5 Simple Yet Effective Home Improvements to do Before the Holidays

Dec 20, 2023

5 Simple Yet Effective Home Improvements to Do Before the Holidays

It’s not called the most wonderful time of year just because you get to spend quality time with the people you love, sharing gifts and good food. It’s also wonderful because it’s a great time for a home makeover.

While the holidays might not be the ideal time to be knocking down your walls for a complete remodel, you might consider smaller home upgrades before you entertain guests. These can help your festivities run more smoothly and ensure that your pictures come out looking excellent. So what kinds of upgrades should homeowners prioritize as the year comes to a close?

You’re in luck; we have five simple home improvement ideas that make a big impact on your home’s overall vibe. Give yourself and your loved ones the gift of a beautiful, rejuvenated home without starting messy home improvement projects.

1. Declutter Areas of High-Traffic

First impressions are everything. If you’re having people over for the holidays, the last thing you want is to have rooms full of clutter. High-traffic areas like the living room, kitchen, or front entrance can accrue a lot of clutter just from living daily life. But you’ll thank yourself if you take the time to organize and clean these areas before you entertain.

There are a few approaches you can take to get the most out of this simple home improvement idea. The easiest but most time-consuming way is to DIY the decluttering. This could save you money, but you’ll pay with your time instead. And since time can be scarce around the holidays — with all the shopping, cooking, and decorating that needs to get done — this might not be an option for all homeowners.

The other way you can declutter is significantly less taxing and more hands-off, and that’s through hiring a professional organizer. Professionals will transform your home for you, ensuring everything looks beautiful and has an efficient flow. And best of all, this option allows you to focus on other things while they take the time to organize your kitchen cabinets or mud room.

Another excellent reason to do some cleaning and organizing now is to reduce the stress of spring cleaning. While it’s common to wait for spring to overhaul a home, this can be tedious and tiring. There are usually so many tasks that need completing by the time spring comes around, so managing some of it over the holidays becomes a win-win for both now and later.

The holidays can be very stressful, especially if you’re hosting an event or having people stay with you. Clutter in your physical space can affect your mental well-being. So not only is decluttering healthy if you want a beautiful home, but it’s also a way to give back to yourself so you have peace of mind as you prepare to host others in your space.

Decluttering your home might not have the same impact as a kitchen remodel. But you’d be surprised by how much it changes the look and feel of these spaces. It’s a worthwhile thing to do any time of year, but it’s instrumental if you want to be holiday-ready.

2. Restore Shine on Your Hardwood Floor

Hardwood floors are popular because they’re beautiful and increase the value of your home. But they can’t look their best if you don’t take the time to keep them clean and shiny. It’s not something that most homeowners can realistically keep up with the way they’d like to; sometimes, shiny hardwood floors just aren’t on the top of your priority list, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

However, if you’re looking to give any room a new look without spending a lot of money, consider restoring your hardwood floors to their original glory. A well-maintained hardwood floor will revitalize a room for minimal effort. It’s also another thing you can DIY if you’d like, though you might see some better results if you hire cleaners. Professionals often have tools and cleaning formulas designed to make your floors so clean and shiny that you can see yourself in them.

If you aren’t familiar with treating wood floors, here’s a quick crash course in restoring them with only a little bit of time and some elbow grease. Start by testing the finish if you don’t already know what type of finish it has. You can scrape off a tiny bit from the floor to check; do this on an area of the floor that people won’t see.

If you can’t see any clear material on the sample, then your floor probably has a penetrating finish. These floors need to be waxed and should never be polished. If you do see clear material, you can polish these floors. But it’s still a good idea to test on a small area before you work on the entire floor, just in case.

You’ll need to have clean floors before you can restore them, so sweep and mop to remove any dust and dirt. Even just doing this will improve their look tremendously. Dry them off entirely before you go in with your polish. Polishing works best when you use a flat-surface mop; you can likely pick one up at Home Depot or your neighborhood home improvement store. Use a small amount at a time and work in the direction of the wood grain. You want this to be as even as possible.

Take care to avoid drywall and baseboards with your polish. It can stain easily, which isn’t a great look. Once you finish with the polish, wait at least an hour before letting anyone walk on the floor and 24 hours before putting your furniture back. After that, do your best to keep up with a regular cleaning schedule, and you should have beautiful-looking floors for the holidays and even year-round.

You can apply this same concept to carpeting or tile as well. Carpeting specifically can look dingy and harbor odors, and neither of these things makes the best first impressions. Consider hiring a professional carpet cleaning company to get your home holiday-ready.

You can also clean them yourself with carpet cleaning solutions or rentable equipment. No matter which you choose, giving your floors some TLC before the holidays is one of several simple home improvement projects that pay dividends without being too difficult or time-consuming.

3. Revitalize Your Fireplace

If you have a fireplace, chances are this is its moment to shine. The fireplace is for gathering, putting up stockings, and staying warm through cold winter nights. Even just owning a fireplace adds immediate charm and beauty to your home’s interior design. But if you want it to have any functionality or look its best, you’ll want to put in some effort to bring it back to life.

How can you revitalize a fireplace? Some DIY simple home improvement projects could bring this space new life if you don’t plan on using your fireplace for heat. If you do, though, you’ll likely need to call in the big leagues for professional help.

It might also be wise to consider how you want to spruce up your fireplace. Does it need a fresh coat of paint? Or would it make more sense to remove the paint? Do you need to replace the chipped tiles? These are tasks that homeowners can generally do themselves with ease.

Other restoration avenues won’t be as straightforward. A working fireplace requires a lot of thought and care, so if you want to get yours up and running again, start with a professional inspection.

A chimney sweep may need to come in and install new hearths or flue liners. It’s also possible that your fireplace isn’t up to code, so you may need to do some light home renovation projects to get it compliant before you get any ideas about chestnuts roasting on an open fire.

Investing in fireplace restoration can eventually pay for itself as well. Using your fireplace to heat your home is an excellent and cozy way to keep your home warm without boosting your overall heating costs. You’ll have to maintain your fireplace and take care when you use it to prevent dangerous situations. But other than that, if you own a fireplace, it only makes sense to spend the time and money to make it usable again.

However, if you’re not interested in doing a complete overhaul of your fireplace this year, you can still take steps to improve the way it looks. Even a light cleaning and decorating of your fireplace can work wonders.

But other DIY jobs, like stripping a layer of paint or fixing smaller components, can make just as much of an impact. The point is that you shouldn’t neglect your fireplace this year, even if you only give it a small amount of attention. A little effort could have a big impact on how much holiday cheer your space delivers.

4. Illuminate Your Space With a Modern Lighting Fixture

Lighting fixtures are an often overlooked way to update your home. Lighting can completely transform a room, turning its energy from drab to dramatic with the flick of a few light switches. Granted, installing lighting fixtures certainly might be a bit more labor-intensive and require some extra elbow grease to pull off. But sometimes, even just changing out your light bulbs for softer lighting can really change a room’s vibe for the better.

There are many benefits to adding a new modern lighting fixture to your home that extend well beyond improving your home’s overall look. Newer fixtures are generally more energy-efficient, and saving some money during the holidays is always a good thing.

Modern lighting fixtures can also bring a completely new feel to a room, even when they’re switched off. Bold chandeliers or pendant lights can make a room feel regal and opulent, while contemporary pieces can add tranquility or even a fresh aesthetic to a space. And once you start playing with varying light bulbs, you’re really going a long way toward improving a room’s look without doing much at all.

It’s worth noting that while installing some fixtures is a DIY-friendly job, it won’t always be; certain styles, like chandeliers, may require electrical rewiring or putting a few holes in the wall. It’s usually not an extensive job, so it’s still something you can easily accomplish before the holidays are in full swing. Even so, it’s important to note that it’s not one of the somewhat last-minute simple home improvement projects that might work better for your schedule — or sanity.

You can even put up or install temporary lighting fixtures that speak to the holiday you’re celebrating. You’re likely already doing it outside your home, so why not find something fun to put up that brings some festive brightness to your kitchen or dining room? There’s so much you can play with here, making it one of the few simple home improvement ideas that are low-cost, high-impact, and relatively simple to pull off.

5. Spruce Up Your Entrance

The front door is where all your first impressions are made. Within seconds of entering your home, your guests will have opinions about what they see. So why not give them something to get excited about? Adding some high-end home decor to your entrance, particularly holiday-themed pieces, is an excellent way to ensure your guests will get into the spirit and feel comfortable in your home.

Most homes have multiple entrance points you can break down into smaller pieces. For example, if you have a front porch and a foyer, you’ll probably want to pay attention to both spots. Bring in some festive feelings to the inside and outside of your home to enhance your curb appeal and delight your guests as they walk through the front door for the first time.

The entryway is probably the most critical part. This is where guests will go into your home, so the heavy traffic will also mean it needs to be clutter-free (see above) and easily maneuverable. But it’s also where you can set the tone for your home decor. It’s an opportunity to inject holiday cheer with everything from garlands to ornaments to metallic embellishments.

You can apply this same enthusiasm for welcoming, celebratory energy to the outside of your front door, where you can be a bit more flexible with your decorating. Don’t hesitate to go big and put up some really breathtaking lights or decorations that feel like they say something about you and your home. Alternatively, if it’s more accurate to your design philosophy, go with something classy and understated to give an air of sophistication.

Either way, spending extra time giving your entrance some TLC is a fantastic way to update your home without going overboard. It’s even a way to express yourself creatively by getting into interior design and holiday decorations, which can be fun and stress-relieving for many homeowners.

Make a Big Difference This Year With Small Home Improvements

You can go through the effort of getting all new cabinets, window treatments, and countertops. Investing in these large-scale projects is a satisfying part of being a homeowner, so it’s only natural that you’d want to spend some time on home renovations.

But the holidays aren’t always the best time to gut your kitchen or upend your living room. Fortunately, that doesn’t mean you can’t still give your home a new look without spending a lot of money.

Nothing stops you from doing big home improvement projects or landscaping to enhance your home and curb appeal. But if you’re looking for low-cost improvements that still have a big impact, there are plenty of DIY projects that will make your home feel brand-new for the holidays. Sometimes, simple home improvement projects offer the best way to get and stay holiday-ready, no matter how you celebrate this year.

For more simple home improvement ideas, check out our catalog of inspiration and get even more excited about your home’s potential!