Holidays are a family-filled time, and with an influx of holiday guests, you may end up hosting some. Learn how to best prepare your home for holiday guests.
The holidays are a wonderful time. You get to see family you may not spend time with often, eat delicious food, and relax. Many families live far from their relatives—this can mean an influx of people in your guest room all season long. Whether Aunt Martha showed up unannounced or your cousins stay with you every holiday season, learn how to prepare your home for holiday guests.
Declutter
Whether or not you have a dedicated guest room, it’s essential to clear out the space where your guests will be sleeping. If you do have a guest room, make sure there’s a cleared tabletop, whether it be a dresser top or side table, for your guests to lay their luggage. Remove any unnecessary items and try to fit any storage bins into a closet until your guests leave.
If your guests will be staying in a more central location in your home, such as a living room, try your best to position furniture in a way that provides the most privacy possible. Consider getting a fold-away screen or temporarily repositioning furniture and removing all non-essential pieces for the length of your guests’ stay.
Light your space
While wandering through your home in darkness may be a breeze for you, your guests may not know your home’s layout well enough to navigate it at night. Provide night lights to illuminate the path to the bathroom, kitchen, and other areas your guests may need to get to after dark.
Prepare your bathroom
Imagine this: you’re just gone to the bathroom while staying at your aunt’s new home, and you’re out of toilet paper—and there’s not a spare roll to be found.
Help your guests avoid this nightmare by keeping extra toilet paper, plenty of hand soap, hand towels, a plunger, and air freshener all in plain sight.
Provide essentials
No matter how skilled of packers your guests might be, it’s common to forget at least one essential item while traveling. Make sure to have a basket of “just-in-case” hospitality items. Here are some common things to keep around for guests:
- Toothpaste
- Coffee creamer, sugar, and tea bags
- Shampoo and conditioner meant for all hair types
- Book of electronic instructions: Wi-Fi password, TV remote usage instructions, etc.
- Spare towels, sheets, pillows, and blankets
- A way to enter and leave your home: guest keys, garage code, keyless entry access, etc.
Organize transportation
If your guests are driving, make sure to guide them on where to park. You don’t want to risk them parking in front of your garage so you can’t get in or out—or, even worse, accidentally parking in a tow zone or no-parking zone on your street. Help them avoid that headache by planning out parking in advance and communicating your plan.
Check for pests
If you have a revolving door of guests this holiday season, make sure to handle your pest control. You should always change the sheets in between guests and check for bed bugs or other creepy crawlers. Pests often come along for the ride during travel, so keep an eye out for them to prevent any spreading or infestation.
