Three Considerations to Prepare Your Home for the Holidays
At the end of the year, most of us have several lists we like to make, such as new year resolutions, lists of gifts and goals for the coming year. This is also a natural time for reflection as we consider a possible home makeover before the arrival of our guests. A freshening up can make your home a more welcoming and less cluttered place to stay. Aside from the usual preparations, there are three practical things that we can do to get our homes ready for the holidays.
1. Prepare the Kitchen
Most people, enjoy the pride and convenience that comes with a clean, well ordered kitchen. Day to day cooking is easier to handle than the spike in cooking required during the holidays. There will be additional strains on all of your kitchen appliances as they deal with more use than they would in a typical week.
Take a close look at your appliances and gauge how well they are going to handle the additional load. If your microwave is on the way out, it may be a good time to replace it now. This would give you time to get used to the new oven, and the old one cannot let you down. This can be a blessing in disguise, as the Consumer Energy Center carried out a study which showed that modern kitchen appliances use half the energy compared to older models built only ten years ago.
Another crucial area that may be under additional strain will be the garbage disposal. Ensure that your unit is clean and free from any blockages and it will be less likely to let you down when you need it most.
2. Getting Smart with Your Holiday Lighting
We all need plenty of lighting at this time of year during the winter months. If you feel that you need to upgrade your holiday lighting, why not give yourself a Christmas present that keeps on giving? Investing in an LED lighting upgrade can be a great way to get better lighting options at a cheaper running cost. An LED light uses 80%-90% less energy than the usual holiday lighting, and it can last for many years. To make further savings, simply turn off the lights when you don’t need them or alternatively connect them to a timer.
3. Enhancing the Holiday Climate
Both you and your guests will benefit from a nice comfortable indoor temperature. This can be a tricky proposition for a number of reasons, such as rotating numbers of guests, different sources of heat and the individual comfort levels of your guests. The more people in a room, the warmer it will feel, open fires add additional heat and some people can find that overwhelming. Another problem is that any drafts will allow cold air to enter your home, this will lower the comfort level and raise your energy bills. Some of these issues can be addressed by using rugs to cover bare floors, lighting candles for ambient light and heat and using draft snakes on closed doors. If you’re in any doubt about the performance of your heating system, consider hiring a professional central air system engineer to carry out a comprehensive service.