How to Make Room Before the Holidays

Before you start decorating or planning your holiday gatherings, take some time to clear out the clutter. You’ll need extra room for decorations, food, gifts, guests, coats, and all the other things that come with the season.  

Start with the areas you’ll use most, such as the kitchen, living room, entryway, guest room, and closets. Sort what you find into four groups: keep, donate, sell, and store. For things you want to keep but don’t need around the house during the holidays, consider moving them into storage to free up some much-needed space. 

Key takeaways 

• Clear out clutter before decorating so you have more room for holiday decorations, food, and guests.  
• Focus on high-use areas first, including the kitchen, living room, entryway, guest room, and closets.  
• Sort unwanted belongings into four groups: keep, donate, sell, and store.  
• Make room in the fridge, freezer, and cupboards by tossing expired food and using up leftovers.  
• Move everyday décor and other items you don’t need during the holidays into storage to make room for seasonal decorations.  
• Clear closets and entryways so guests have room for coats, shoes, bags, and luggage.  
• Store belongings you want to keep but don’t need around the house to free up space without getting rid of them.  
• Start decluttering a few weeks before the holidays so you have time to donate, sell, or move items into storage.  
• After the holidays, sort decorations, gifts, and older belongings before putting everything away. 

Why should you declutter before the holidays? 

Decluttering before the holidays gives you more usable space when you need it most. It can also make decorating, cleaning, and hosting guests easier. 

Holiday clutter tends to pile up quickly. Decorations come out of storage, gifts arrive, winter clothing takes up closet space, and guests may need somewhere to sit, sleep, or put their belongings. 

A pre-holiday decluttering session can help you: 

• Make space for holiday decorations 
• Make room for preparing and storing food 
• Clear seating and walking areas for guests 
• Free up closet and coat storage 
• Create room for visiting family or overnight guests 
• Make space for gifts and packages 
• Make holiday cleaning easier 
• Identify belongings you no longer use 
• Move rarely used items somewhere else 

What should you declutter before the holidays? 

Start with items that take up valuable space but aren’t being used regularly. You don’t have to declutter your entire house before the holidays. Focus on the rooms and storage areas that need to function differently during the holiday season. 

Look for: 

• Clothes you haven’t worn recently 
• Shoes and accessories you no longer use 
• Extra kitchen gadgets 
• Dishes and serving pieces you rarely use 
• Old toys and games 
• Unused furniture 
• Outgrown children’s items 
• Duplicate household supplies 
• Old decorations 
• Seasonal items from other times of the year 
• Boxes you’ve been meaning to unpack or sort 
• Items you’ve been storing “just in case” 

How do I make room for holiday food? 

No matter what holidays you celebrate, there’s bound to be a bounty of food that comes along with it. That means you need to make room for it, too. Start by clearing off counters so you have plenty of prep space. Move appliances you won’t use into cabinets or storage. Clear out junk mail, magazines, cookbooks you won’t use, and any other clutter that’s not essential to the holiday food prep. 

Next, hit the fridge and freezer. Get rid of anything that’s past its expiration date. Then, aim to make meals from leftovers or freeze leftovers to make room in the fridge before the holiday arrives.  

Finally, clear out the cupboards. Get rid of expired items and make a note of any spices or ingredients you need to replace before the big day.  

How do I make room for holiday decorations? 

Before bringing out your holiday decorations, decide where you’ll put them. Then clear those areas before you start decorating. To make room, consider moving your everyday decor into storage. That leaves more space for the holiday decorations you’re using now. If you don’t have room to store them at home, you can rent a small “locker” sized storage unit. These are pretty inexpensive, and you can rent them online. 

How can I make room for holiday guests? 

Think about what your guests will need rather than trying to clear every surface in your home. 

Living room 

Remove furniture or objects that make it difficult to walk around or create additional seating. Clear coffee tables and side tables so guests have somewhere to put drinks, food, and personal belongings. 

Entryway 

Make room for coats, shoes, bags, and gifts. A crowded entryway can become especially difficult to manage when several people arrive at once. 

Guest room 

Clear closets, drawers, nightstands, and floor space so guests have somewhere to put their belongings. If the room has become a catch-all for household items, move those belongings before guests arrive. 

Bathroom 

Clear counters and cabinets of products you don’t use regularly, and scrap anything past its expiration date. This creates room for guest toiletries and makes the room easier to clean.  

Closets 

Closets can fill up quickly during the holidays, especially when guests need space for coats, luggage, and clothing. 

Before guests arrive, take out: 

• Out-of-season clothing 
• Shoes you don’t wear 
• Empty hangers 
• Damaged clothing 
• Clothing you plan to donate 
• Bulky items that won’t be needed during the holidays 

You can also move seasonal clothing or other infrequently used belongings into storage to free up closet space. 

Keep frequently worn clothing at the front of the closet and put less frequently used items farther back. 

What should I do with clutter I want to keep? 

Not everything you remove from a room needs to leave your home permanently. Create a separate pile for belongings you want to keep but don’t need to have within easy reach. Depending on the item, you could: 

• Move it to another room 
• Put it in an attic or garage 
• Pack it with other seasonal belongings 
• Donate or sell it if you no longer need it 
• Move it to a storage unit 

A storage unit can be useful for belongings that you want to keep but don’t have room for at home. Furniture, seasonal items, clothing, decorations, and other household belongings can be stored off-site and out of the way until you need them again. Just getting things out of the house can take a huge bit of stress off you as you plan your holiday get-togethers.  

How do I decide what to keep, donate, sell, or store? 

Ask yourself a few practical questions about each item: 

• Do I use it? If you use it regularly, it probably belongs in your home. 
• Will I need it soon? Seasonal items may be worth keeping even if you don’t use them every month. 
• Does it have sentimental value? If you’re keeping something for emotional reasons, storage can give you a way to preserve it without taking up everyday living space. 
• Would I replace it if it broke? If the answer is no, consider donating or selling it. 
• Do I have room for it? If you want to keep something but rarely need it, off-site storage may be worth considering. 

How far in advance should I declutter before the holidays? 

Start a few weeks before you plan to decorate or host guests. This gives you time to sort belongings without trying to finish everything in one day. 

A simple timeline can help: 

• Three to four weeks before: Declutter closets, guest rooms, garages, and other storage areas. 
• Two to three weeks before: Donate or sell unwanted items and move belongings you plan to store. 
• One to two weeks before: Clear guest areas and make room for decorations, gifts, and holiday supplies. 
• A few days before: Do a final sweep of high-traffic areas and put away anything that has accumulated. 

What should I do with clutter after the holidays? 

Once the holidays are over, resist the temptation to put everything away without sorting it. You may find that you didn’t even miss some of the things you had stored.  

First, separate decorations and seasonal belongings into three groups: items you’ll use again, items that need repair or replacement, and items you no longer want. 

Then, look at gifts and new belongings that came into the house. If something new replaced an older item, decide whether to donate, sell, recycle, or store the older item. 

Pre-holiday decluttering checklist 

Use this checklist to get your home ready for decorations and guests: 

• Clear the entryway 
• Make room for guests’ coats and bags 
• Clear living room seating and walking areas 
• Prepare the guest room 
• Make room in the kitchen for incoming food 
• Free up bathroom counter and storage space 
• Clean out expired food from the pantry and refrigerator 
• Clear kitchen counters and cabinets 
• Sort unused clothing and shoes 
• Clear a path to holiday decorations 
• Check decorations for damage 
• Donate or sell unwanted belongings 
• Move rarely used belongings into storage 
• Label stored holiday items 
• Do a final decluttering pass before guests arrive 

FAQs about making room before the holidays 

How do I declutter quickly before holiday guests arrive? 

Focus on the rooms your guests will use most. Remove obvious trash, relocate items that don’t belong in the room, clear surfaces, and create open walking areas. Save detailed sorting for after the holidays if you’re short on time. 

If you’re really short on time, grab an empty laundry basket or box and fill it with everything that needs to leave the room. You can stash the hoard and go through it later when you have more time. 

What should I do with gifts before Christmas? 

Designate one area for incoming gifts and packages so they don’t spread throughout the house. If you have gifts that need to remain hidden, choose a secure storage location that household members and guests won’t accidentally access. 

How do I make room for a Christmas tree? 

Choose the tree location first, then remove furniture and other belongings that interfere with the space. If the room feels crowded after you install the tree, temporarily relocate rarely used furniture or decorations. 

What should I do with old holiday decorations? 

Inspect them before storing them again. Donate or discard decorations you no longer use, repair items worth keeping and pack the rest by type or holiday. Labeling containers can make next year’s decorating much easier. 

How can I keep my home from getting cluttered again during the holidays? 

Give new items a designated place as they enter your home. Keep a donation box available for unwanted belongings, and do a quick reset each evening during busy periods. Small, regular cleanups can prevent clutter from accumulating.