‘Tis the season for love, joy, and the scrutiny of your in-laws as they attend the holiday gathering you bravely decided to host this year. But fear not, I have you covered with four seasonal DIY-mas projects that are guaranteed to impress any visitor.

They’ll be wondering whether you forked out thousands for a professional to deck out your home, or if you’ve suddenly become a DIY wizard!

Get your lawn looking tree-rific

With summer cricket in full swing and ample space needed for eskies, folding chairs and tables, you’ll want your lawn looking merry and bright. Make sure to regularly mow and water your lawn leading up to the holidays, so you’ll have green and healthy grass ready for all the festive fun. Water your lawn in the early morning or evening, when the sun isn’t directly glaring onto the grass and it has more time to soak into the soil without evaporating. Consider installing an irrigation system that automatically starts at set times to take away the hassle of being home at the right time.

Mow your lawn every one to two weeks and use a lawn line trimmer to keep it neat, but don’t cut it too low because this can stress the grass when it’s hot. You should also weed regularly so that invasive plants don’t take over and give your lawn some extra TLC by using a walk-behind aerator and fertilising it in early summer. Aeration helps give your grass the space to allow moisture to reach the roots and improve drainage.

Deep clean from head to mistletoe

Start from the inside and work your way out, paying attention to every area that your guests will see during the ‘grand tour’. Begin by thoroughly vacuuming the carpets and mopping the hard floors. Then, it’s time to shampoo the carpets and rugs with a carpet shampoo machine, along with upholstery to give your home a fresh look and feel.

Next, let’s move outside. It’s likely been a while since you last held a big outdoor gathering, so, let’s start by dusting off and washing down the outdoor furniture to give your guests a comfortable place to sit and enjoy. Then, once the furniture is clean, sweep away any debris from the front path, porch or veranda. You can use tools like a magic wand pressure washer to hit those hard-to-reach places to give a newly-paved look that will make your guest think you’ve done a full renovation.

Once all the cleaning is complete, don’t forget to wash and wipe down your front door and windows to give an extra sparkle.

Yule be sorry if you don’t spruce up your entertainment spaces

Nobody wants to feel ‘Claus-trophobic’ when hanging around your house for the holidays. Plan out where you’re going to seat everyone and your furniture layout. Think about the traffic pattern, making sure people can move around the Christmas table easily and have convenient access to food and drink.

Do an inventory of your entertaining supplies. Not enough seating or tables to go around? You don’t have to rush out and buy them, just hire them for as long as you need.

You may need an extra freezer or fridge too, for all that amazing leftover festive food and drink that will keep your entire household fed well into the new year. Think about comfort too – on a hot day, outdoor misting fans can help cool everyone down after that friendly game of cricket got a little too serious toward the end.

Now’s the time to get a head start on getting your house ready for the holiday season. With some early planning and preparation, you’ll be ready to relax with a glass of bubbly during the festivities!

If you need to hire equipment for your festive makeover, Kennards Hire has more than 200 branches across Australia and New Zealand. There’s 24/7 online hire, and after-hours returns service (in selected locations) to help make Christmas easy.

This article was contributed by Sean Brown, Site Manager, NSW Operations – Kennards Hire.

Looking for more tips for getting the home ship-shape? Check out how to clean the gutters according to the experts.