Is your home is the hub of the holidays this season? If so, you’ve got some work to do before your guests knock on your door. Luckily, it doesn’t have to take weeks of hard labor to get your home ready – just a few smart and simple tasks will do the trick to get things prepped for holiday house guests.
Figure Out the Sleeping Arrangements
If you’re lucky enough to have a guest room, fantastic. If not, you’ve got a little coordinating you do. Figure out the sleeping arrangements for your house guests, and if that means shuffling family members around to accommodate, do these logistics beforehand.
Maybe Junior will have to sleep with Mommy and Daddy to free up a bed, or perhaps the living room couch will be need to act as a makeshift bed. Whatever the case may be, have this arrangement handled in advance so you’re not scrambling at the last minute.
Make Up the Guest Bed(s) With Fresh Sheets
If no one has slept in the guest bed for months, the sheets will start to get a bit stale. Rip those babies off and slap on a set of crisp, fresh-smelling bedsheets and pillowcases. Set out some extra blankets and pillows too, in case your guests are the type to get really cozy and bundled in bed. And while you’re in there, take a couple of minutes to tidy up and get rid of anything that doesn’t belong.
Clean and Stock Up the Bathroom
Tidying up and dusting is a no-brainer, not just when house guests are shacking up with you. But one room in particular that needs some extra attention is the bathroom (for obvious reasons). Most people won’t get too bent out of shape about a tad of dust underneath furniture, but certain marks and streaks (and smells) in the bathroom can be enough to turn anyone off.
Make sure you clean every corner of the bathroom, including the floor, sink, toilet, shower stall, bathtub and mirrors. Dump out the trash, take out a fresh stack of clean towels, refill the soap dispenser, and restock the toilet paper. Your guests will appreciate the fact that they don’t have to bust your chops asking for anything when everything has already been handed to them on a silver platter.
Have Your Morning Essentials in Order
Some people instinctively reach for their coffee first thing in the morning, while others look forward to a massive bowl of cereal when they wake. Everyone’s different, so make sure you get the 411 on what your house guests prefer to have at their disposal in the morning.
Find out what they like to drink and eat for breakfast, and make sure to hit the supermarket to pick these things up before they arrive. Set these things up in an easily-accessed area on the kitchen countertop, and be sure to point them out to your house guests when you’re giving them the tour so they don’t feel obligated to be served in the morning.
Give Them a Spot to Chill Out in Peace
As cool and fun-to-be-with as you are, most people don’t necessarily want to be in each other’s faces 24/7. So give your house guests some quiet space where they can catch up on their novel, watch their favorite show, or do whatever else floats their boat. They’ll appreciate the consideration of setting up a little area where they can retreat to in order to get a little ‘me’ time.
Plan Things to Do
Depending on how long your house guests plan to stay with you over the holidays, you might want to plan some fun things to do while they’re there. Sure, you could watch holiday movies until you’re blue in the face, but consider finding out what types of things your guests might be interested in doing besides being stuck in front of the tube.
Maybe they’d like to check out the local museum or infamous eateries in your city. Or maybe they’d like to check out some landmarks specific to your town, or even checkout a show. You don’t have to do all of these things, but even a day or two of activity can be enough to break up the monotony of an extended holiday guest stay.
The holidays are all about family and friends, and sharing in the joy of the season. But if you’re well-prepared for your house guests, the holidays can be that much sweeter.