Getting your home ready for holiday guests

Home guide

Why a mountain house needs a guest walk-through

You've lived with the sticky door, the toilet that runs a little and the cold corner of the guest room for so long that you don't see them anymore. Guests do. Visitors arriving in December from sea level also bring things you don't think about: suitcases that scrape doors, sleepy kids on unfamiliar stairs, grandparents who need a sturdy rail, and a body that isn't used to 6,500 feet and dry air. Walk the house the way a guest would, starting at the driveway, and fix what you find while the weather still lets you work outside.

Aim to finish by mid-November. After that, every contractor, handyman and delivery company in Summit and Wasatch counties is booked solid for the holidays, and a cold snap can make the outside jobs much harder.

Start at the entry: the first ten feet matter most

Most guest injuries at a mountain home happen on the way in, not in the house. Visitors arrive after dark, with luggage in both hands, wearing shoes that aren't made for ice. Check:

• Handrails: grab every rail and push. A rail that moves needs to be re-anchored into framing before the first snow, not after. Add a rail where steps have none.
• Steps and treads: look for loose, cupped, cracked or sunken treads. Wood treads that are cupped hold ice, and concrete steps that have heaved can tilt toward the door.
• Lighting: house numbers, the path and the steps should be visible from the road at night. Replace dead bulbs and consider a dusk sensor. New wiring is electrician work, but swapping a bulb or a fixture on existing wiring is simple.
• The door: it should open, close and latch with one hand. A sticking or drafty door is a bigger problem in December than it is in October. See our guides to drafty doors and storm doors in windy towns.
• A place for boots and coats: a mat, a boot tray and a few sturdy hooks stop a puddle of snowmelt from becoming a slip hazard inside.

Keep a plastic shovel and a bucket of traction sand by the door. Rock salt can damage concrete and tracks into the house, and metal shovels gouge wood treads. If a path is steep or icy every winter, a better handrail and a surface that drains are worth fixing now. See our snow stakes and plow damage guide for driveway edges and markers.

Heat, drafts and the guest room that's always cold

Guest rooms at the end of a hall, over a garage or in a basement are the coldest rooms in the house, and the ones that spent months with the vent closed. Test them early:

• Open the vents and return grilles, move furniture away from them and listen for airflow. Replace the furnace filter before holiday cooking and extra occupancy load the system.
• Check windows and doors for drafts with a hand or a lit candle held a safe distance away. Weatherstripping, caulk and door sweeps are small jobs now and miserable ones in January.
• Look at the garage-to-house door. It should close, latch and seal, and it must stay shut for safety.
• If you use a fireplace or wood stove, have a chimney sweep clean it before the season and use only seasoned wood. Don't trust an unfamiliar stove to a guest.
• Make sure heat cables, thermostats and any rooms that are normally closed off are working before you fill the house with people. See our heat cable checklist.

HVAC problems, no-heat calls, gas smells and anything that involves the furnace itself go to an HVAC company, and they book up quickly in November.

The guest bathroom

A guest bathroom is where small neglect becomes embarrassing. Run through it with a sharp eye:

• Toilet: tighten a wobbly seat, replace a worn flapper that runs and make sure the toilet is bolted down and doesn't rock.
• Faucets and drains: a slow drain or drip is easy to ignore until six people use it in a morning. Clear what you can reach. Plumbing leaks go to a plumber.
• Shower: replace a cracked or missing caulk line, a worn showerhead and a failing curtain rod or door sweep. Check any grab bar by pushing on it hard. If it flexes, it needs a stud or solid blocking, not a bigger anchor.
• Towel bars and hooks: re-mount any that pull out of drywall. Guests hang everything on them.
• Exhaust fan: it should run and move air. Dry mountain air hides condensation problems until a houseful of showers shows them.
• Water temperature and flow: run the hot water and see how long it takes to arrive, and whether it lasts for back-to-back showers.

The guest bedroom

A guest bedroom doesn't have to be fancy, but the basics should work:

• A door that closes and latches, with a hook or lock that actually works
• Bed frames that don't squeak or wobble, and bunk beds with secure rails and ladders
• Tall dressers, shelves and TVs anchored to the wall, especially if children are coming. See our anchoring guide
• Curtains or blinds that close and cover the window, since mountain light and winter cold both come through the glass
• A bedside light and a reachable outlet or power strip, plus a night light on the route to the bathroom
• Hooks, a luggage rack or a bench to keep suitcases off the floor

If the guest room is in a basement, check for dampness before you put a bed in it. A musty smell, a damp spot or a cold concrete wall needs attention first. See our basement moisture guide.

Altitude and dry air

Many guests arrive from near sea level. At 6,500 feet and higher, they often feel headaches, poor sleep and thirst for a day or two, and winter air in the house can get very dry. A humidifier in the guest room, a water carafe by the bed and a light-colored note about how the heat works and how to find the thermostat all help. Dry air also dries and cracks wood, so don't be surprised if a door or floor creaks more in December.

Smoke and CO alarms, and the unfamiliar house

Guests don't know where the exits are or what a chirping alarm means at 2 a.m. Press the test button on every smoke and CO alarm, check the date on the back and replace any that are expired or chirping. Make sure there's one on each level and outside the sleeping areas. Our smoke and CO detector guide covers lofts, vaulted ceilings, fireplaces and buried vents. If anyone will use a space heater, a fire pit or a gas fireplace, show them how, and make sure it is safe before they arrive.

Kitchen, living areas and extra seating

• Check drawer pulls, cabinet doors and the hinges that get a workout with a crowd
• Test the range hood and fan before cooking a holiday meal
• Assemble extra chairs, a folding table, a bed or a sleeper sofa ahead of time instead of the afternoon guests arrive
• Re-hang loose pictures, mirrors and shelves, and add a hook or two for coats
• If you're hanging lights, do it before the cold gets severe. See how to hang lights without damaging gutters or heat cables

Cabins, rentals and houses you only visit

If you're opening a vacant cabin for the holidays, start earlier. Turn the heat up gradually, check for frozen or leaking pipes before you run water and let the house warm before guests arrive. Our frozen pipes guide and winterizing guide walk through it. If you rent the home out, see our ski-season rental guide.

When to call a pro

• HVAC company: a furnace that won't heat, short-cycles or smells wrong, and any gas appliance problem
• Plumber: leaks, running toilets that tightening doesn't fix, slow main drains and low hot water
• Electrician: breakers that trip, dead outlets, flickering lights and any new wiring
• Chimney sweep: fireplaces and wood stoves before the season
• Us: loose railings and treads, door and weatherstripping fixes, drywall and paint touch-ups, bath hardware, towel bars, shelves, hanging art and furniture assembly

A working mudroom stops most guest mess at the door. See our mudroom and ski-gear storage guide for benches, hooks and boot trays.

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Holiday guest-ready home FAQ

We focus on general handyman work and are not a licensed electrical, plumbing or general contracting company. For jobs that need a licensed trade, we'll tell you upfront and point you in the right direction.