s that time of the year again! This means lots of decorations, good food, and an exchange of gifts.
A house full of guests means lots of home maintenance work to get your house ready for the festive season.
With so many people using your home that’s designed to accommodate not more than four, your indoors and outdoors, and all the appliances and fixtures that are present have to work overtime. Hence you would be right to expect more breakdowns and malfunctioning happening around the house than you have experienced the entire year.
Home maintenance done in advance will ensure you avoid emergency situations that can disrupt the holiday fun and put undue stress on your wallet.
Summer Home Maintenance Checklist
We all love summer because it means more time spent outdoors! But that’s not the only reason. Unlike the rest of the world, for Aussies, summer is the Christmas season and time for the New Year break.
Here is a home maintenance checklist for you.
Service your aircon
Summertime with a house full of guests means extra pressure on your air conditioning. Make sure to call a professional HVAC service to clean, maintain, and repair your air conditioning unit to avoid surprises on Christmas eve.
Check your plumbing for damage or leaks.
Your home’s outdoor and indoor plumbing gets to do the most overtime during this time of the year. More people in the house means you will hardly find the bathroom empty. Unfortunately, this is when most leaks and breakdowns happen, so get a professional plumber to ensure your plumbing can handle the extra load. Also, check your water heater and ensure it’s in working order.
Make your home mould-free
Home maintenance is incomplete without a check on mould due to water damage. Your home’s bathrooms, basement, attic, and garage are the favourite place for mould to flourish. This can be dangerous if some of the guests already have respiratory problems, so get rid of it as soon as possible by hiring a local mould removalist.
Clean out the air vents
There is nothing worse than poor air quality inside your home when the guests arrive. Cleaning the air vents ensures they are free of debris and insects still hiding inside from the winter season.
Maintain your refrigerator
Like your air-conditioning, your refrigerator works overtime to keep up with the hot weather and keep fresh all the extra food you have stored to feed the guests. So servicing it before the guests arrive will save you the day!
Inspect smoke detectors and fire extinguishers
With all the decorative lighting, house fires do tend to take place. Home maintenance shouldn’t be just to upkeep your property but it should also ensure safety of your family and your guests. It’s time to check the expiration date on your fire extinguisher and test your smoke alarm beforehand.
Wash your home’s exterior
Your home’s exteriors are one of the first few things your guests would notice. So why not give it a fresh look by washing away all the dust and debris accumulated over time? This will also keep it from getting inside the house and settling on the furniture.
Maintain the garden
Since summertime demands more time spent outdoors, your home’s garden or yard will be used excessively to entertain the holiday guests. Regular maintenance, such as cutting grass and watering the plants, will keep them looking healthy and lush.
Read : All In One Guide For Outdoor Maintenance, Adding Value To Your Home
Getting your Home Ready for Christmas Guests
Your home is a new place for your Christmas guests, and they might feel a little disoriented as they look around for bathroom supplies or find a place to put their things during their stay. Besides your regular home maintenance, it’s a good idea to think from your guest’s perspective and prepare your home accordingly.
Get the bedroom and bathroom ready.
Remove your personal belongings to make room for theirs. This means you need to empty the wardrobes and remove your toiletries so they can put their own. Better yet, add new spare ones and let them know they are welcome to use them.
Make sure to replace the old bed linen with a fresh one. Then, spend the night in the room to see if the bed is comfortable enough, the room is quiet enough to sleep, and the air conditioning is working well.
Stock the fridge and pantry
With a house full of guests, there will always be someone hungry or thirsty. So make sure you have enough food ready to eat in the fridge between meals. This will help keep their tummies full while you won’t have to spend the entire day cooking something for someone all the time.
Provide extra storage, clothing, and footwear
Your guests would come with their luggage and gifts as well. So it makes sense to add extra storage to their bedroom and bathroom. It’s also a thoughtful gesture to add a couple of extra boots and hats for outdoor fun, as your guests may have skipped packing with them to keep the luggage light.
Install lighting suitable for entertaining
The proper lighting sets the mood for the dinner and the late-night talks. While it may not be on your home maintenance list, it’s still a good idea to consider adding a few side lamps and string lights to help your guests relax and unwind.
Don’t forget guests with children
If your guests are coming over with small children, you have a whole different checklist to make. To begin with, keep everything that is not meant for them out of their reach. You can store some toys, candies, and other stuff to keep them busy and happy. If your guests are not comfortable with your pet roaming around, you might want to arrange a different place where you can confine the pet during your guest’s stay.
The First Few Things your Guests Notice Instantly About your Home
While you may be focusing on getting the bedroom and the bathroom ready for your guests, there are a few other important things that your guests will notice even before you show them their rooms.
The entrance
Put away the shoes, replace the worn-out doormat with a fresh one, wash the entryway, create a spot for the guests to take off their shoes and hang their handbags, and add welcoming lighting and some flowers to freshen up the look.
The odour
You might have gotten accustomed to the smell inside your home, but it may feel weird to the guests as they enter.
It is always a good idea to light a scented candle, open the windows to let fresh air in, or spray an air freshener to create a smell that everyone would like.
The mess
An important part of home maintenance is to tidy up your home for the guests. An untidy home leaves a bad taste in the mouth. While you do not need to go to extra lengths as you declutter your house before the holiday guests arrive, putting away some of the most apparent mess can help.
Put away the toys and the dirty laundry, clean up the kitchen and dining table, and so on.
The cleaning
Whether it’s a dirty bathroom, a greasy kitchen, or pet hair all over the carpet and couches, being invited to an unclean home is the worst thing that can happen to your guests. With the busy season already on, it’s a great idea to hire a professional cleaning service to get your home nice and clean for Christmas.
Home Maintenance Safety Checklist for the Festive Season
- Don’t power up your outdoor light decorations with an extension cord running through the house. It will keep you from closing doors/windows properly, as burglars will be able to spot those easily.
- Don’t try to install DIY security systems, including sensor lights, programmable locks, security alarms, and security cameras. They might not be reliable.
- Always install decorative lights that live up to Australian safety standards.
- Make sure to childproof your home especially powerpoints, installing rails to prevent them from falling off the stairs and keeping other dangerous items out of their reach.
- Make a checklist for you and your family outlining what you need to do in emergencies such as losing power or having blocked drains.
- Any home maintenance to do with heights, such as cleaning the roofs, trimming the trees, etc., can be dangerous, so hiring a qualified tradie is good.
Wrapping Up
Remember, to avoid holiday emergencies dampening your fun and preparation is the key.
There is no better way to get started than with i4Tradies, to prepare your home for the festive season.
i4Tradies is a quickly growing marketplace connecting Property Occupants with verified Trades Professionals to check that repair and maintenance task off your list efficiently and securely.
For Property Occupants, it’s the place to find a Tradie based on their credentials and customer ratings. For Field Service Suppliers, aka Tradies, it’s a place to find new leads and grow their business.
The holiday season is already in full swing. To hire a qualified professional to carry out home maintenance and upkeep for you, download i4Tradies today and get started.
