Fall and winter usher in the arrival of the holidays–and with them, a host of tasks that need to be taken care of around the home. You have decorations to hang up outside, decorations to put up inside, and a home that may need to be cleaned or prepared for visiting family members over the holiday season. If you’re struggling to figure out where you’re going to hang the stockings, much less where you’re going to put the tree, there are several things you can do to make it easier to prep for the holidays.

Step One: Decide Where You’re Going to Place Unneeded Items If you’re cleaning up your home for the holidays, you need a place to put all those unwanted items. There are several options that you can take advantage of as you empty out unneeded furniture and other items this holiday season.

Rent a storage container. A storage container may sit right there in your yard, often tucked wherever you’d like it (in the back, for example, where it won’t be seen by visitors). Storage containers aren’t just for people who are moving! Check out our post on how to choose a storage container company that will fit your needs to learn more.

Move unwanted items out to the garage. If you won’t be using the garage for your car this winter or if you have extra space in your garage, consider whether or not there’s room for the possessions that you don’t need throughout the season.

Transfer items to your storage facility. Do you rent a storage unit at a local facility? If so, it’s the perfect place for storing items that don’t have a place in your home during the busy holidays.

As you’re considering what you want to do with unwanted items in your home, consider what you’ll need in order to move those items effectively. You might, for example, discover that hiring local movers is a highly effective way to take care of those items, freeing up your time and energy for holiday preparations.

Step Two: Tuck Away Spring and Summer Items Seasonal items can take up a lot of real estate in your home, especially for items that you aren’t going to need again for several months. By tucking away spring and summer items, you can open up a great deal of space in your home. Take the time to go through and clean up and pack away items that you don’t need right now, including:

Spring and summer clothing. You don’t need shorts, tank tops, and sandals when you’re shivering away through the middle of winter! Pack away clothing items that you won’t wear again until spring. This is an excellent time to go ahead and clean out items that you don’t use anymore and donate or sell them online.

Sports items that you won’t need again this season. When sports are over for the season, from swimming to water skiing and more, you don’t want the items needed for those sports to clutter up areas of your home that you need during the busy holidays. Get rid of items that are worn out or that went unused during this season, unless you have children who will be growing into them.

Rotate out kids’ toys. There are many kids’ toys that are mostly used during the spring and summer months: balls, sidewalk chalk, and a host of outdoor toys. Consider packing them up to make room for many of the new toys that will appear over the holiday season, then make them fresh and new again when they come out in the spring.

Step Three: Move Furniture as Needed

Do you need to move to a bigger table to fit in all of the family for your holiday feast? Is there simply not room for your Christmas tree with that recliner taking up most of the space in the living room?

There’s good news: you can move those furniture items out temporarily to make more space in your home. Rearranging your space for the holidays may make it easier for you to see and enjoy all of your holiday decorations without feeling as though you have to cram them into your own house.

On the other hand, you may find that you actually need more furniture for the holidays, especially if you’re having plenty of company. Moving in more furniture can be just as big a strain–but it’s less difficult when you know you have help on your side. If you’re struggling to move the furniture on your own, using Big Deahl’s Movers is the perfect way to move your items without putting undue strain on your body or your schedule. You might even discover that you like your home better with less clutter.

Step Four: Clean Out Spaces Used for Guests Do you have guests coming to stay with you throughout the holidays?

While a guest who’s only staying for a single night might not need particularly special accommodations, a guest coming in for a longer stay–an aging parent who wants to stay with you during the holidays, for example–may need a little more effort as you prepare for their arrival.

Consider:

  • Cleaning out the closet in the guest bedroom so that they can use it for their own items. After all, guests need places to hide gifts, too!
  • Tucking away clothing and other items stored in the dresser in that spare room. It’s easy, over time, for those rooms to be filled with overflow from the others, but you’ll need to clean them out if you have guests arriving.
  • Making sure there isn’t clutter under the bed or in other areas throughout the guest room.

A neat, tidy home is the perfect way to get excited about the holiday season and make those gorgeous decorations more enjoyable. If you need packing help, contact us at Big Deahl’s Movers today. We’ll help with many of the important moving tasks, including hauling and carrying items to trucks and storage containers, so that you can focus on the other important tasks on your agenda.