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How to Prepare Your Home for Overnight Guests

People who entertain a lot tend to do so throughout the year. They really don’t need much of an occasion as gatherings and overnight visits tend to be their own reward.

But the whole entertainment thing tends to take on a different spin leading up to and during the holidays.  It’s a time of year when many of us do more to decorate our homes than normal. So it only stands to reason that, if you’re expecting family or friends from afar, you’re going to want to present your home in all its glory – for their benefit and yours.

Here are a few home welcoming tips sure to please:

Spruce up the entrance: After all their travelling, your guests will be ready to get into the holiday spirit and unwind! Help them settle in by setting the mood right at the door. Add decorations to your entrance and in the breeze way. Add a seasonal wreath, fresh flowers or trees, and even a string or two of lights!

Clear a path: Once inside your home, your guests will need to take off coats and footwear and have a place for suitcases while everyone exchanges hugs. So clear the way by keeping plants, small pieces of furniture, or decorative items out of the way. Also set up a dedicated place for their things by having lots of empty hangers in the coat closet, a shoe bin or shoe tree available, and a spot for suitcases and bags for when they first arrive.

Welcome baskets:  A simple way to help any guest feel welcome is to create a welcome basket for them. Include lotions, toothpaste, a few snacks, and even a fun magazine or two. You can place them in the bathroom or on the bedside table. For kids, you can fill it with non-candy snacks, drinks, and even a toy or magazine and then hide it somewhere not too remote for them to find. Now it isn’t just a gift, it’s an event.

A space of their own: Give your guests a place to call their own during their stay.   Clear a space in a bedroom closet for their items that need to be hung up like suits and dresses. Provide a rack for them to put a suitcase on and, if you can spare one, designate one of yours as a guest bathroom. This lets guests put out their toiletries, make up, and hair products without disrupting other family members.

Taking this a step further, let’s say you have four people coming to stay for a week to join your family of four.  Doing the simple math, that’s double the amount of toilet flushes, double the number of showers and shaves, and pretty much double everything else when it comes to your indoor plumbing.  The question is, can your plumbing handle the extra load, however temporary it might be. If you’ve even a little unsure, contact Messmer Mechanical and ask about a whole-house plumbing inspection.  It’s the best and most affordable way to ensure your plumbing is in prime working order for your family of four or even your temporary crowd of eight.