Preparing Your Home For The Thanksgiving Holiday

Invite Guests Into Your Home

Halloween has passed and it is time to start planning and preparing for the Thanksgiving holiday. If you follow Unit Realty Group on Instagram, each week we have been providing home maintenance tips and tricks. Thanksgiving is a time many of you open your homes to family and friends. We wanted to provide you with 13 simple ways to prep and spruce up your home for the holidays!

Clean your appliances - Appliances take a beating during this holiday, but there's still time to make a few pre-holiday adjustments. Soft scrub with bleach works really well for cleaning stainless steel appliances. Use warm water and a sponge, scrub with the grain of the surface to avoid scratches and streaks.

Clean your sink disposal - The trick is vinegar ice cubes. Put vinegar in an ice tray, freeze, then run the ice cubes down the disposal. It freshens and also sharpens the blade.

Inspect the fridge - It is just inevitable, the fridge and freezer will be opened and closed more times on Thanksgiving day than it is in a couple of weeks of normal use. Tighten screws and any loose door handles. Clear cold air vents and freezer vents, reposition food to allow cold air to move more freely. Replace burned out lights.

Test your oven temperature - If your oven doesnt have a thermometer, you may want to invest in a battery-powered infrared thermometer. Make sure the oven is in working condition, no one wants cold turkey, cold stuffing or cold pie!

Get the vacuum ready to go - Clean the canister or replace the bag. Vacuum the floors, dont forget to clean the hard to reach places, under and behind the furniture.

Tune up the kitchen knives - Make sure the blades are sharpened and ready to easily cut the bird.

Inspect the dishwasher - Remove food debris and wipe off detergent residue. Check the strainer/drain area in the wash tub.

Give some attention to the toilets - Take care of poor flushing action by replacing the flapper valve or the entire flush mechanism. Tighten mounting bolts if the toilet rocks, and replace the toilet seat if it is loose or cracked. With lots of guests in your home, this will be a high-traffic area.

Seasonal decorating - Make your home festive for the holiday with simple decor. Bring in nature inspired dining table centerpieces and tasteful table settings. Line the fireplace mantel with candles and decorative branches.

Refresh your window boxes - If you dont have the time to replant, replace your window box with piles of decorative gourds. Or get some potted mums to place on your doorstep.

Deck out your bar cart - Enjoy a drink with your guests. To keep things simple, get the fixings for a featured drink based around one type of alcohol and have a few other options of spirits for guests to create a drink on their own.

Have ample seating - Guests dont want to stand all day or throughout the meal. Along with enough chairs around the dining table, make sure there is several seating groupings throughout the house in the den and living room areas.

Present food in an aesthetically pleasing way - Use your best dishes and silverware to impress your guests. Bring out a table runner or a nice table cloth. Create a separate sweets table with colorful bowls and consider placing pies on a three-tiered platter.

Enjoy your time with family and friends. The holiday can be stressful especially when you are the host. We hope these tips can allow you to be organized and ready to invite guests in your home when the holiday arrives.