Housekeeping: Checklists To Keep Your Home Stocked for Every Occasion
Dinner parties, overnight guests, birthdays, injuries... Be prepared for them all with these 10 comprehensive stock lists for your home
Laura Gaskill
5 September 2014
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance checklist. My favorite pieces to write center around the emotional aspects of home and savoring life's simple pleasures. Decluttering course + discount for Houzzers: https://www.lauragaskill.com/welcome-houzzers
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance... More
A well-stocked home can help you handle the little surprises – drop-in guests, dastardly spills – that life throws at you with a bit more grace. If you are setting up home for the first time or just want to refresh your space, these 10 checklists will keep you stocked with items you need for almost any occasion.
Reference books
Even today, when you can find so much information online, there is still a place for a few well-chosen reference books in the home library. A trusted reference book can be speedy and satisfying to use, not to mention fun to flip through.
Read about ways to streamline your bookshelves
Even today, when you can find so much information online, there is still a place for a few well-chosen reference books in the home library. A trusted reference book can be speedy and satisfying to use, not to mention fun to flip through.
- Etiquette guide
- Book of quotations
- Home improvement manual
- Dictionary
- Good general cookbook
- Cocktail reference book
- General home reference book that includes cleaning and stain-removal tips
- Book on art history
- Book of rules for card games
- Encyclopedia of plants and flowers
- Regional gardening guide
- Holiday songbook
Read about ways to streamline your bookshelves
Correspondence
If you’ve ever had to scramble at the last minute to find a card for a birthday or another occasion, you will appreciate having a collection of cards at your fingertips. Make a point of picking up beautiful cards when you spot them so you are always prepared.
If you’ve ever had to scramble at the last minute to find a card for a birthday or another occasion, you will appreciate having a collection of cards at your fingertips. Make a point of picking up beautiful cards when you spot them so you are always prepared.
- Thank-you notes
- Personal stationery printed with your name or monogram, or a signature motif
- Stamps
- Good pens
- Birthday cards
- Assorted cards for all occasions (wedding, baby, congratulations, love, graduation)
- Address book (if you store addresses online, keep a paper copy for backup)
Home bar
The beauty of a home bar is that you can decide how extensive – or simple – to make it. Want to offer only wine? Choose a house white and red, and buy them by the case. Love offering your guests a full range of cocktails, à la Mad Men? Go for the full setup described below.
Check out these creative home bars
The beauty of a home bar is that you can decide how extensive – or simple – to make it. Want to offer only wine? Choose a house white and red, and buy them by the case. Love offering your guests a full range of cocktails, à la Mad Men? Go for the full setup described below.
- Balloon-shaped red wine glasses
- White wine glasses
- Beer glasses
- Martini glasses
- Champagne flutes
- Highball glasses
- Old-fashioned glasses
- Shot glasses
- Cocktail shaker
- Strainer and stir stick
- Bottle opener
- Ice bucket and tongs
- An affordable favourite wine (both a red and a white) purchased by the case to save a little cash, to serve as your house wine
- A selection of quality spirits, such as vodka, gin, scotch, whiskey, brandy, rum and tequila
- Mixers and cocktail additions such as vermouth, bitters, soda water, tonic, grenadine, lemons, limes and olives
Check out these creative home bars
Birthdays and gifts
Keeping a gift cupboard stocked with go-to gifts and signature wrapping supplies means you will never find yourself showing up at a gathering empty-handed.
Keeping a gift cupboard stocked with go-to gifts and signature wrapping supplies means you will never find yourself showing up at a gathering empty-handed.
- Birthday calendar with family members’ and friends’ birthdays recorded (keep a printed one as a backup even if you store birthdays online)
- Gift wrap, both printed and plain
- Ribbon
- Scissors and tape
- Gift bags in several sizes
- Plain shirt boxes
- Tissue paper
- Birthday candles and matches
- Balloons
- Hostess gifts, such as candles, soap and tea towels
- Signature baby gift, such as a favourite book or lovely knitted hat
- Gifts for loved ones purchased as you find them, to avoid last-minute shopping
First-aid supplies
Think of your first-aid supplies in two levels: items for the everyday minor bumps and scrapes and those for the true emergencies. Keep your medicine cabinet (or a basket in the kitchen cupboard) stocked with basic supplies, and have a fully loaded Red Cross first-aid kit ready to grab if needed.
Think of your first-aid supplies in two levels: items for the everyday minor bumps and scrapes and those for the true emergencies. Keep your medicine cabinet (or a basket in the kitchen cupboard) stocked with basic supplies, and have a fully loaded Red Cross first-aid kit ready to grab if needed.
- First-aid instruction booklet
- Assorted plasters
- Antibiotic ointment
- Oral thermometer
- Aspirin
- Antiseptic wipes
- Hydrocortisone ointment
- Sterile gauze pads
- Roller bandages
- Scissors
- Tweezers
- Instant ice packs
- Nonlatex gloves
- All-in-one first-aid kit (such as from the Red Cross) to grab and go
Household tool kit
Be prepared for minor repairs and tasks by keeping all of your tools in one place.
Be prepared for minor repairs and tasks by keeping all of your tools in one place.
- Picture hanging kit
- Hammer
- Spirit level
- Stud finder
- Phillips screwdriver
- Flat-head screwdriver
- Power screwdriver (if you ever build Ikea furniture, one of these will save you tons of time)
- Tape measure
- Adjustable wrench
- Pliers
- Kitchen shears
- Ladder
Laundry room essentials
Keep your whites white and towels fluffy with the right tools.
Keep your whites white and towels fluffy with the right tools.
- Stain-removal product
- Washing powder
- Laundry soap for hand washables
- Non-chlorine bleach
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Enzyme cleaner for pretreating stains
- Drying rack for hand-washed items, including a flat mesh-covered space for drying knitwear
- Ironing board
- Iron
- Clothes brush
Flower-arranging materials
Make arranging those pretty farmer’s market blooms a breeze with an array of containers and tools at the ready.
Make arranging those pretty farmer’s market blooms a breeze with an array of containers and tools at the ready.
- Floral scissors
- Pruning shears, for snipping branches
- Metal florist bucket
- Bud vases
- Jam jars
- Mint julep cups
- Clear glass vases in assorted sizes and shapes
- Floral frogs for helping position flowers in a vase
- Extra-large cylindrical vase for cut branches
Entertaining arsenal
Host gatherings with style and avoid last-minute supermarket trips by keeping an entertaining cupboard stocked with these essentials.
Take a look at more tips for throwing a fabulously formal dinner party
Host gatherings with style and avoid last-minute supermarket trips by keeping an entertaining cupboard stocked with these essentials.
- Unscented tea lights and votive candles
- Candleholders
- Classic linen tablecloth for your dining table
- Cloth dinner napkins
- Cocktail napkins
- Water jug
- Extra salad tongs and serving spoons
- Worktop savers
- Party-ready playlists
- Folding card table and chairs
- Dessert plates
- Coffee cups for a crowd
- Place cards
Take a look at more tips for throwing a fabulously formal dinner party
Guest room
Be ready when guests drop in, even at a moment’s notice, with these essentials tucked away.
Liked this? Share your thoughts and ideas in the Comments below.
Be ready when guests drop in, even at a moment’s notice, with these essentials tucked away.
- Clean sheets that fit your guest bed
- Air mattress, if you do not have a guest bed
- Extra blankets
- Extra pillows
- Fresh towels
- Alarm clock
- Soaps and mini toiletries
- Extra toothbrush and toothpaste
- Reading lamp
- Scented candles and matches
- Selection of books and magazines
- Bottle of water or carafe and glass
Liked this? Share your thoughts and ideas in the Comments below.
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Great article! I’ve been decluttering our home for the past year (since retiring). I’m taking my time, one space at a time. My guest room had become a catch-all for just about anything I didn’t have a place for (except guests). We don’t have guests for more than a night or two, and our guest room is small, so we don’t have a dresser for guests... what we do have is a chair for sitting to remove shoes, etc. older guests especially appreciate this. The second is a folding luggage rack. A place to put luggage when you’re “living out of your suitcase” is a great convenience for guests, but more importantly, it keeps luggage off your beds! Luggage is one of the big transferrers of bed bugs, and keeping travelers luggage off your beds is a good way to keep those critters away from your mattress! Guest room folding luggage rack... a good thing!
I love this list! I just want to add my own little strategy for kids birthdays... I keep a small basket in our home office with cards suitable for boys or girls, white tissue paper, small Hallmark gift bags in light pink, dark pink, and blue. When we receive an invitation to a birthday party, I buy Amazon gift cards in either the birthday cupcake tin or the balloons or soccer ball tin. They fit perfectly in the small gift bags and I always spend the same amount on each child. Super easy and fair and this also gives the parents the opportunity to buy something the child needs like clothes or shoes if they don't want yet another toy to enter the house. :)