It’s one of the most popular times of year for new home searches, as people look towards making a fresh start in the new year. Whatever your plans for the new year, utilise the Twixmas period to give yourself a head start.
We’re all familiar with the quieter period between Christmas and New Year and while, for some it’s the perfect time to visit friends and relatives, for others it’s a chance to slow the pace and enjoy time together as a family.
It’s treasured time, and if you need ideas on how to fill it, here’s a few - Happy Twixmas!
What does Twixmas mean?
Twixmas is the time between Christmas and New Year, when many people enjoy time off work. It covers the period between the official holidays – December 27 to 30 to be exact.
Although it’s a relatively new trend, ‘Twixmas’ originates from the old English word ‘betwixt’, which means ‘between’.
How to dispose of your Christmas tree
Traditionally Christmas decorations should stay up until the 12th night, but whether you wait until then or remove them sooner, the choice is yours.
If you’ve opted to buy a real tree that’s been felled, you’ll need to plan how to dispose of it.
Look for “treecycling” services in your area or perhaps a charity offering Christmas tree collections in return for a small donation. Alternatively, you could use parts of your tree in your garden. The trunk chopped into chunks could become a mini wildlife refuge while the pine needles make excellent mulch.
Where to start decluttering
If you’re looking to sell your current property and upgrade to an energy efficient new home to start saving on your fuel bills, before you even instruct an agent, you need to think about how it presents to potential purchasers. Remember first impressions count, both when people are viewing properties online and in person.
You may have outgrown your home, but the person considering buying it needs to be sold on why it makes a great home. Decluttering can help.
Don’t be daunted by the idea of decluttering the whole house. Break the task down to make it more manageable. Take it one room at a time. Start with the kitchen and one cupboard or worktop at a time, then work around the house.
If you want to know how to declutter quickly, read on.
Decluttering tips
Twixmas is the idea time to declutter. You can use the down time to think about the things you want and need in your home.
In its simplest form decluttering is putting things back in their place – or finding a new home for them, either in your home or by rehoming. You may be interested to take this a step further and increase the positive energy flow in your home by using the ancient principles of Feng Shui.
When you’re decluttering, items should be sorted into one of the following categories – keep, sell, donate or recycle. If you don’t use something, aren’t likely to in the future and it doesn’t have sentimental value, it’s time to find it a new home. Depending on the item you may choose to list it for sale online or donate to a charity shop.
Think carefully about how you categorise things, you don’t want to regret purging an underused vase or a much-loved but worn teddy.
Investing in stylish storage solutions can help ensure your home remains clutter free. Jars are a great way of storing kitchen staples and are perhaps the exception to the rule of keeping work surfaces clear.
If you have children, start with the eldest child’s bedroom first so that toys or clothes they’ve outgrown can be handed down to younger siblings.
In the bathroom, move as many toiletries and cosmetics out of sight into the cupboard. Decanting toiletries into stylish bottles and storing them in baskets can make a feature out of essentials.
Japandi style
The trend for combining Scandinavian cosiness with Japan’s minimalism has been around for a few years now. Combining simplicity, comfort, neutral colours and natural materials Japandi style has an enduring appeal. Japandi interior design perfectly balances a warm and welcoming ambience with a minimalist aesthetic – perfect for refreshing your décor post-Christmas. With our tips you can embrace the look in your home.
Start your new home search
The ultimate fresh start for a new year could be in a brand new home. It’s a good time to buy, with new houses saving homeowners an average of £2,600* on their annual energy bills compared to old, and stamp duty rates recently reduced for many. Give yourself time over Twixmas to begin your research; looking at locations, mapping out your costs and preparing your current home for sale.
For more storage hacks and cleaning tips, read our handy guide.
*Research from the HBF’s “Watt a save” report: https://www.hbf.co.uk/news/hbf-report-watt-save/
