Hosting for the Holidays? 5 Ways to Keep Your Home Comfortable

The holidays have a way of making your house feel a little smaller than usual.

Between family coming into town, extra chairs around the dinner table, and someone claiming the couch for the night, there's already plenty to think about. The last thing you need is a guest room that's freezing or a living room that feels like an oven.

Here in Arizona, a warm holiday afternoon can quickly turn into a chilly evening. Add a houseful of guests and a busy kitchen, and keeping everyone comfortable can get a little tricky.

We've put together five simple ways to help you get your home ready for holiday guests, so you can focus on making memories instead of adjusting the thermostat.

1. Test Out the Guest Room Before Someone Sleeps in It

When was the last time someone actually slept in your guest room?

If it's been a while, you might not realize that the room gets chilly at night or takes longer to warm up in the morning. A bedroom that feels perfectly comfortable during a sunny Arizona afternoon can be a lot different once the sun goes down.

Before your guests arrive, spend a little time in the rooms they'll be using, preferably during the evening when temperatures start dropping.

Here's what to check.

• Feel the airflow: Make sure warm air is coming through the vents when the heating system is running.
• Check for drafts: Feel around windows and exterior doors for cold air sneaking in. Weatherstripping can help with minor gaps.
• Pay attention to room temperature: If the guest room is noticeably colder than the rest of the house, see whether the difference improves after the heat has been running.
• Leave an extra blanket: Everyone has a different sleeping preference, and it's an easy way to help guests stay comfortable without changing the temperature for the entire house.

If a room consistently struggles to warm up while the rest of the house feels fine, it may be worth getting it looked at before your guests arrive.

2. Adjust Your Thermostat Schedule for a House Full of People

Your usual thermostat schedule probably works well for your everyday routine. During the holidays, though, that routine can go right out the window.

Maybe you're normally at work during the day, but now you've got relatives spending the afternoon at home. Or perhaps your guests are used to a different climate and find Arizona's cooler winter mornings a little surprising.

Instead of waiting until someone complains about being cold, make a few adjustments ahead of time.

• Update your thermostat schedule: If you normally lower the heating temperature while everyone's away, adjust that setting for the days guests will be home.
• Plan for cooler mornings: Program the heat to come on before everyone wakes up so the house has time to reach a comfortable temperature.
• Avoid drastic temperature changes: Raising the thermostat several degrees above your desired temperature won't make the house warm up any faster.
• Consider nighttime comfort: A slightly cooler sleeping temperature may work well for some guests, while extra blankets can help those who prefer more warmth.

If you have a programmable or smart thermostat, you may be able to set a temporary holiday schedule without changing your usual settings permanently.

That way, you won't have to spend the weekend constantly walking over to the thermostat every time someone asks whether the heat is on.

3. Keep the House From Overheating While You're Cooking

Thanksgiving dinner might be the one time of year when your oven runs for hours, every burner on the stove gets used, and a dozen people somehow end up standing in the kitchen.

All that cooking and activity can make your home noticeably warmer, even on a chilly Arizona afternoon.

Before reaching for the thermostat, try a few simple adjustments.

• Turn on the range hood while cooking: If it vents outdoors, it can help remove some of the heat and moisture building up in the kitchen.
• Use ceiling fans in gathering areas: A gentle breeze can help guests feel cooler when everyone is crowded into the same room.
• Adjust the thermostat when needed: If the house is getting too warm, lower the heating setting slightly rather than repeatedly making large adjustments.
• Give the house time to settle after dinner: Once the oven is off and everyone spreads out, the extra warmth may gradually disappear.

You don't necessarily need to run the air conditioner just because the kitchen gets warm for a couple of hours. Sometimes, managing the heat from cooking and keeping air moving is enough to make everyone more comfortable.

The goal is to keep the gathering spaces pleasant without making the bedrooms or other areas of the house unnecessarily cold.

4. Make Sure Warm Air Can Reach Every Room

Holiday hosting usually involves a little furniture rearranging.

Maybe you're bringing in extra chairs for dinner, moving a couch to make room for the Christmas tree, or setting up an air mattress in a room that doesn't normally get much use.

While you're making space for everyone, take a moment to check that you haven't accidentally blocked the airflow your HVAC system needs.

Walk through the house and look for a few common problems.

• Furniture covering vents: Couches, beds, and dressers can restrict airflow when they're pushed too close to supply vents.
• Rugs over floor registers: A rug that looks great in the guest room won't help much if it's covering the warm air coming into the space.
• Blocked return vents: Large furniture or holiday decorations placed in front of return grilles can interfere with air circulation.
• Closed or obstructed registers: Check that the vents in guest rooms are open and aren't blocked by curtains or other household items.

You don't need to rearrange your entire house around the HVAC system. Just make sure supply and return vents have enough room to do their jobs.

This is especially helpful in guest rooms that don't get used regularly. If the heating system is running but a room still feels colder than it should, checking for blocked airflow is a good place to start.

If clearing the vents doesn't make a difference, the problem may be farther inside the ductwork or heating system.

5. Give Your Heating System a Test Run Before Guests Arrive

You can have the guest room ready, the thermostat programmed, and every vent clear, but none of that will matter much if the heating system isn't working properly.

Fortunately, you don't have to wait for a cold holiday morning to find out whether the heat is keeping up.

Set the thermostat to HEAT and choose a temperature a few degrees above the current indoor temperature. Give the system time to start, then check for any possible problems, like.

• Warm air from the vents: Is the system producing heat and distributing it throughout the house?
• Normal sounds: Do you hear anything unusual, such as loud rattling, grinding, or buzzing?
• Consistent operation: Does the system run normally, or does it repeatedly start and stop?
• Comfortable temperatures: Are the rooms warming up as expected, including the spaces where guests will sleep?
• Unusual smells: A mild dusty odor may occur during the first heating cycle of the season, but strong burning or electrical smells need prompt attention.

If everything seems to be working normally, that's one less thing to think about while preparing for company.

If something seems off, however, don't feel like you have to figure out what's wrong yourself. A technician can check the system and explain whether it needs attention before the holidays.

A Comfortable Home Makes Hosting a Little Easier

You can't control everything that happens when family comes to visit. Someone might arrive late, dinner may take longer than expected, and there's always a chance you'll run out of room in the refrigerator.

Keeping your home comfortable, though, is something you can plan for.

A little attention to guest rooms, thermostat settings, indoor air quality, and how your heating system is performing can help everyone settle in and enjoy their stay.

Contact A & A Cooling & Heating or schedule service online if your system needs attention before the guests arrive.

We'll help you get the comfort side of holiday hosting taken care of, so you can focus on everything else that makes the season special.