Having guests round to stay is an exciting yet challenging experience. Whether it’s your friends or family members, you feel the need to make them feel as welcome as you can. There’s a real sense of enjoyment out of looking after your guests. The challenge involved with having guests round is of course getting the home ready in time for their stay. One thing that goes without saying is that a good tidy up is needed. No matter if you’re one to have the house clean anyway, there’s no harm going around the home and giving it a quick dusting and polish as well as a bathroom check. Here are some more tips on how to prepare your home for overnight guests.
Stock up on food and essentials
One thing is for certain, you are going to need more food and more of the other essentials. If you have a big family, you will already know how fast food goes out of the cupboard. Well, how do you think it will be when you have even more people in your home? It is worth calling your guests before they come to see if they have any dietary requirements. You don’t want to make a beautiful welcome meal and find out that one of your guests can’t eat it. So your guests aren’t guessing where everything is, it might be an idea to have sticky notes on the cupboards and draws for the basics such as cereal, bread and cutlery.
The same goes with other essentials like toilet rolls, toothpaste, soap and hair cleaning products. Your guests may bring their own but it’s always best to be prepared just in case.
Prep the guest room
Your guests will need someplace to sleep, if you have a guest room it is always nice having this set up for them to have a comfortable stay. Having the essentials in a hamper such as the wifi password, books, a pen, notepad and the tv remote is a nice touch. If you haven’t a spare, having fresh bedding is a great way to ensure your guests have a pleasant stay. You can get some duvet covers that look and feel luxurious, so your guests can fully relax. If you have a place for them to hang their clothes, ensure that you empty your items so they can have their clothes away and their suitcase is hidden so they don’t stumble over it. It is useful to have a table lamp for them to relax and read a book or watch tv.
Set the dining room
Having guests over isn’t just about letting them sleepover, feeding them is also a loving way to show them they are welcome. As I said, call before and check if there are any dietary restrictions. For this lovely meal, you are going to want to set up the dining room and table. This could be as simple as a table cloth and setting with cutlery. Don’t worry if you don’t have matching as you can mix and match and share out evenly for an added effect. If you like everyone to help themselves, serving bowls set out and a candle or flowers will finish the room nicely.
Make the living room comfortable for everyone
Chances are you won’t have enough sofa space to fit everyone on, so people will inevitably end up bringing the dining chair in there alternatively, you could have some large pillows spread out so everyone is comfortable. Having some spare throws for when people get chilly, a snack box is also a nice touch. Don’t have a room for the children to play in, that shouldn’t be a problem, just as you have a snack box, why not set out another with games and a couple of decks of cards. This is great for the times you don’t have anything planned or have a rainy day.
Final thoughts
Having guests stay overnight is an enjoyable experience when you are prepared and have time to get everything ready. Ensure you leave yourself plenty of time to get everything ready and enjoy the process, some might say it’s therapeutic, some may say it is chaotic, but when you look back at it, you will remember the good times and your guests will remember what a lovely stay they had.
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