One of the most common questions I get from my clients is how they can make visitors to their home feel welcome. I love welcoming friends and family members over to stay, and I find that it’s the little touches that can make the difference between a nice stay and a wonderful one.
Firstly, make sure your guests have clean linens—the bed should already be made—and towels at their disposal. If they are staying in a guest room, leave some hangers in the closet so that they may hang up their clothes. And make sure the bathrooms are stocked with plenty of toilet paper, so they don’t have to search around for it. If you have a guest bath, it’s also nice to leave a tube of toothpaste and some basic toiletries like shampoo and body wash in case they didn’t bring their own.
As far as the nightstand goes, I like to make sure there’s a carafe of water and a glass so that guests don’t have to go to the kitchen in the middle of the night. Having a reading lamp and some choice novels at hand is also a nice touch.
Lastly, make sure your guest room has a wastebasket and a laundry basket of some sort. I’ve visited homes where there never seems to be a place to throw anything out, and it’s always a bit awkward.
One final note: Be mindful of strong smells. Some people are sensitive to strong fragrances, so you should avoid dousing the guest room in powerful air fresheners until you’re sure that they won’t overwhelm the people sleeping there.