It's something you probably took for granted this holiday season; Putting up the Christmas lights. Decorating the tree. Hanging stockings on the fireplace.

For 10 families in Cochrane, it's been a long road but this holiday season, they are trading in a hard hat for a set of keys, according to Cathy Alfonso with Habitat for Humanity Calgary.

In order to be a part of the Habitat for Humanity, the families must put in at least 500 hours of sweat equity into the home, as a form of down payment. Habitat also relies on the community to come out and help out with the builds in their area.

It wasn't an official plan to have the homes turned over for the holidays, but it sounds like it was a nice bonus for those in need.

"It is always nice to give families a home around this time of year" says Alfonso. "It just kind of worked out that way. It is dependant on the hours that the family can put it, so it worked out nicely that they get their home for the holidays."

Alfonso says Airdrie's Habitat families have already started their sweat equity requirement for the homes going up in Bayside.