Hosting This Season? 8 Must-Do Home Tasks to Tackle Before Guests Arrive

If you're preparing to host guests this season, now is a good time to tackle those home projects you've been putting off. While a full renovation project likely isn't feasible (or necessary!) before your company arrives, you can tackle several quick and impactful spruce-ups in the coming weeks.

First, get focused: Concentrate your efforts on gathering spaces and other areas guests are likely to interact with, such as powder rooms or guest bedrooms. Once you've narrowed down your main entertaining zones, use these ideas to prepare your home for holiday hosting.

1. Refresh Your Entryway

As the first thing visitors see when they enter your home, the entryway is key to a good impression. Ensure guests have a spot to kick off their shoes, hang up coats, and set down packages or purses inside the door. Outfit your entry area with a small rug, boot tray, and stylish storage baskets. Mount hooks or make space in your hall closet for coats, and consider pulling in a bench or console table. Once the basics are in place, incorporate seasonal artwork and decor or vases of flowers for an extra festive touch.

2. Tie Up Any Loose Ends

Before the holidays arrive, wrap up any unfinished projects or lingering to-dos, suggests interior designer Brittany Farinas. If you're in the middle of a bathroom remodel or living room makeover, for example, do what you can to expedite the process so guests can experience the final result instead of a rough draft.

For projects you've been putting off, use the upcoming holidays as your motivation to finally get it done. "If you've been thinking of wallpapering that powder room for a while or just haven't gotten to it, now is the time to go for it," Farinas says.

3. Clear Out Clutter

Clearing out excess clutter can instantly make your home look more polished and create a blank canvas that helps your seasonal decor shine. "Nothing changes the look and feel of a space like keeping it both clean and organized," says interior designer Elizabeth Gill.

Toss, recycle, or donate any unwanted or unnecessary items, and put away everything else in its rightful place. If you're struggling to find space for everything, invest in new organizing solutions to store your belongings more efficiently.

4. Prepare Bathrooms

Before hosting guests, be sure that all high-traffic areas (such as bathrooms) receive proper maintenance. Go beyond your usual weekly cleaning of countertops and toilets to make sure each restroom is in top shape for guests. Check all sink and shower drains and unclog them if necessary. (A commercial drain cleaner such as Drano makes this a quick and painless task.) Then, restock the space with toilet paper and make sure there are plenty of travel toiletries, extra toothbrushes, and fresh towels available.

5. Resolve Problem Areas

Most homes will never look precisely perfect, but certain rooms have problem areas that are glaringly obvious—what Gill calls an "Achille's heel." This could be a tattered sofa, a wobbly table, or a too-small area rug. Consider what makes you most unhappy about the space and prioritize a repair or replacement. "Foundational elements like these will always be a good investment and, in turn, make a big impact," Gill says.

6. Upgrade Your Lighting

Lighting can have a major impact on how your home looks and feels, especially when prepping a new home for the holidays. Interior designer Stephanie Brown suggests having dimmers installed in the main common areas prior to holiday gatherings. "This is an easy update and helps transform the mood for entertaining," she says.

Don't forget about exterior lighting. Installing new outdoor sconces or adding a few lanterns is a quick way to make your home feel more inviting, says Toronto interior designer Rebecca Hay. If nothing else, be sure to replace any burnt-out or too-dim bulbs inside and out for a brighter look.

7. Spruce Up Your Guest Room

What better way to create a “home sweet home” out of your new home for the holidays than an ultra comforting guest room? Hanging new curtains, adding a plush area rug, and bringing in comfy seating are simple yet impactful ways to cozy up the space.

Hay also recommends providing guests with an additional reading light, such as a table lamp or wall sconce, that they can easily turn off from the bed. If the towels or sheets in your guest room look dingy or worn, spring for a new set before the holidays.

8. Refresh Your Walls

A coat of paint is an affordable way to transform a new home for the holidays. Dingy walls are restored and give a room a whole new brighter and cleaner look. "One of the quickest and easiest ways to give your home a refresh is to touch up the paint," Brown says. If you don't have time to break out your brushes and rollers, at least take a few minutes to clean your walls so they're free of scuffs, stains, or dust.