Before you have the family and friends over for the holidays, it may be a good time to take an assessment of your home’s condition and fix any problems – both to increase the aesthetic appeal of your home and to make sure your guests can stay in your home safely.

Check out these home improvement projects a handyman can lend his or her hand to:

• Adding holiday decorations  - You know where you want everything, but a handyman can climb that ladder to hang the lights, wreaths and get Santa’s sleigh onto the roof.

• Repair drywall - If your home features a neglected crack, hole or imperfection in its drywall, hire a handyman to make repairs before guests arrive.

• Touch up the interior paint and trim - This is an essential step to completing a drywall repair, but touching up chipped or fading paint can make it look new again. Or go all out and repaint a room to give it a renewed and fresh look to wow your guests.

• Install new trim molding - You'll want a handyman with experience in the task, but adding new crown or base moldings can give your home's interior rooms a high-end look before guests arrive.

• Replace or repair carpet - Nothing can make a bad impression like a worn, dingy or stained carpet. A handyman with the right experience in carpet installation or repairs can almost instantly make a room look brand-new.

• Update the guest bathroom - A handyman with bathroom renovation experience can easily update a bathroom by installing new fixtures, repairing or replacing ceramic tile, cleaning up stained or disintegrating grout or even replacing a toilet or sink. For more involved plumbing work, call a licensed plumber.

• Reorganize - If you have a basement, garage or spare bedroom drowning in clutter - and guests coming to visit - free up the space by having a handyman lend his or her brawn to getting the job done. While they're there, have them install new shelving or cabinets to help ensure the space remains clutter-free. 

Don't forget that many municipalities and states in the New York City tri-state area require home improvement professionals to hold a license. For example, in NYC, any work that costs more than $200 total requires a home improvement professional license.

Find the best New York area handyman for your to-do list on Angie's List. Consumers and homeowners just like you have commented on their experiences with almost 2,000 handyman companies.