The holidays are a wonderful time to get your whole family together and celebrate while staying cozy and warm indoors, away from the winter weather outside. However, if you're a smart homeowner, you already know that you should start to prepare your home for the holidays long before the winter weather hits. Not only do you want to make sure that your home is safe and secure, you also want to ensure that it will be comfortable and cheery enough to invite friends, family, and neighbors over for a visit. Here are three tips to help you get started in prepping your home for the festive holiday season.
Keep Warm and Cozy
One of the most important things that you can do to make sure that your home is ready to welcome guests for the holiday is to make sure that your heater is working well. The absolute worst time for a heater to break down would be in the middle of a holiday celebration, which is, unfortunately, often when the worst winter weather strikes. Avoid disaster by getting your heater checked out and repaired, if necessary, by a trusted local contractor that you find online or through positive recommendations. For example, if you need heating services Williamsburg VA, a company like Art Newsome Inc. can make sure that your heater is functioning well and that you're ready for guests.

Decorate Outdoors
You don't have to spend a fortune to make your home and garden look great during the holidays. A simple string of lights along your roof is the easiest way to show your holiday spirit. If you want to be more elaborate, there are many varieties and styles of holiday lights that you can add outdoors. Or, make it even easier on yourself and add an inflatable to your front lawn. If you can't reach a power source to the outdoors, look for lights or decorations that take batteries.

Clean and Decorate Indoors
It's tempting to go all-out on indoor decorations but focus on cleaning up, first. During the winter you'll be spending a lot of time indoors, and it can easily start to feel cramped if you're surrounded by lots of stuff. Only after you clean out your home should you think about decorating for the holiday. Keep indoor decorations simple, festive, and cozy for your guests.