Get ahead now for Christmas and the holidays

Whether you are getting ready for a family summer holiday or preparing to host the family for Christmas lunch, here are five things you can do now to take the stress off next month.

Book any appointments

We all know that trying to get an appointment almost anywhere a week before Christmas is impossible if you haven’t booked in advance. Whether it be a prescription from the GP, a hire car or getting your dog in for a wash and haircut, by doing it in November, you can be sure you won’t be frantically trying to find a house cleaner the week before your extended family rolls up.

If you’re going away, get your car in for a service, and ensure all holiday bookings are made and confirmed, if you haven’t already done so.

Place your order at the butchers and plan your food gifts

If you celebrate Christmas, now is the time to order your Christmas meat from the butchers to pick up a few days before lunch or dinner. If you aren’t normally a fan of glazed ham but want to give it a go, try this Maple Glazed Ham recipe – you can make it in the days leading up to Christmas so it’s one less thing you need to worry about. It’s also time to consider making your Christmas cake or pudding to give the fruit time to mature.

For those who make food gifts for Christmas, November is a great time to start gathering ingredients and supplies. This easy 3-minute fudge recipe is perfect for gifts for teachers and daycare educators and can easily be mixed up with different ingredients (white chocolate and macadamia is a winner!) while lemon curd teams up perfectly with fresh bread for neighbours and friends. And don’t forget the traditional fruit mince pies!

Get your Christmas presents sorted early

Shopping on Christmas Eve in a panic is nobody’s idea of a good time, and many of the best gifts will be sold out. Get ahead by writing a list early, looking online for ideas, ordering whatever you can early for home delivery, and stocking up on wrapping paper, cards and tape.

Stuck for ideas? Here is a handy list of the best Christmas Gifts for 2022 at different price points. And if you’re stuck, movie vouchers or a gift card for Pacific Werribee shopping centre will always go down well. If you have little ones, you can also get a photo with Santa at the mall until December 24.

Stock up the pantry and freezer

School holidays often mean more people to feed, as well as more meals to feed the family. While you may not want to do your Christmas shopping early, now is a great time to stock up on snacks and non-perishables, as well as consider making some frozen meals to get you through those busy days to come.

Keep an eye out for those specials at the supermarket, however, it’s always worth popping into the following places to see what you can fill the pantry with:

Essentials Bulk Quality Food – Sanctuary Lakes Shopping Centre, Point Cook
MarketPlace Fresh – Stockland Point Cook Shopping Centre, Point Cook
Go Vita Point Cook – Point Cook Town Centre, Point Cook
Out of the Box Groceries – Online
Pacific Werribee is perfect for a big stock-up with everything you need – it has numerous food shops including Coles and Woolworths, bakeries, a fish market and more.

If you are planning on breaking out the BBQ this summer, now is a great time to clean it and ensure everything is working and that your gas bottles are full (no one wants to run out of gas in the middle of a BBQ!). Read our recent blog on hosting the perfect barbecue for more tips.

Spring clean the house

Finally, the cleaning. You don’t want to do this one too early (particularly if you have kids in the house) but you certainly don’t want to leave it until the night before the in-laws turn up.

In the weeks leading up to Christmas or your departure date, take some time to deep clean a room every few days. This will mean you can do a quick sweep through without too much fuss closer to Christmas.

Thinking of selling in the new year? Talk to us!

If you’ve been thinking about selling your home in the Wyndham City region, come and speak to the team at Established Property. Whether you have a home in Werribee or Point Cook, our experienced team are more than happy to have a chat with you.