5 Easy Ways to Prepare Your North Shore Home for Thanksgiving

As I mentioned in my past blog post, North Shore homeowners should not wait until after the holiday season is over to list their homes. It is indeed a busy season, but there is one more thing you need to get a head start on— preparing your home for guests!

If you will be opening your home to friends and family in Glencoe, Winnetka, Northbrook, Highland Park, Deerfield or the surrounding areas this Thanksgiving, keep these five easy tasks in mind that will save you later as you welcome the holiday hustle and bustle inside.

Clean the silverware

Thanksgiving is a holiday built around feasting, so take some time to clean the silverware. Instead of chemicals to make them shine, try placing them in a pot of water, salt and baking soda. Bring to a boil for a few minutes and then place the silverware into warm, soapy water. Each piece should clean up nicely with a bit of scrubbing. 

Dust ceiling fans and blades

Your living spaces in your North Shore home are one place you'll want to focus on this holiday season. Clean the windows and reach up high to dust ceiling fans and blades. You may find your home getting warmer as more people gather inside and if you haven't checked your fan recently, turning it on may spread the dust around. Slide each fan blade into a pillowcase and wipe clean; this traps the dust inside instead of pushing it into the air.

Think about your guests

Go over your guest list for Thanksgiving. Will you have small children in attendance? You may like to childproof the areas of your home where they will be spending the most time— living room, dining room and bedrooms. Use outlet caps to keep little fingers out, move electrical cords out of reach and consider blocking off stairways with a gate.

Test the heating system

The holidays do tend to bring colder weather to the North Shore and if you haven't had your HVAC system inspected, now is the time to do so. You can even go a step farther to test where airflow is heaviest and lightest in your home by closing vents in rooms you don't often use. 

Clean your oven

There is no harm in cleaning your oven with a bit of baking soda, lemon juice and vinegar, but avoid self-cleaning the oven at all costs. Self-cleaning increases the risk of the oven breaking, blowing a fuse or thermostat and putting a damper on your holiday cooking plans.

I wish you a happy Thanksgiving, whether you're staying put here on the North Shore or traveling for the holiday. As always, feel free to reach out for more information about buying a home or selling your current property.

The fall and winter are great times to make a move!

Janie Bress
Your North Shore Real Estate Expert

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