How to Get my House Ready for Thanksgiving

That special day when we pause collectively to give thanks for all that we have is soon upon us. Don’t get caught off-guard by the impending Thanksgiving holiday. This can be quite a busy time of year, so planning ahead now will make it much easier and less stressful when you want your space ready for family and guests to enjoy time together.

Here are things you can do to get your house ready for Thanksgiving that are easy to start doing now, so you won’t be feeling rushed closer to that much-anticipated fourth Thursday of November!

1. Make a List of Who Is Coming

“Who will be my guests?” should be top of mind. This will give you a head count, so you’ll know if you need to put out a second dining table, for example, and how many chairs you’ll be needing to entertain the crowd. 

You’ll also want to stock the guest bathroom with extra towels, soap, toilet tissue and candles, since more people than usual will be using the facilities.

2. Determine What Food to Prepare

When you have a pretty good idea of how many people are coming over, you’ll be ready to plan how much food to purchase for the main event. Of course, there are no worries if you overestimate, since you’ll then have some delicious leftovers to look forward to. 

At this point, you’ll also want to keep in mind what types of food to prepare, which is crucial if you have guests with food allergies.

If a large crowd is coming, check that you have enough dishes and cutlery. When you are in short supply, borrow extras from a neighbor, friend or relative.

3. Pin Down a Schedule to Clean the House

There’s an old saying that, if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. So, it’s important that you actually make a schedule so you and your family can get the whole house cleaned up, inside and out, before Thanksgiving arrives.

Put up the details on a calendar or a planner, such as on the kitchen wall, to keep everyone on track. It’s easy for people to forget about their duties when they are busy with end-of-year tasks!

4. Delegate Chores to Your Family Members

You’ll find that the Thanksgiving holiday preparations to transform your house will go much more smoothly (and faster!) when you enlist the entire family. 

Assign chores to each person based on their abilities and interests, such as one child may make decorations while another one is in charge of moving furniture to make space in the living room for additional guests.

5. Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving Celebration

Getting your home squared away in plenty of time before Thanksgiving should go easier when you try the above-mentioned tips. And when your home is ready, you will breathe a sigh of relief that one more item on your holiday to-do list is checked off.

Here’s hoping that this will be a memorable Thanksgiving holiday for you and your loved ones!