I love having guests visit my home as I enjoy having people fill the house, well, most of the time. But, along with opening up my house for visitors, comes a responsibility to try to make them feel comfortable and right at home. I’ve found over the years that it doesn’t really take a lot of effort or expense, just a few niceties and here they are…
8 Simple Tips for Making Houseguests Feel at Home
- Ask ahead of time what your guests like to drink and eat for breakfast and snacks, then stock your fridge and cupboard accordingly.
- Put water and fresh flowers at the bedside and magazines and books in the guest bedroom, especially if you don’t have a TV in the room. While you may not know their favorite flower, you probably know their taste in magazines.
- If your guest didn’t bring an iPad, leave one in the room. This works well for us, as we don’t have a TV in the guest bedroom, but they can still watch TV or a movie on the iPad.
- Stock the bathroom with shampoo & conditioner, body lotion, a razor, nice soaps/body wash, a hairdryer, deodorant, q-tips; all the toiletries you can think of that someone may forget. This is especially important with carry on luggage these days and as most visits are weekenders.
- Make sure you leave them plenty of closet and drawer space AND hangers, even if this means you have to move your things around.
- Tell your guests how things work in the house, like your remote, just in case they want to watch TV when you’re not around. And, don’t forget the coffee maker and where glasses, plates, and utensils are. They shouldn’t have to be opening every cabinet to find things. Also, it’s a good idea to show them how the washer/dryer work or better yet, offer to do the laundry for them. Many times people may be uncomfortable to ask as they feel it’s an imposition.
- If you all arise at different times, set out some cereal, fruit, bread, jam, butter, coffee, etc. for your guests to grab something for breakfast.
- If your guests are not on your time schedule and are sleeping in or going to bed early, be respectful and try not to make a lot of noise. We trust they’ll do the same for you.
Now, I didn’t add anything about making sure you have nice linens on the bed and that you’ve made it super comfy. I’m assuming you’ve already got that covered…
– SHERRY
WHAT NICETIES DO YOU DO FOR YOUR HOUSEGUESTS?
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Sherry is one of the TriWivesClub and LifeDoneWell co-founders and contributes to multiple blogs. She is a former co-owner of the California Apparel News and had a career in the healthcare industry. Her passions include traveling, real food, the environment, and animal rescue/welfare. She lives a healthy lifestyle and has been a vegetarian since 1987. She and her husband are parents to two rescue pups and reside in Connecticut.
