How to prepare your home for guests

How to prepare your home for guests

January, 2020

From a fleeting weekend visit to a week-long stay, family and friends are bound to stop by your home to spend some quality time together.

It’s important to make guests feel special and welcome, especially as they have travelled to come and see you. Here are a few tips on how you can make your home inviting during these special occasions:

Prepare the guest bedroom:

If you have guests staying at your home overnight, it’s important that they have their own space and don’t feel like a burden. When looking at the guest bedroom, identify if there is any clutter that shouldn’t be in there, and store it elsewhere. Give it a thorough clean and dust, and have the windows opened slightly to let the fresh air in. This deep-clean should also be applied to the rest of the house.

When it comes to styling the room, ensure that you’ve put fresh bedding on the bed, and have placed clean towels at the end of the bed. Perhaps you could make a small welcome tray, including a welcome note from you, WiFi details, and a snack. It may also be a good idea to put a reed diffuser or scented candle somewhere in the room, although be careful not to choose an overpowering scent.

Make some space:

Guests will inevitably bring bulky items with them. They may even bring some prepared dishes along with them if you have arranged this previously. You’ll need to make sure that there is space for guests to hang their coats, scarves etc. You can either make space for them downstairs to do this, or provide ample storage in their guest bedroom.

In terms of fridge space, make sure you’ve cleared out your fridge and freezer in advance. You don’t want to prepare lots of food and have guests bring some, only to discover that you don’t have enough space to store it.

Plan & prepare meals in advance:

Try to know what you’re going to serve and when. You’ll need time to cook the meals, especially if you’re cooking for a lot of guests. Make sure you have plenty of spare plates and cutlery available.

It may also be necessary for some recipes to be left to sit for a while before you can serve them or continue the cooking process, so watch out for this.

Have homemade treats available on arrival:

This tip isn’t essential, however if you do happen to have some spare time on your hands, try getting creative in the kitchen. You could bake brownies, cookies, or you could even have a go at making your own cake! Not only will guests feel welcomed and appreciated, they’ll walk into a house which will smell absolutely delicious.

Plan activities:

There’s nothing worse than guests sitting around aimlessly. You don’t want to switch the TV on either, as guests will inevitable flock to it and you’ll lose time. Bring some games down from the attic, give them a dust, and they’ll be as good as new! Games are a great way for the family to come together and interact, but don’t be too competitive!

Another activity you could do is go for a group walk after a meal. Let the food settle for a bit, and then enjoy a gentle stroll in the fresh air. It needn’t be too strenuous, just a walk around your local area would be fine.