9 things guests instantly notice in your home at Christmas – and why they can make or break your hosting experience

The run-up to Christmas looks magical in the movies but in reality, it is more rushed cleaning, extra trips to the store, and panicked organizing. It is easy to feel way over your head.

As a result, it is easy to miss important details around your home that you might not notice, but guests will instantly lock in on when they visit for the holidays.

Luckily, professional home organizers have revealed the nine things guests instantly notice in your home at Christmas so you can target your tidy-ups when pre-Christmas cleaning to ensure the most important corners don’t go untouched.

Things guests instantly notice in your home at Christmas

These simple pre-Christmas decluttering rules will ensure happy hosting, making your life easier by minimizing visual clutter and stress while making guests feel welcome and at home.

1. A messy entryway

If you only had time to tackle one chore, you should prepare an entryway for Christmas guests. Brenda Scott, professional home organizer and owner of Tidy My Space says, ‘Guests instantly notice the front entry and closet.

‘Is there enough space in the closet for their coats and boots or is it stuffed already so their items get thrown over a chair and shoes get left to make a wet puddle on the floor? Is there someplace to sit down to take off their shoes? Does the home feel warm, and cozy and does it smell good?’

When organizing a small entryway, you might have to move some of your items like coats and shoes into another room (one guests will not use) to make room for guest jackets. Use vertical storage to save space by hanging extra coats on the backs of doors out of the way, or use vertical shoe racks to keep trip hazards off the floor and away from main walkways.

2. Home fragrance

It is always nice to make your home smell good for Christmas, but you can have too much of a good thing.

Brenda Scott continues, ‘Be careful with room scents. Lots of people are sensitive to fragrance, especially room sprays or scented candles. Guests should smell the food cooking, baking, fresh, clean smell or light pine or cedar from the tree (faux pine or cedar should be slight, not overpowering) and I always discourage clients from having a different scent in each room, this can be off-putting and cause migraines.’

There are several welcoming fragrances for a guest bedroom, such as soothing lavender or vanilla that are generally safe options if you are worried about musty smells, but we recommend using an essential oil diffuser with an adjustable setting to give guests greater control of the fragrance.

3. Overwhelming clutter

Audra George, professional home organizer and owner of Pretty Neat: An Organizational Solution, reminds us that the run-up to the holidays is a great time to break out some decluttering tips.

She explains, ‘Guests can quickly notice clutter and lack of space – it can easily make them feel unwelcome, especially if it is centered in a guest room. Too much holiday decor that does not fit in your space can add to the feelings of clutter and overwhelm.

‘Declutter your space, especially your guest room, so your guests feel at home and have space for their items.’

Consider investing in some under-bed storage ideas for your guest room to keep your lesser-used items out of everyone's way. These best-selling under-bed storage bags on wheels, from Amazon, are a great investment.

4. Seating and table space

One of the most important holiday hosting tips is to make sure you have enough seating for everyone before they arrive. You do not want to be hunting around the house for an extra chair while a guest is left hovering awkwardly in the dining room, reminds Brenda Scott, professional home organizer.

She asks, ‘Is the seating area welcoming? Can they sit down without having to move a mountain of pillows and decor? Is there room on the tables to place their drink and snack plate or is it already full of holiday decor? Is there enough seats for everyone in living and dining rooms? Bring in more if needed.

‘Remember that most guests don't like to sit close to other people, leaving a full or half a seat cushion between people. This gives them room to move around and it also helps by keeping a little safe distance (it is flu and cold season, after all).’

It's a good a time as any to learn what our professional organizer always noticed in dirty dining rooms.

5. A lack of ambiance

Nothing makes an evening more awkward than lingering silences over dinner. You have to create ambiance in your home when hosting for the holiday urges Audra George, professional organizer.

‘Another thing guests notice right off is the ambiance. Smells, music, and lighting are important and can play a part in your home feeling comfortable and welcoming to your guests, as well as seeming festive for the holiday season. Focus on these to make your home guest-ready.’

When making a home more relaxing or channeling the festive spirit, opt for warming Christmas scents such as vanilla or spices, use LED candles, Christmas lights, and lamps rather than overhead lighting for a cozy glow that makes the evening feel more intimate, and play soft Christmas music in the background to help everyone get in the Christmas mood.

Consider setting up a shared Christmas playlist for guests to add their favorite songs to before they arrive.

6. Space – or lack of – in a guest room

Preparing a guest room for Christmas is another priority if you have overnight visitors, reminds Amélie Saint-Jacques, professional home organizer and owner of Amélie Organizes.

She says, ‘Overnight guests will be more concerned with things directly affecting their stay. Was there enough space in the guest bedroom for them to unpack? If you are using the guest bedroom to store your extra things and your guests have no room to move around or nowhere to put their clothes, that will indeed make for a memorable stay, but not in the way you wish!

'Did they have fresh towels and soap in the bathroom? Did they feel cared for and not like an afterthought? Any little attention you can provide to improve their stay will be appreciated, like stocking up on snacks and breakfast items you know they enjoy.’

Curating a guest welcome basket will add the perfect finishing touch to your guest space. For the festive period, consider switching a basket for a stocking, such as these knitted stockings from Walmart, to make the experience a little more whimsical.

7. Tired decor

A good guest will never point it out, but they will notice tired or old Christmas decor ideas that are leaving your home looking a little worse for wear.

Brenda Scott says, ‘Is the theme of the Christmas decor a mismatched, worn-out, mess? Maybe it's time to retire or donate some of the worn-out or overly flashy items and give your holiday decor a refresh.

‘Not every surface needs to scream Christmas,’ she adds. ‘Less decor that holds significant meaning is better than overloading the space.’

8. Kitchen chaos

There is more to getting a kitchen ready for hosting than adding kitchen Christmas decor. Brenda says, ‘If you have an open floor plan, does the kitchen look tidy? Are the meal prep dishes washed and put away or are the counters already full of dirty dishes that you have to look at for the entire gathering? Are spills cleaned up or does it look a mess?’

Any signs of chaos can make a guest feel like they are in the way or a burden. Preparing ahead and following a robust Christmas hosting prep countdown will help you keep your head and maintain your space to avoid feeling overwhelmed when hosting.

9. Mess outside the home

With the inside of the house taken care of, there is never any harm in preparing the exterior of your property for an added touch, says Kim Corey, professional organizer and owner of Finley Sorted Organizing.

Putting your Christmas porch decor up is one thing, but clearing snow away from walkways, ensuring that there is adequate parking for guests, and putting out doormats and non-slip mats are another – but they will all be things guests notice.

Kim explains, ‘If your home is cluttered on the outside with dangerous piles of snow or ice, it may make guests uneasy. It goes a long way to showing that you care about their visit and keeps everyone safe at this busy time of year.’

Amélie Saint-Jacques, professional home organizer concludes that the main thing guests will notice is if you are having fun or if you are frazzled with too many things to do.

She shares, ‘I like making a list of things that must be done before hosting important meals and making sure items are taken care of ahead of time. I keep a digital copy of it for reference and to help me split decorating duties with family. I also plan my menu and timeline so that any task that can be done early gets taken care of, and I know what I should be doing at roughly what time.’