Getting Your Home Holiday-Ready: What to Book Now
Hosting this year? The trick is doing things in the right order, and booking the busy trades before everyone else does.
- Clear the clutter Haul it out before anything else.
- Fix and paint Book painters in October.
- Wash the outside Driveway, walkway, front steps.
- Windows Let the light in for the photos.
- Deep clean last One to three days before guests.
If you’re hosting Thanksgiving or the holidays this year, the weeks right before are the busiest of the year for painters, cleaners and pressure washers. Booking in October gets you first pick of dates. Doing things in the right order means nothing gets done twice.
1. Clear the clutter first
Everything else goes faster in an empty room. Haul off the old furniture, the boxes in the guest room and the treadmill nobody uses before painters or cleaners arrive.
2. Repairs, then paint
Patch holes and dings first, then paint. Focus on the rooms guests actually see: the entry, living room, dining room and guest bath. A fresh coat in a couple of rooms makes the whole house feel new.
Latex paint is dry to the touch within hours but takes a few weeks to fully cure. Plan painting at least a week or two before guests, and go easy hanging decorations on fresh walls.
3. Wash the outside
First impressions start at the curb. A clean driveway, walkway and front steps make a big difference for very little money. Wash before the leaves are fully down, or have the crew blow them off first.
4. Windows
Clean windows let in the low winter light and make every holiday photo look better. Do them after any outdoor washing, so spray doesn’t spot fresh glass.
5. Deep clean last
Schedule the deep clean one to three days before guests arrive, after every other project is finished. Painting, hauling and repairs all make dust, so cleaning earlier means cleaning twice.
Lights up before Thanksgiving
If you want lights on the house, book the installer in October too. Most pros hang lights in early November, with the lights, install and January takedown included. How holiday lighting works.
Your timeline
- Early to mid October: book the painter, the junk haul and the light installer.
- Late October: painting and repairs.
- Early November: pressure washing and windows. Gutters once the leaves are down.
- The week of: deep clean.
See a typical Charlotte price for any of these in under a minute, with no phone number needed. When you’re ready, we’ll introduce you to one insured local pro.
Prices are typical Charlotte-area ranges from insured pros, not quotes. Your pro confirms the exact price after seeing the job.
