Getting your home holiday-ready

PROPERTY NEWS - The festive season is fast approaching. To get the most out of the year-end break, homeowners who are taking a few days leave over the holiday period could take some time now to do a few household preparations to get their home ready for the holidays.

According to Regional Director and CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa, Adrian Goslett, hosting guests over the holiday season often provides the motivation one needs to get around to household maintenance that was put off owing to other demands on one's time.

"Those hosting guests over the coming holiday season will most likely want to make sure everything is tidy and in working order long before their guests arrive. As a bonus, this can act as a means of safeguarding one's investment by addressing any issues before they turn into costly repairs," Goslett notes.

• In the build-up to the year-end break, Goslett also recommends taking the opportunity to touch up cracks or paint-chipped corners and other small issues homeowners have been meaning to get around to all year, like the squeaky cupboard door and the crack in the bedroom ceiling.

• It is also that time of year when the Christmas decorations need to be set up, which could present an opportunity to create some new memories in a new home. "The housing market has been incredibly active over the last eighteen months or so. This means that there is likely to be many homeowners celebrating Christmas for the first time in a new home this year," Goslett remarks.

• To create new, long-lasting memories in a new home, homeowners could start new traditions like posing for a family Christmas photo somewhere in the home or purchase a pine tree for decoration that could later be planted in the backyard as a lasting reminder of the first Christmas in the new home.

• To lower the risks of your home being the target of household robbery, those planning on being away for a few days or weeks over this period will also need to take care of a few things before they leave. Install timers on the light fixtures in the front-facing rooms in the property so that it appears as though somebody is home.

• Arrange for somebody to collect mail so that it doesn't build up in the mailbox while you are away. Getting garden services to trim the front lawn is another way to make it less obvious that nobody is home.