The holidays are right around the corner. Is your house ready for hosting?! Here’s a checklist to make sure that your bases are covered before family and friends cross the threshold.

The main areas to focus on are the kitchen, bathrooms and guest rooms. Run the dishwasher, clear and clean kitchen counters and fridge shelves. In the bathrooms, scrub toilets and sinks and remove any soap build up or mildew from the shower tiles. Bedrooms, of course, should have clean sheets and be dusted and vacuumed.

Bathroom:
Put out clean towels and stock an ample supply of toilet tissue. It’s always a nice touch to also have a range of toiletries available for guests, including toothpaste, shaving cream, razors, soap, shampoo and conditioner.

Guest room:
Is there enough room (and hangers) in the closet for your visitors to hang a few outfits? If not, clear space, or add over the door hangers to give guests their own space for hanging clothes. It’s also nice to clear a spot for a suitcase or use a chair as a luggage stand. Leave out a few extra pillows of varying firmness and an extra blanket. A small vase of flowers also is a nice homey touch.

Kitchen:
Have a variety of drinks on hand – milk, juice, coffee, tea, plus all of the things people like to add to those drinks. Leave a few bottles of water, some fruit or energy bars out for guests to take with them when they leave the house. And stocking up a variety of breakfast options – cereal, bread, fruit and yogurt – will fill them up and set the day off on the right foot.

House logistics:
Be sure that your guests have the info they need! Share your cell phone number, the wifi password, house alarm code and some easy directions from your house to public transportation and/or key destinations. Share a spare set of house keys to avoid problems down the road.

You’re ready (except for the cooking and decorating)!