It’s less than 6 weeks away, but it’s never to late to get a little bit more organised.
Preparing for guests can mean a bit of extra work. Sometimes we procrastinate for so long it becomes a stressful half-done mess in a rush. It can just seem like too much work. Especially if your spare room is also your junk room!
What a wonderful opportunity to get that space sorted. You have time, so break it up into chunks of manageable time or effort.
You could also have a think about making it into an office or craft room for you to use after your guests have gone.
But first, let’s make that room comfortable and attractive for your guests.
Step 1. Declutter.
You have your goal in mind, now it’s time to take action!
Make some space to put a few empty cardboard boxes nearby. Remember, the bigger the box the lighter the things that go in it.
You’ll need 3-4 boxes (and replacements if you have a lot of stuff).
- Re-home. Does it belong to someone else? Or should it be somewhere else in your house? Off it goes!
- Donate. Have you used it in the last year? Do you absolutely love it or need it in the next 3 months? No? Send it off to a new home.
- Recycle. That collection of paper bags, bits of might-come-in-handy cardboard, and old pieces of wrapping paper that will never again fit another gift, no matter how hard you try. That kind of thing. Into the big bin it goes.
If you have large things, like spare furniture, treat them the same as above, there’s always a charity that will come and collect them if you can’t deliver. Have a look at my Useful Links page for contact details.
So now you have space, you only have what your guest will need in the room. The floor is clear.
Step 2. Clean.
- Give it a really good going over.
- Vacuum behind the door and under the bed.
- Dust the skirting boards, even above the door frame,
- Get any old spiderwebs down.
Step 3. Unmake the bed.
- Give it a good airing, if you can, get the mattress and pillows out into the sunshine.
- If the pillows are old, think about buying some lovely fresh new ones.
- You might even want to vacuum the mattress.
Now you can make it a haven with little touches that will make your guests feel welcome.
(And plan how you’ll use the room the rest of the year now that it’s no longer the junk room… Exciting!)
Happy organising!
