Article by Maia Steel
Many people love having out-of-town relatives and friends stay over at their place when they come and visit the town. Although most of these people love to crash in a comfortable bed or spend time chatting about the past, there are certain things involved in getting your home ready for your guests so that they may feel like being at home during the visit. Your home and the surrounding area might be familiar to you however, for the guests visiting the town for the first time it may be a little disorienting. Keep in mind, fewer questions the guests have to pose such as where is the closest bus stop? Or where are the shops located? The more relaxed they are likely to feel. This also means that you will have more time to talk about important things. Here is a checklist of things needed for receiving house guests.
1. Get the guest bedroom and bathroom ready for the visit
Clear out all your personal belongings from the areas that will be used by the guests such as the bathroom and bedroom. Make space in the wardrobe, empty out the drawers, and keep extra hangers for their use after unpacking. There should be sufficient space under the bed to keep the empty suitcases. Remove the different items from your bathroom counter to allow space for the guests to place their toiletries on your vanity. You may also keep a laundry bag for doing their washing. Open the windows of the bedroom on the day guests are arriving so that the living space feels clean and fresh.
2. Look at the rooms through the guest's eyes
Try and pretend that you are a visitor inside your home and spend a night in the guest room. Is it sufficient, quiet, or hot? If you are not comfortable the guests are unlikely to be either. The easiest way of making the bed look inviting is by using crisp and fresh white linen. It makes a great impact on the appearance.
3. Add comforts
You need to add additional pillows and a throw in the rooms. Keep some face washers and freshly folded towels at the end of the bed. Sometimes the guests are visiting with children and it means having an additional mattress on the floor or a travel cot. Ensure that the bedside lamps are accessible and you are keeping water, tissue papers, a notepad, a clock, a phone charger, and a pen on the table. Generally speaking, try to make the room luxurious by supplying magazines and a flower vase on the dressing table. Have clean and soft fluffy towels for every person.
4. Do not forget the toiletries
Before your guests arrive get in touch with them to tell them to leave their toiletries at home. You can place shower gel, shampoo, and conditioner in the bathroom. Also place hand lotion, room freshener, hairdryer, soap, moisturizer, and face wipes in the basket. It’s not all about providing the glamour touch. You will also need practical items. You need to fix the unassembled kitchen cabinets if they are lying around out there.
Place a container for cleaning wipes below the sink as many people like to clean the sink and countertops after they have used it. Also, ensure that you have a bin and your toilet brush is clean. You can also add flowers in the bathroom vanity to make the bathroom feel fresh and vibrant.
5. The key lies in communication
Let your guests know about your daily routine so that they are aware of what to expect. Even let them know the times when you take shower and when you are working. It is useful for them to know when you are leaving the house and when you are expected to arrive back. If the daily cleaner or gardener arrives at a certain time let your guests know about it so that they are not surprised by his visit.
6. Finer details
Provide your guests with a set of keys that they can use for entering and leaving the house as they please. Guests will feel more at home when they are not required to ring the doorbell each time they arrive. If you have alarms in place give them codes and show them how they work. Let them know where you keep the spare key in the event of an emergency. Also, provide the guests with your other details such as address and phone numbers.
