It's Not Too Late To Prepare Your Home for Christmas – This Is the Only Expert Checklist You’ll Actually Need

Preparing a home for Christmas can quickly feel overwhelming. Between decorating, tidying, and creating a cozy atmosphere, it’s easy to get lost in a sea of tasks – and risk missing the festive fun altogether.

That’s why having a solid checklist makes all the difference. From sprucing up key living spaces to adding those finishing touches to Christmas decorating ideas that make your home feel merry and bright, our thorough guide ensures nothing important is forgotten, no matter when you start your prep.

This isn’t just any checklist – it’s the only one you’ll actually need. Follow it, and you can transform your home efficiently, reduce stress, and fully enjoy the holiday season in style.

How to Prepare Your Home for Christmas

Declutter First

Before bringing your Christmas tree ideas to life, or embarking on a winter deep clean, you need to employ some of the best decluttering methods to create space and set a good foundation to add your decor. And, it's never too late! You can tackle them with our lunch break decluttering method and focus on the most important areas first.

When decluttering and organizing your home for Christmas, I also recommend using the ski slope organizing method. Using a laundry basket, such as the Joseph Joseph folding laundry basket from Wayfair, collect up items as you work back and forth across a room until you reach the door. The basket then makes it easier to carry items back to their homes, stopping you from getting distracted and also tackling a lot of surface clutter at once.

You don't have to gut your whole home, especially when we are already so busy. Instead, the experts suggest focusing your effort on key zones and categories to help prepare your home for Christmas without decluttering when you feel overwhelmed.

1. Entryways

Clutter doesn’t make for a particularly festive first impression. Organizing an entryway so there’s space for your belongings, as well as those of your guests, makes for a much warmer welcome, suggests Di Ter Avest, professional organizer and founder of Diisorganized.

She says, 'This is the first impression of your home, and it's about to get a lot of traffic with visitors coming and going. Put away shoes that are out of season, organize your coat rack, and create a spot for guests to drop their bags. It's a small area, but it makes a huge difference in how your home feels during the busy holiday season.'

If you’re dealing with a small entryway, you might also want to consider removing non-functional furniture for the festive season, particularly if you’re incorporating extra Christmas hallway decorations or temporary entryway storage ideas, such as baskets, hooks, and racks.

Brenda Scott, professional home organizer and founder of Tidy My Space, adds, 'Creating a "drop zone" where everything has a place eliminates the mess because you now know exactly where stuff goes properly and quickly. Make it work for you and the others in your home. Make it achievable for little ones, too. Putting lower hooks or open-top baskets from Target with their names on can give them a sense of accomplishment and relieve you of having to do everything.’

Leaving children out of age-appropriate chores is one thing people with tidy homes never do.

2. Children's Spaces

If you have children or grandchildren, the run up to Christmas is a great time to streamline any of your toy storage ideas and make playroom ideas ready to receive new toys. Plus, donating them ahead of time means other families in need can pick up great finds for their loved ones in time for the big day, promoting generosity and sharing. Not to mention that introducing children to chores is great for early-development and will serve them for the rest of their lives

Diane Quintana, certified professional organizer in chronic disorganization and owner of DNQ Solutions, says, ‘Ask them which toys they no longer want. Their response may surprise you. If they want to donate a toy, please let them, even if it's something you or their grandparents gave them. You may want them to keep it, but I'm hoping you allow them to let it go.'

According to cleaning and organization expert Michelle Hansen, owner of Practical Perfection, decluttering toys before Christmas also has the added benefit of providing present ideas. ‘You can filter wish lists a little to focus on items they don’t already have, and include practical items as well – a new coat to replace the one they’ve grown out of or a new set of coloring pens, for example’, she says.

Plus, as professional organizer Ter Avest points out, a streamlined playroom makes it easier to keep things tidy when guests stop by during the holidays, likely laden with gifts. A good toy organizer unit from Amazon helps while encouraging tidy play.

It’s a great opportunity to explain the concept of donating toys to children in need, and allowing them to feel good about their part in the process. When donating, consider the condition and where will make the best use of it:

• Gently used condition: Avoid donating broken or heavily worn items.
• Complete sets: Make sure all puzzle pieces, game cards, or building blocks are there.
• Easy to clean: Wash plush toys and ensure everything is in good, clean condition before donating

• Local charities and shelters: Many community organizations welcome toy donations year-round.
• Hospitals and pediatric clinics: Check if they accept toys for play areas or young patients.
• Community toy drives: Schools, churches, and local organizations often run holiday toy drives.
• Online gifting groups: Platforms like Buy Nothing or Facebook Marketplace allow you to donate toys directly to families in your local community. Joining your local town's free item groups will also help you shift toys quickly.

3. Household Linens

Laura Price, founder of The Home Organization, says, ‘Organizing your linen closet is a sensible idea pre-Christmas – it’s so much easier to grab and change sheets between guests if you're not rummaging through a huge mountain of tatty or mismatched items!

'Get rid of any towels or sheets that are past their peak, then bundle bedding sheets together with matching pillowcases folded into sheets and duvet covers,' to keep everything accessible and easy to find.

These labeled linen organizing boxes from Amazon can make finding what you need easier, while making your shelves look prettier, too.

4. Living Spaces

With Christmas comes guests, and they will spend the majority of their time in the living room. Then there are all the gifts: at first neatly under the tree, then afterwards in piles around the room until everything gets put away, which can, realistically, take a couple of days.

So, usually, the week before Christmas, I use a small living room decluttering checklist to declutter my living room of anything I don't need or won't use over the holiday period. For example, coffee table books can be put away to make room for a tray of snacks or board games, and non-festive decor can make way for cocktail glasses or seasonal touches.

There are items to get rid of in your living room, so while decluttering and tidying, I make sure to set these aside for donation or the trash. Therefore, it can be helpful to have a sturdy trash bag handy, such as the Hefty Strong Large Trash Bags available at Amazon.

In other words, I try to set the space up as cozy, welcoming, and pretty, but with room to breathe.

5. Gifting Categories you Have Put on Wishlists

If you have made a holiday wishlist or have a good idea of what you might be expecting as gifts over the holiday season, then you should also get a start on these categories to make room for an influx of new items. This might mean decluttering a closet or a dresser drawer, for instance, if you think some new clothes might be on the horizon.

‘When you open a cupboard or closet and feel overwhelmed by the amount of belongings in front of you, it’s time for a good edit, especially if new things are incoming,’ begins Ashley Murphy, co-founder and CEO of NEAT Method. ‘Even an organized space can look visually cluttered if you have more belongings than fit comfortably in the space. Remove and donate those items that haven’t been used in the last year for seasonal items or the last six months for everything else.’

When decluttering these categories, it might be a good idea to put anything you are clearing out in a box or bag to one side in storage, just in case you don’t get the replacements you were looking for. Leave the donating until after the holidays.

6. Crockery and Dinnerware

Go through the plates and make sure all the sets are together, matching styles and sizes. Even making sure a set is grouped can change the aesthetic of your cupboard and help you distinguish what you do not need.

It also pays to get rid of what you no longer use or love. 'Minimizing what you have will give you control,' says Dilly Carter, professional organizer and founder of Declutter Dollies. 'Less stuff means less cleaning and less tidying.'

If you rarely host over the holiday season, then investing in an exquisite cutlery set may not be on the cards. Many of us buy items we use for one day that then take up space we don’t have. Only buy what you have room to comfortably store. To stop clutter before it starts, we recommend borrowing or renting a silverware set from friends, family, or from partyware and events rental boutiques.

Prepare the Kitchen

You're likely using your kitchen for festive baking and cooking, and streamlining this process can start with decluttering certain supplies to make space for the essentials.

1. Clear Kitchen countertops

If you’re organizing a kitchen in readiness for entertaining, you’ll need as much surface space as you can get. You’ll want it looking neat as guests will end up in the kitchen to socialize in the heart of your home. The less there is to tidy away, the better.

Kate Ibbotson, APDO member and founder of A Tidy Mind, says, ‘It sounds counterproductive, but if you want to clear space on your counters, start by organizing kitchen cabinets that are hard to reach. Items you find in there are often bulky and less-used, so getting rid of or moving them outside of the cooking zone will then free up temporary space for those countertop items you use more regularly.'

Then, declutter your countertops by taking everything off, and sorting through item by item. You can also add kitchen space on demand with the chic Yamazaki Pull-Out Counter Tray from Amazon.

2. Clear out the pantry 

Start your meal planning by clearing pantry ideas and taking inventory of what you already have.

Tina Priestly, owner and CEO at Ready, Set, REFRESH, says, 'Good pantry organization ideas create space for holiday treats and make it easier to locate what you need when cooking.'

• Declutter and take inventory: Declutter and remove outdated, unused ingredients to make space to stock up on holiday baking and festive meal essentials. Donate unopened, non-perishables to those in need
• Create seasonal zones: Arrange items into categories such as baking ingredients, canned goods, snacks, beverages, and festive treats. This will make them easier to locate.
• Incorporate storage solutions: 'Opt for airtight containers such as the OXO airtight containers from Target, to preserve the freshness of baking supplies, nuts, and other perishables,' advises Muffetta Kruger, founder of Muffetta’s Domestic Assistants. 'Prioritize accessibility by storing frequently used items at eye level and within reach and in manoeuvrable storage options, ensuring easy access while preparing those delightful Christmas recipes.'
• Use the FIFO Method: To prevent items from getting lost in the back of your pantry or letting them expire, implement a rotation system. Place older products in front and new purchases in the back.

3. Manage Cold Food Storage

Just as with the pantry and kitchen cabinets, it's important to clean and declutter the refrigerator and organize the freezer to make way for the extra food, meal prep, and Christmas leftovers storage.

I take the chance to clean the refrigerator, too, using the number one bestselling Lysol Pro Kitchen Spray Cleaner and Degreaser available at Amazon, and a microfiber cloth, such as the MR.SIGA Microfiber Cleaning Cloth, available at Walmart.

To make this easier:

• Take everything out: Professional organizer Kristin MacRae says, 'Starting with a clean slate will give you a clear vision of how to organize your refrigerator. Treat it just as you would any organizational project in the home. Empty the entire space, declutter, categorize, organize, and contain!' Throw out anything that has expired.
• Remove excess packaging: You have a lot to store in the refrigerator when entertaining family and friends, and sometimes the store packaging takes up unnecessary space. Consider if there's anything in the fridge that could be taken out of its cardboard box to create extra space. To avoid last-minute panic, cut out any nutritional info (e.g., does it contain nuts, dairy, or gluten?) and the use-by date and tape it to the container or packaging.
• Know what can be left out: Know what not to store in the refrigerator, and you'll instantly free up space for the turkey or nut roast. Many root vegetables, for example, are happy in a cool dark cabinet to make more space in the fridge for meat.
• Avoid buying too much: During the holidays, try to make meal plans each week so you are only purchasing what you need. It will prevent excess items from being stored in the refrigerator. 

4. Clean Essential Appliances

The appliances that work overtime throughout the festive period could do with a little love before the chaos of hosting over Christmas sets in.

That's why Lydia Hayman, our in-house kitchen editor and appliance expert, shares her cleaning tips for sprucing them up and getting them ready for action:

• The oven: The all-important Christmas dinner simply wouldn't work without an oven. After all, you can't exactly fit a turkey into even the best air fryer. To deep clean your oven, start by cleaning the oven racks by soaking them in hot soapy water. We recommend using Dawn Ultra Liquid Dish Soap, available at Walmart to do so. Lydia says, 'While they soak, scrub the oven walls with a paste made of baking soda and water, or oven cleaner.' The Great Value Heavy Duty Oven Cleaner available at Walmart will do nicely if you're happier with a commercial cleaner. 'Let it sit for a while to loosen grime, then wipe everything down with a damp cloth to finish. It is always best to clean an oven before Christmas, and tackle cleaning the glass oven door for a clear view of your Christmas party recipes, holiday feast, or Christmas cookies, to prevent overcooking or burning.'
• The microwave: Over time, microwaves get splattered with sauces, grease, and crumbs. A dirty microwave not only looks unappetizing but can also affect the flavor of reheated food. To clean it, fill a microwave-safe bowl with water, and add a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice. Heat the bowl for three minutes or more to loosen grime with steam, and finish by wiping down the interior with a soft cloth sprayed with Method All-Purpose Cleaner available at Amazon to remove residue and leave a streak-free finish.
• The range hood: Forgetting to clean your range hood isn't just unsanitary – it's unsightly too. If you can remove the filter, do so and soak it in hot, soapy water. While that's soaking, use a degreaser (such as the Method Lemongrass Cleaning Products Kitchen Degreaser Spray Bottle available at Amazon) to scrub the hood and fan, especially those awkward corners. Then, rinse everything and dry thoroughly before reassembling the filter.
• The coffee machine: It's important to clean your coffee maker ahead of time to prep for extra cups for guests, says Lydia. To clean a Nespresso machine, clean a Ninja coffee maker, or indeed, any other kind of caffeine appliance, run a brew cycle with equal parts water and white vinegar to descale the machine. Then, rinse it through thoroughly with two cycles of plain water.
• The dishwasher: 'A dishwasher that goes wrong can be the most frustrating thing to happen at Christmas, when you’re stacked with washing up,' Lydia warns. The Affresh dishwasher cleaning tablets from Walmart are the quickest option for this. Simply empty the filter, throw one tablet in the base, and run a cycle.

5. Check Your Tools

Evaluate tools and utensils for signs it's time to replace your pans and other baking equipment, removing any items that are broken or worn out it can affect the quality of your cooking.

Check whether the baking utensils are warped or the bottom part of the pan starts to peel off, they will lead to uneven baking with or warring results affecting the flavor and appearance of the food. It is recommended to replace them with new quality pans for better baking results.

Decorate Without Adding Clutter

As beautiful as festive decorations are, they can start to feel like clutter. Whether that's on surfaces and countertops covered with twinkling displays, or storage boxes pulled out of storage, it can be difficult to manage the Christmas chaos.

So, to decorate for Christmas without getting overwhelmed, it is worth taking some steps after decluttering your home of everyday mess, to make your home look curated, and avoid it all becoming a heap of festive mess.

• Replace home decor, don’t add to it: APDO's president and founder of Sorted! Siân Pelleschi says, 'Consider this a swap rather than an embellishment on what you already have. When you're decorating for Christmas, I always suggest taking down those items that you have out year-round.'
• Work with less: Siân says, 'Go for less to start with and then add as you see fit – remember that it is okay not to use every single bauble if your tree isn’t big enough.' It makes it a great time to declutter your decor, too. Remove any items you don't gravitate towards, or that are looking worse for wear. For those you love but don't have space for this year, don't fret. 'Maybe you have different themes or styles you want to try each year,' Siân adds. 'It’s a great opportunity to try new styles.'
• Keep decor away from functional areas: Avoid putting decor anywhere that is going to be in your way. If you use the stair banister to walk up and down the steps, avoid hanging decor here. If you have a small space, get a tree that fits the scale of that space so that you're not squeezing around it. Keep things like kitchen Christmas decor to a minimum, too.
• Stay true to one style: Visual clutter is just as bad as physical clutter – especially at Christmas, when we layer lots of decor and lights in one space. We suggest picking a color palette and sticking with it. This ties everything together and creates a cohesive look that feels intentional, rather than chaotic.

Prepare the Guest Spaces

How you prepare the space may depend on how many guests are staying and how long they are staying, but the basics to are always the same – from common cleaning tricks to ensuring guests have suitable storage and privacy.

• Clean: Work through a pre-guest cleaning checklist to prepare bedroms for guests. Target areas such as beneath the beds, baseboards, and door frames, high touch points such as light switches and door handles, and the mattress if it not been used in a while.
• Make space in storage: It is important to clear away some space in guest bedroom storage to allow guests to hang or fold clothes away during their stay – even if it is just for one night.
• Wash guest bedding: Guest linens that have been folded at the bottom of a cabinet or sat out on a bed unused can begin to smell musty over time, meaning doing laundry should be a priority on your to-do list, says Maria Mooney, cleaning expert at Truly Free. This also helps to eliminate dust mites that might set off guest allergies, she explains.
• Add some festive touches: For a truly nostalgic touch, add in a Christmas stocking at the end of the bed filled with goodies to welcome your guests in – a Christmas card, some self-care items such as relaxing face masks, sweet treats, and a pair of fluffy socks or slippers to use around the house make for the perfect Christmas welcome.
• Ensure guests have spare essentials: When staying in someone else's home, it is easy to feel awkward asking for some extra essentials, such as toothpaste, so ensure they are laid out ready for the guest to use as they need them. It can be handy to also include a piece of paper with all the important info about the house,e such as the WiFi password and details about where to find other essentials around the home, such as the coffee maker, as well as instructions on how to use it.
• Ensure guests stay warm: When styling an inviting guest bedroom, opt for high-quality bedding that will keep your guests warm and cozy. Cotton flannel bedding [available in complete sets at Brooklinen] is a good option for this. Add in extra blankets for guests to adjust their comfort level as needed, and consider including a heater and fan, as one of the main things making a guest bedroom less comfortable is a lack of options when it comes to temperature. The Dyson Hot+Cool Jet Focus Heater and Fan from Amazon offers the best of both in one sleek device.

Securing Your Home

It’s no secret that homes are attractive to burglars, especially during the holidays with the promise of gifts beneath a tree, so what can you do to protect your property when you’re not there?

• Create the illusion of an occupied home: Most will avoid entering homes that have what K. Campbell, Principal at Blue Glacier Security & Intelligence, calls ‘occupancy cues’. These include ‘cars in the driveway, lights turned on in the house, a loud television or music, and the absence of mail and packages piling up.’ 
• Don't let mail pile up: A mailbox stuffed with uncollected mail is the Achilles heel of many homes during the holidays, as Kirk MacDowell, Home Security Expert at Batten Safe, points out: ‘It is common for burglars to look in mailboxes. If they look in your mailbox and can see a few days of mail or see packages on your doorstep, it is a tell-tale sign that someone is out of town and away from their home.’ So, if you are going away, have a neighbor or friend pick up your mail and packages (which could also be stolen if they’re left out on your porch for several days).
• Secure all doors: Lock up properly before a vacation. Double-check all locks, not just doors. An unlocked door is pretty useless at protecting your home from a burglar, and that includes a door that has old locks that are easy to pick or pry open with a credit card. As an experiment, try it yourself: if your lock is easy to tamper with, replace it.
• Hide valuables: While you can’t change your whole home decorating scheme, drawing the curtains and blinds if you have valuable furniture, artwork, or accessories on display is always a good idea. Move wrapped gifts out of view of the window, too.
• Keep your social media accounts private: ‘Do not post about going on vacation or post photographs of being on vacation until you return. Criminals monitor social media to find homes where people are on vacation. Avoid bragging about expensive gifts, too.
• Be discerning when choosing a home security system: Many modern security cameras (there’s a wide selection on Amazon) with remote access features come with speakers and even video streaming that will allow you to talk to whoever is outside your door, even if you’re not there. Wireless doorbells such as the eufy subscription-free doorbell at Amazon can also give you some protection, although it will be limited to the area around your front door. 

Create a Cleaning Strategy

Leaving cleaning until quite late in the season might sound stressful, but it ensures your home is spotless when guests arrive, and saves you time repeating bigger cleaning tasks.

You will have already tackled guest spaces and kitchens by now, so this is for all the other rooms that may be feeling a bit neglected through the holiday rush. Deep cleaning before Christmas ensures a tidy home to rest in over the festive period, and will make the festive clear-up easier afterwards.

• Clean windows inside and out: Cleaning windows is usually a task people leave for spring and summer, but wiping them down in winter (especially if there has been snow or rain) will help to increase natural light in the darkest months of the year.
• Use a lint roller on furniture and lampshades: Dusting lampshades might seem a little excessive, but for a time of year when the sun sets early and we spend most of our waking hours in the dark, it makes a lot of sense. Dusting lampshades is not always easily done with a grippy microfiber cloth, however, so I use a reusable lint roller such as the Reusable Sticky Picker Set Cleaner Lint Roller available to Amazon to run over the lampshades in my house and clear them of dust and settled hair.
• Clean out fireplaces and log stoves: If you are lucky enough to have a working fireplace or log stove in your home, then you will likely have had the chimney swept when preparing your home for fall. Before Christmas, however, it is a good idea to do a quick check of the hearth and clear out any collected soot or ash.
• Launder table linens and polish silverware: Christmas dining room decor looks fantastic when done well, but is often improved by having fresh table linens, napkins, and polished silverware.
• Vacuum carpets: For a quick carpet odor fix, Forrest Webber, cleaning expert and founder of Bear Brothers Cleaning and The Trade Table, recommends cleaning a carpet with baking soda. He advises sprinkling some baking soda on the carpets and giving them a quick vacuum after 15 to 30 minutes, using your best vacuum. 'It's a simple way to keep the space fresh, even with all the extra foot traffic,' he continues. You can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the baking soda and let it infuse for an easy fragrance boost.
• Clean up tree needles daily: If you have a real Christmas tree, vacuum around it every day to stay on top of falling needles. Use a tree skirt to help catch any dripping sap or water spills. Should sap get onto your flooring, rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer works well for efficient removal. For sap stuck on fabric, use an ice cube to freeze the sap and harden it, then gently scrape it off with a butter knife.

Last Minute Hosting Prep

If you are finding your home increasingly overstimulating in the run-up to Christmas day, but don’t have much time to spare between final preparations and seeing family and friends, professional home organizers have your back.

These four tricks can help to establish order over any parts of your home that have slipped during the run-up to guest arrivals.

1. Use The Two-Tub Trick

Barbara Brock, professional home organizer and home stager, begins, ‘If time is of the essence, and it’s necessary to declutter quickly, you don’t have time to edit. It’s important to remove items quickly to limit visual clutter and make a home look organized fast, even if it isn’t.

‘I suggest having an empty tub handy to put unnecessary items in. You can then quickly remove items and put them in a closet to be edited later. The first major pre-Christmas decluttering rule is to prioritize what rooms people will be going into – these are the rooms you want to focus on first,’ Barbara suggests.

Alternatively, grab clear and dark bags. In the clear trash bag put items that you want to keep but don't have time to sort and put away. In dark trash bags, put items that can be thrown away.’

2. Clear Flat Surfaces

When you only have a few minutes minutes to spare, we highly recommend focusing on your home’s flat surfaces as part of your Christmas hosting prep countdown – counters, coffee tables, consoles – anything you could put a drink down on should be clear.

Jamila Musayeva, etiquette expert, agrees, ‘Have as much as possible open space in the kitchen counters so that you can fill it up with used dishes later on easily and proceed to entertain your guests without having to make space. Empty a couple of shelves or an area of the cupboard to store incoming food items or serving platters. Clear countertops of non-essentials to give yourself plenty of workspace.

‘The entryway is your business card so to speak. It is your first impression. Make it count and work on it in advance,’ Jamila adds. ‘Get rid of all unnecessary items. Spend 10 minutes clearing it out – store out-of-season items, neatly arrange what’s necessary, and create a space for guests’ belongings. A tidy entry sets a welcoming tone.’

You might even want to take away some of your decor to help cut clutter when decorating this Christmas. This holiday period is usually one of excess, but it is possible to have too much of a good thing when your home looks like Santa threw up on it. Besides, it makes cleaning around holiday decor ten times easier.

3. Clear Bathroom Clutter

It is a good idea to use the guest scanning method to prepare for guests. This means walking around your home as if you were a visitor and seeing what you spot – especially in spots like the bathroom.

Jo Hayes, founder and international etiquette coach at EtiquetteExpert suggests, ‘Get[ting] rid of excess bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in the shower or bath. These can make the bathroom look cluttered and messy, and attract mold. Do a stocktake of bathroom cabinets, clear out anything unused or unnecessary and make sure toilet paper is well stocked and stored within easy reach.’

It never hurts to clean your bathroom in 30 minutes or less if you can fit it into your schedule, either.

4. Bag Up Gifts

A tree with presents piled up beneath it can look great in the movies, but in real life when we have to share this space with this mountain of boxes, it can quickly get overwhelming.

To keep the area around your Christmas tree neat (and make it easier to keep your home clean with a real Christmas tree), we recommend strategically using gift bags, available in sets from Amazon, to split presents up into recipients. Your gifts all stay together under the tree, but on a smaller footprint, helping to make your living space less visually overstimulating.

5. Make a Schedule

It’s easy to get distracted by present-opening and socializing, so putting together a schedule is sensible if you want to ensure Christmas dinner actually makes it to the table! Be sure to allow yourself some time out of the kitchen to enjoy the day with your family, that’s what it’s all about, after all.

What to Shop

Then, when the festivities are over, start with the tiny ways to reset your home after Christmas to return to normality without burning yourself out.