Whoever said Christmas is a time for rest and reflection has obviously never had relatives visit over the festive period. We all love spending time with our families – it’s what makes Christmas time extra special, but with so much already on our plates; the food shops, the gift buying, wrapping, Nativity shows, Christmas galas and parties just to name a few – getting everything ready in time for when family arrives can seem like a mammoth task.

But don’t worry, you won’t need to paint walls or replace skirting boards – although check out skirtingsrus.co.uk, if your spare room could do with a lift – there are a few little things you can do in an afternoon before they finally descend on your home and the celebrations can begin.

Make some time

You have a lengthy to-do list but setting aside some time to get things sorted for your guests will certainly help your stress levels. Set aside at least 30 minutes to do what you need to do – longer if you think you need it – it doesn’t matter what you’re doing or what other chore you’re engrossed in, get to the spare room/sleeping area and get cracking. Air the room out, dust the top of the bed or the side tables, get the vacuum cleaner out make sure the radiators are working.

Don’t hide anything

You might think you’re being super tidy and organised by packing everything away neatly for your guests. But if you put the towels away or store the loo roll in a cupboard that’s not in the bathroom, then you’re going to have guests chasing you around asking for assistance. Make it easy for them by putting everything they’re going to need in easy to see places. Lay the towels on the bed, the hair dryer on the side table, a glass for a drink in the night. All these little touches will make it so much easier – for both of you!

Sort the bed/sofa bed situation

If you have a sofa bed that’s not been used since last Christmas, check it now to make sure it’s still useable. Nothing will be worse than your Great Aunt complaining at 10.30pm on Christmas Eve that the springs have gone. It’s obvious that the beds will need clean sheets on them, so just make sure that you have enough time to complete the task. We all know how time consuming changing the beds can be.

Make Space

Yes it’s your house, and it’s probably heavy with Christmas decorations, cards and everything else. But clearing an area for your guests to make use of will really keep them from getting under your feet and from them upsetting your festive snowman display.

Give a little light

An overhead light might be fine in the spare room if you’re in there from time to time. But your guests might prefer to do a little reading at the end of the day or might like to leave a light on if you have smaller visitors. Introduce a little side lamp to the room and you please everyone.

Disclosure – this is a collaborative post.