Christmas is a busy time of year for everyone, and if you are the host of the festivities this year then it isn’t only a lot of pressure, but you may also have to adapt your home.
As seeing as it could cost around £200 for the hosting duties, you’re going to want to ensure that your guests fully enjoy the experience and you are well-prepared. Some people charge their guests for the privilege or ask them to bring their own items, but if you want to go it alone then don’t forget the basics.
Guest Ready Christmas: Appliances You Need
Here are some tips and pointers to make your preparation a bit easier and ensure you have everything ready for the hectic period:
Before They Arrive
Get the fridge stocked up
The last thing you want to be doing on Christmas Eve is nipping out to the supermarket in between the arrivals. Get ahead of the game and spread out the purchases, so you’re left with just the fresh produce to buy.
Preparing the food shop is also a good way of ensuring you have enough space for everything. If you’re going to have an overflow of goods that won’t cram into your existing fridge freezer, it could be worth getting a small extra appliance to sit in the garage, which will also come in handy the rest of the year such as summer barbecues. Or, maybe you just want a mini fridge which can sit anywhere but keep the drinks all in one place.
Check out our reviews of the best small fridges and freezers for your extras for some guidance, or maybe a wine fridge is more suited to your needs?
Keep them warm
Winters in the UK are always cold, and keeping your home heated to make sure all of your guests are comfortable could end up adding a lot on to your bills.
An additional heater, such as an electric version or a log burner, will help keep your gas usage at bay while offering powerful and targeted results. If you have guests staying over, purchasing an electric blanket could also help to keep them warm when the nights arrive.
Prepare the entertainment
You love a good old board game. They prefer to sit in front of the telly.
To keep everyone happy and the Christmas movies ticking over, a new television with all of the latest technology will make life easier. With many offering catch-up services at the touch of a button and ultra-clear pictures, festive viewing has never been so fancy. Plus, you can catch up on all the soaps you missed once everything calms down.
The Big Day
Offer them a coffee
If your house is going to be full of a load of excitable children, then it will probably be a very early start for everyone.
Caffeine will be essential, but it’s going to take forever to serve every guest using your single-serve pod coffee machine. Why not get a filter coffee machine which can not only produce enough for several people at one time but can also keep the beverage warm for that much-needed second cup after all the presents have been unwrapped?
Thankfully, we have reviewed some of the best coffee machines for your very needs.
Ditch the dishes
A lot of guests means a lot of washing up afterwards.
Don’t wait for people offering to help you (we all know it’ll be a long shot), so instead give yourself a rest too and load everything up in a dishwasher. Make sure you get one which will be able to accommodate all of the plates, dishes and cutlery in as few loads as possible to save energy. After all, it is going to be a busy machine.
If yours is on its last legs or not quite up to the job, don’t rely on Santa to read your mind. Grab a new one in time for the big wash up.
After The Festivities
Prepare for the cleanup
Once everyone has left, there will probably be a lot of early Spring cleaning to undertake before New Year arrives. The fun never stops, does it?
Nobody likes cleaning, but if a trail of mess and destruction has been left behind, make life easy for yourself.
A powerful vacuum cleaner can make the carpets and upholstery look good as new again, especially if there have been a few guest animals in the home. Grabbing a steam mop could also get any kitchen, bathroom or hard laminate floors sparkling, dirt-free and fresh.
