The holidays sneak up fast in Florida. One week it still feels like summer, and the next you have family flying into Daytona or driving down I-95 for Thanksgiving. If your garage is packed, the guest room is full of boxes, and the lanai still has that broken chair from last spring, now is a good time to get ahead of it. Here are some simple, practical ways to get your house ready before company shows up.
Start With the Garage
In a lot of homes around Palm Coast, Ormond Beach and Port Orange, the garage turns into the storage room nobody talks about. The car ends up in the driveway, and when guests arrive there’s nowhere for them to park. Clearing out the garage is usually the single biggest win before the holidays.
- Sort into three piles: keep, give to family or friends, and haul away. Be honest about the stuff that has sat untouched since you moved in.
- Look for the big space hogs: old fridges, broken exercise equipment, rusted bikes, empty moving boxes and furniture you meant to fix “someday.”
- Think about guest parking: if you can get one or two cars back inside, your driveway opens up for visitors. That matters a lot on narrow streets and in neighborhoods with parking rules.
- Leave room for holiday gear: you’ll want a clear spot for the cooler, folding tables, extra chairs and the decorations bin.
If the job feels like too much for one weekend, our garage cleanout service can clear out what you don’t want so you can focus on the fun part.
Get the Guest Room Ready
The guest room tends to collect everything that doesn’t have a home. Before anyone sleeps there, give it a fresh look.
Swap out tired furniture
If the bed sags or the dresser drawers stick, this might be the year to replace them. A lot of folks order a new mattress or sofa in November so it shows up before the holidays. The tricky part is what to do with the old one. Not every delivery crew takes the old one away, and it won’t fit in the trash can. Plan ahead so the old piece is out before the new one arrives, or right after.
Clear the floor and the closet
Guests need a place to set a suitcase and hang a few things. Pull out old boxes, outgrown kids’ stuff and anything you’ve been “storing for later.” A clear room feels bigger and much more welcoming.
We pick up old couches, recliners, dressers, bed frames and more. See our furniture removal page for the kinds of pieces we haul away.
Don’t Forget the Patio and Lanai
Here in Flagler, St. Johns and Volusia counties, a lot of holiday time happens outside. Thanksgiving dinner on the lanai or a December cookout by the pool is just part of living here. That means your outdoor space needs to look as good as the inside.
- Get rid of faded or cracked patio chairs, wobbly tables and broken umbrellas.
- Toss the old grill if it’s rusted through and you’ve already bought a new one.
- Clear out pool floats, empty planters and anything that has been sitting in the corner all year.
- Rinse off the screens and furniture you’re keeping so guests have a clean spot to sit.
Wrap Up Hurricane Season Leftovers
Atlantic hurricane season officially ends on November 30. Even in a quieter year, most yards around Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and New Smyrna Beach end up with some leftovers by fall: fallen branches, piles of palm fronds, broken fence pieces or a busted shed door leaning against the house. It’s easy to stop seeing those piles after a while, but your guests will notice them.
Before you deal with it yourself, check your city or HOA bulk pickup schedule, since some piles may be picked up at the curb. For bigger loads, or anything that won’t qualify, our yard debris removal service can haul it off in our 15-yard dump trailer so your yard looks good for photos.
Book Early, the Calendar Fills Up
November and December get busy for everyone, us included. We’re open 7 AM to 9 PM every day, but we’re closed on Thanksgiving Day (November 26) and Christmas Day so our family can spend those days together too. If you want your garage, guest room or yard cleared before company arrives, reach out a week or two ahead so you get the day that works best for you.
We’re a family-owned, licensed and insured crew based in Palm Coast, and we serve homeowners from St. Augustine down to Edgewater, including Bunnell, Ormond Beach, Daytona Beach and Port Orange.
Ready to Clear Things Out?
The easiest way to get started is to snap a few photos of what you want gone and send them over. Text your photos to 386-627-4071 or give us a call, and we’ll get you on the schedule before the holiday rush.
Happy holidays, and thanks for supporting a local family business.
Jake Jeckovich