The start of a new season is always a great time to get organised, especially in winter when the build-up to the busy holiday period can be stressful and always comes round before you know it.
We’ve put together our guide to get your home ready for winter so you can enjoy the season to its fullest.
Where to start?
1. Write a list
Knowing where to start can be tricky. For each room in your home, write a list of all the problem areas and tasks you want to tackle this season.
If you’re struggling to come up with ideas, ask yourself these questions:
- How will the space change during the holidays? Do I need to prepare for this?
- What do I need to combat the colder weather?
- What tasks do I need to do during the holidays? Can I do any of them now?
2. Prioritise
Prioritise your tasks using a scale of 1-5 (a level 1 task is non-essential but something you want to be done and a level 5 task is essential and must be done).
Your list should look something like this:
Room | Task | Priority | Achieved? |
Bedroom | Replace summer duvet with winter one | 4 | Yes |
Bedroom | Swap out summer clothes | 5 | Yes |
Kitchen | Buy seasonal pantry ingredients | 3 | |
Attic | Check holiday lights are working | 1 |
3. Start with the most important jobs first
Whilst going room-by-room is a helpful way to identify tasks, when you’re working to a deadline (holiday season!), it’s better to start with the most important tasks across the whole house first – in case you don’t have enough time to finish everything.
Start with any level 5 tasks then move on to the lower levels. Ideally, you want to have completed all the tasks before the holidays begin, but having a few simple level 1 tasks left over isn’t going to create extra stress.
Room-by-Room Guide:
Here are a few seasonal tasks you may have for each room…
Bedroom
1. Replace your summer clothes with winter ones
The colder weather means it’s time to update your wardrobe. Switch out your summer dresses for woolly jumpers so they’re easy to access on those chilly days.
2. Change the duvet
Like with clothes, we often have different duvets for summer and winter so it’s good to change them over in advance of the freezing nights. Duvets are bulky so use a vacuum-sealed bag to reduce the size of the spare duvet and make it easier to store.
Sitting room
1. Make space for seasonal decorations
Make space for decorations in your sitting room by removing surface clutter and rearranging the layout to fit in bulkier items like the christmas tree.
2. Create blanket storage
It’s always useful to have a few blankets on hand for movie nights and frosty mornings. Invest in a basket or ottoman and roll up your blankets to store them inside.
3. Swap out summer smells for more seasonal ones
Don’t overwhelm your living room with too many smells. Choose a few choice candles or diffusers that fit the season and put the others away.
Kitchen
1. Cull ingredients that are no longer used
Winter is a time for good food so make sure you’ve got space in your cupboard and freezer for holiday ingredients by removing anything that’s out of date or no longer used.
2. Stock up the cupboards
Get your shopping done early this year and fill up the cupboards with seasonal goodies to avoid the last-minute panic of out-of-stock ingredients.
3. Prepare dishes in advance
To really get ahead this season, prepare as many festive dishes as you can in advance and store them in the freezer.
Attic/loft/garage
1. Rearrange seasonal items so they’re easily accessible
Make sure any items you need through winter are close to the front of your storage area and are easily accessible. Move summer items to the back and bring forward decorations, skiwear and extra serveware.
2. Check in with your decorations
Check through your decorations and lights before you start decorating to see if any are past their prime or broken and need replacing.
Utility/hallway
1. Prepare for muddy boot season
Make sure your utility and hallway are ready for muddy-boot season with extra storage for wellies and coats – and a few towels for messy furry friends!
A last note about end of season sales
The end-of-season sales are great for picking up discounted storage solutions for the season ahead. If you need new storage boxes for your decorations or blanket baskets, have a look online for any deals.
Whether you have lots of room for your winter kit, or space is a little tight, Make sure you prioritise what’s most important to eliminate unnecessary stress and keep your home organised throughout the winter.