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The holiday season is upon us, and that means guests, family, and friends coming over. No one wants their house to be the talk of the party for the wrong reasons. Avoid being that house by preparing your home—inside and out—for holiday visitors.
Prep Your Landscaping
Your landscaping is the first thing visitors will see when they pull up to your home. You want your yard to be well-groomed and presentable. This means raking up leaves, pruning dead branches or leaves, and ensuring your lawn is mowed. You may also want to consider putting down fresh mulch or pine straw. This will give your landscaping a fresh look and make it look well-maintained.
If you have any delicate plants or flowers, now is the time to prepare them for winter. Bring them indoors or wrap them up so they can withstand the cold weather. It's also a good idea to remove any dead leaves or branches from your landscaping, so they don't become a breeding ground for pests like rodents and insects.
Prep for the Pests
Before the cold weather sets in, inspecting your home's exterior is important. Take a walk around your property and look for any cracks or holes in the foundation, siding, or trim. If you find any, make sure to seal them up with caulk or putty. This will help keep warm air inside your home and cold air out. It will also keep pests from creeping into your home unexpectedly!
Inside your home, you want to make sure it is clean and clutter-free. Before guests arrive, eliminate any pests—cockroaches, spiders, ants, rats, etc.—. No one wants to see a cockroach running across the floor while they are eating dessert. If you have pets, make sure they are groomed and have fresh water and food available. Nothing is worse than seeing a flea on your host's dog!
Keep the Bed Bugs Out
With all of the guests coming in and out of your home, did you know you're more likely to end up with bed bugs? Most people believe they'll only encounter bed bugs in places like dirty hotel mattresses, but that's untrue.
Bed bugs can be found all over—mattresses, couches, carpets, suitcases, etc.
There are a few ways you can keep bed bugs from making your home their own; here are some of our favorites:
Keep your home clean and clutter-free. Bed bugs are attracted to clutter because it provides them with hiding places. Declutter your home and keep it clean to make it less inviting to bed bugs.
Vacuum regularly. Vacuuming is one of the best ways to remove bed bugs and their eggs from your home. Be sure to vacuum carpets, floors, furniture, and any other areas where bed bugs may hide. Empty the vacuum bag after each use so that bed bugs don't end up back in your home.
Use a mattress encasement. Mattress encasements are covers that go over your mattress and box spring and seal them off completely. This makes it much harder for bedbugs to get into your mattress and lay eggs. If you already have bedbugs in your mattress, an encasement will help prevent them from spreading to the rest of your home.
By taking some time to prep your home—both inside and out—you can avoid being that house that no one wants to visit during the holidays. A little bit of work now will pay off when you have happy guests who are impressed with your home. So get started today and enjoy a stress-free holiday season!