Already getting stressed about Christmas? – don’t be!

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It’s exactly 11 weeks until Christmas and now is the time to make sure your house is in tip top condition. It’s always a busy time of year and there is always lots to do, so getting the house ready for visitors now will take the stress out of Christmas and won’t get in the way of the festivities.

TWO thirds of UK households have unfinished DIY projects, of which 63% are relatively simple such as painting and decorating. Three quarters of householders say that the jobs they do in the house are driven by what others think about their homes*.

Brian Burton, General Manager at 0800 HANDYMAN says: “There’s no need to worry – with a little foresight and planning, you can be really proud of your home at Christmas. There’s nothing like a deadline to focus the mind so use Christmas as the impetus you need to finish off those DIY jobs and think how pleased you’ll be when they’re all finished.”

Getting the house ready and organized is the best way to ensure you’ll have more holiday cheer and less holiday stress. A house full of relatives and friends will put extra pressure on household appliances, resulting in higher numbers of emergency call outs for problems like boiler breakdowns or leaking taps and toilets.

Brian Burton continues: “With the festive season nearly upon us, we are witnessing an increase in the number of calls for property maintenance checks to be carried out in the home, in particular boilers. Boilers are costly, so it is vital to keep them in proper working order. Remember, routine maintenance will avoid costly repair bills further down the line.”
Here are a few of our tips on how to make sure your house is prepared for Christmas and ready for the next few weeks and the cold winter ahead:

Get your boiler checked out – Don’t run the risk of being without hot water and heating at Christmas. Plan ahead now and get your boiler serviced. You often hear the saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, and while sometimes this may be good advice, it doesn’t apply to boiler servicing. An old boiler (more than 10-15 years old) will cost you more in the long run, not just for repairs, but also in energy bills.

Make more space – Remove some clutter by hanging shelves. If you have books all over the kitchen table and things cluttering up the sides, why not hang some shelves. It’s a quick and easy job. Make sure that you know where your pipes and cables run before you start and use a spirit level to ensure that you’re going to put them up straight.

General house repairs – If you have been living with a dripping tap, a creaky door, or broken steps you should get these things taken care of before your guests and the bad weather arrives arrive. A few small house repairs and improvements can make your home safer and more comfortable for your holiday houseguests.

If you can do these few things ahead of time you’ll be free to use December to focus on the fun things like shopping, baking and Christmas decorations, not to mention organising parties to show off your home!

To make an enquiry or booking with 0800 HANDYMAN, please telephone; 0800 426396 (HANDYMAN) or refer to the website at www.0800handyman.com.

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