Note: this is a partnered post and consideration was received for its publication.

 A holiday is a time of being grateful for the family, friends, and amenities you have. Why not show how grateful you are to have a home by completing a few quick remodels before your friends and family gather for the holidays? You and your guests will love how new and fresh your home looks and how cozy it feels after giving it a few easy updates.

Rake Up Those Leaves

If you live in an area where leaves change to beautiful, warm colors before gently floating to the ground, you know how important keeping up with fall lawn care is. While raking leaves can seem like a chore, it’s necessary to ensure a thriving lawn in the spring. There are many different tools out there to help make fall lawn care much easier, including ergonomic rakes, mulching lawn mowers, and leaf blowers. If you have any family members or friends coming over for parties who are older or have trouble walking, make sure all walkways and stairs are clear of leaves as they can become very slippery and dangerous when wet.

Touch Up the Paint

For a quick and inexpensive way to breathe new life into your home, touch it up with a fresh coat of paint. You can use the same color as you currently have, or you can make your home cozier all year round by taking inspiration from the colors of fall. Reds work well in dining rooms as it can stimulate your appetite. Pale yellows and darker oranges can add warmth to your living room or kitchen. Green and brown are wonderful colors for almost any room as they have a calming effect on most people.

Give Your Home a Deep Clean

When hosting a big dinner, your home needs to be clean. Give yourself plenty of time to start de-cluttering and cleaning your home. You don’t want to be putting away the broom as your guests start pulling up. Do a deep clean of your bathrooms, kitchen, dining room, and living room. If you have extra guest rooms, make sure those are clean and the beds have clean sheets as well. Shred any unnecessary bills and papers to reduce clutter and make sure everything has a home.

Get a Home Security System Installed

The crime rate in most cities always rises during the holiday season. Before the holiday arrives - especially if you’re having guests you don’t know too well - get a home security system installed. Wireless systems are usually less expensive and less invasive to install and  they cannot be tampered with from the outside. Most wireless security systems can also connect to your smartphone so you can get a live feed of your home or instant notices when the alarm is triggered. Now is the perfect time to give yourself some peace of mind as the holidays approach.

Seal Any Gaps Around Doors and Windows

Holidays means colder weather and that means turning on the heater. Fortunately, you can cut down on your winter heating bill by making sure all of your doors and windows are sealed completely to prevent heat from leaking out. Sealing your doors and windows will also give your home a cozier feel since you won’t have any cold drafts making your guests shiver.

Article written by Kelly Mahan, also a writer for ehardhat, a company that connects homeowners to reliable, affordable and professional contractors for their home improvement projects. Check more on Twitter.