Here’s how to turn down the heat during the silly season... in more ways than one.
Opening your home to family and friends is one of the loveliest parts of the festive season. But if you’re not prepared, it can quickly become stressful. For more joy and less pressure, consider these tips before you invite guests in.
“The holidays are a good time to store, sort or remove any excess items that make your home feel cluttered or stuffy. Things like bags at the door or the infamous junk bowl,” says Justine Wilson of Vault Interiors. “If time doesn’t allow a full Marie Kondo on your home, use simple storage solutions to present your house in a tidier way. Think baskets to drop toys and shoes in and a box on the coffee table for remotes or paperwork.”
Your communal spaces may work for you but you may need to rethink their set-up when guests arrive, says Wilson. “Create a better flow and more room by repositioning furniture and seating. Clear side tables of items that usually live there to make space for drinks, snacks and people’s phones.”
Get rid of any cooking, pet or general odours. “Open the windows and allow fresh air to revive your space,” says Wilson. “Get some fragrant candles, diffusers or oil burners. Placing a candle and vase of inexpensive flowers at the front door or on the coffee table looks lovely and creates a warm, welcoming feel.”
Prepare a breakfast station for overnight guests. It makes them feel at home and allows you to have a lie-in! “Leave a tray with coffee, tea and a toaster with mugs and plates so they can help themselves,” says Anita Birges, organisation expert and founder of Mise en Place.
Plan ahead and prepare a dedicated space for guests. “If a room usually has another purpose or is your ‘dumping room’, start by decluttering and removing personal items,” says Birges. “Then clear some space in the wardrobe and drawers and on the tops of buffets for personal items.” And stock the bathroom with toiletries and toilet paper.
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It’s the perfect way to cook in summer... unless there’s no gas or you have to deal with layers of fat on the grill from the last cook. “Set time aside to clean your barbecue well before you use it, ” says Birges. Her top organising tip? Keep your barbecue gear in a labelled storage box all year round. And pop in a head torch.
During the holidays, the kitchen is often the busiest zone in the house. Use these helpful tips to get organised.
“It makes sense to make way for holiday entertaining, when we need lots of space and use our fridges differently,” says Birges. Think giant pavlovas, kilos of seafood and leftovers (loads of leftovers). Eating food from your freezer before people arrive is a great start and reduces your grocery bill before a big festive shop.
Have plenty of airtight containers on standby for food prep and leftovers, suggests Birges. “I like glass containers that can go in the oven, fridge, freezer and microwave. Uniform, stackable containers are best and I keep takeaway containers to send people home with.”
If time is tight, concentrate on the spaces guests will see: the kitchen, dining area and bathroom. “Start fresh with clean appliances, including dishwasher filters and, ideally, tidy your pantry to make food and ingredients easier to find,” suggests Birges. And clear piles of paper and unnecessary items on your benchtops to maximise space.
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Going away after Christmas? Don’t let returning to an untidy home or a list of chores spoil your holiday. These are Anita Birges’ top tips.
Store festive platters and other Christmas-only items in one place. It’s one less chore when you get home and they’ll be easy to find next year
Put away your decorations and tree. A proper plastic tree storage container (in shops around October) is a game changer and packing up decorations well leads to less waste.
An often-overlooked issue that many people return home to: mould and odours. Avoid this fate by ensuring there are no damp towels or clothes in the bathroom or washing machine.
How do you maintain a cool and comfortable home without bumping up energy costs? We asked Ben Brazier, executive manager of environmental and social strategy at CommBank.
Sealing openings doesn’t just keep your home warm in winter; it also prevents heat seeping into a cool home. Look for affordable solutions at local hardware stores.
Set your ceiling fans to rotate anticlockwise and combine them with aircon (if you have it) to cool your home. Running them together is more energy efficient when you set your aircon to a higher temperature and then help it along with fans, which use less power.
Switching to solar and battery systems can greatly reduce costs. And CommBank’s Home Energy Upgrades service can help make the whole process more straightforward, with low-cost financing and discounts for eligible customers.
Eaves, pergolas and plants are handy ways to cool your home as shade stops a large degree of heat reaching your home in the first place.
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Thinking about adding solar panels, a battery or other eco-friendly upgrades but not sure where to start? CommBank’s Home Energy Upgrades is a one-stop shop created in partnership with Brighte, where you can:
Work out your home’s potential. Take an energy assessment (provided by Home Efficiency Australia) and see where you could save.
Get the right help. Connect with local accredited solar and battery installers via the Brighte marketplace and compare quotes.
Make it affordable. Get up to $1500 cashback if you use Brighte and fund upgrades with a CommBank home energy loan.
Tap into savings. Explore government rebates, such as the Cheaper Home Batteries Program.
Relax while it’s done. Manage the entire process, from quote to installation, all in one place.
Visit CommBank Home Energy Upgrades for more information.
Published: 22 December 2025
This article is intended to provide general information of an educational nature only. It does not have regard to the financial situation or needs of any reader and must not be relied upon as financial product advice. The commentary provided from external companies that are not a member of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia Group of Companies (the CBA Group) does not represent an endorsement, recommendation, guarantee or advice in regard to any matter. The CBA Group does not accept any liability for losses or damage arising from any reliance on external companies and their products, services and material. Commonwealth Bank of Australia ABN 48 123 123 124.
