Having guests over during the holidays and other special occasions can be so much fun! Often times though, as hosts we can get a little stressed preparing our homes.
Preparing your home for guests doesn't have to be stressful! Keep in mind these pointers when preparing for guests and everything should work out fine. 🙂
1. Focus on cleaning the areas that the guests will see and use. Don’t worry about cleaning and organizing every nook and cranny if it’s in an area that the guests won’t see. You can deal with those areas when there’s more time to work with.
2. Make room in your front closet for the coats and boots of your guests. It looks tidier than having everything piled onto the backs of chairs and is more convenient then placing everything in another room out of the way.
3. Try to have plenty of extra toilet paper, hand soap and towels available to your guests and have everything placed in an area that is easily accessed. It might also be a good idea to have the bathroom stocked with an extra bottle of shampoo, conditioner and body wash in case your guests may need it. Many people who are traveling don’t like to bring these large bottles with them in case they break open in their luggage.
You might want to stock up on a few extra toiletries and essentials just in case your guests may need them. Most of these can be purchased for very little at a dollar store or you might even have extras already on hand.
- Tooth brushes
- Tooth paste
- Mouth wash
- Feminine products
- Razors
- Shaving cream
4. If your guests will be staying overnight make sure to have clean sheets and bedding ready where they will be staying. Try to have a couple extra pillows for each of your guests if you can – some people like a lot of pillows (speaking for myself here lol)! Having a few extra blankets on hand just in case is also a good idea.
If you don't have a spare room to use as a guest room that's ok!! We don't have a guest room here but we always try to make sleeping arrangements as comfortable as possible. We have a couch that pulls out into a bed and have extra padding to place down to make it more comfortable.
5. Whenever I have guests I usually like to put a little night light in the plug in nearest to the bathroom so that they can find their way easily at night.
6. Try to stock your kitchen with some drinks that your guests will enjoy. A lot of people can’t function without their morning coffee or tea so check in with your guests for what they enjoy the most! 🙂 A few extra snacks on hand would be a good idea too.
7. Check with your guest ahead of time if they have any food allergies.
8. Using the above points as reference make a rough list of the items you'll need for your guests stay.
9. Grab a sheet of paper and jot down a rough timeline and schedule each thing that you need to do to prepare for your guests. I find that it helps to something visual to look at to remind me what needs to get done and post it somewhere in the kitchen. Schedule when you plan on doing any cleaning and also when you plan on any shopping for the visit.
Scheduling everything out in advance will help prevent yourself from doing things at the last minute – and this will save some sanity! Trust me on that one! 🙂
I hope these pointers help you in preparing your home for overnight guests!
