Get your guest room ready for Christmas visitors

Guest bedrooms are often the No Man's Land of the home - crammed with old clothes, piled high with books and don't even get us started on the dated décor...

For many, spare bedrooms are only used a handful of times a year and so mattresses, bedding and sheets can be neglected, giving the room a tired feel that doesn't represent the rest of your home.

So take a stand this year and give those spare rooms a spring (or rather, winter) clean in time for your Christmas visitors.

Give the mattress a spin

Have a night's sleep in your guest bedroom and inspect the mattress for lumps and bumps. These knots can be rectified with a luxury mattress protector that will save you buying a new mattress.

Test the temperature

Check the temperature of the room. Are the radiators working? Is the door drafty? It's better to know beforehand and provide fans or blankets where appropriate.

Take a sniff

Lying lonely in a disused room it's easy for duvets and pillows to get a stale, old smell. Invest in some new bedding (at very affordable prices) that will fix this problem and leave guests sleeping on cloud 9.

Declutter the den

Tidy up those draws, put things back in their place and do a charity shop run before your guests arrive. With suitcases, presents, coats and hats, they won't want a cluttered room on their arrival.

More top tips for welcoming guests this season:

1. Fill a basket with mini toiletries and a spare toothbrush for those bits they forgot

2. Add a scented candle or incense sticks to welcome guests with a Christmas scent

3. Provide a lamp for bedtime reading and early morning tea in bed

4. Stack a few spare pillows on the end of the bed so they can stack them just so

5. Pile a stack of fluffy plump towels on the side