December 07, 2012
The holidays are a time of merriment as you catch up with family you haven’t seen in ages.
But, before you get to enjoy their company, you still have a ton of extra preparation you need to do before they get to your house, right?
It can be overwhelming. So much to do with so little time that it makes it hard to stay organized.
Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered with a basic list of things you need to do to make your Sarasota-area house feel like a home for your holiday guests.
First things first, you need to make sure the place where your guests will be sleeping and relaxing is properly prepared.
If you don’t have guests over often, you’re probably using your guest room as a storage room. (We’re guilty of this too.) Make sure you’ve decluttered it to make room for guests’ suitcases and belongings.
If your guests are staying for a few days, make sure the guest closet has extra hangers for hanging their clothes.
Finally, make your guests feel like they’ve checked into a high quality hotel by putting fresh bed linens on their bed and give them a few extra blankets, just in case they get chilly during the night.
Like the guest room, you might have an extra bathroom you don’t use often. That means you need to clean it up and test the plumbing to make sure it works.
And just like you should have fresh linens on the guest bed, make sure you prepare fresh towels (and maybe even a bathrobe) for your guests.
If your guests are sharing a bathroom area with others in your family over the holidays, make sure your family moves their toiletries around enough to make room for guests’ toiletries.
Finally, you can go the extra mile and prepare a “just in case you forgot” toiletries basket filled with shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, etc. for your guests.
Even if you properly set up the bedroom and bathroom, a guest’s comfort can easily be ruined if the temperature in your house isn’t right.
That being said, you need to make sure the furnace is working properly to keep everyone warm. If your furnace is in disrepair, and you’re being dissatisfied with it, you might be interested in installing a heat pump as an energy efficient alternative. It’s basically an air conditioner and a heater combined.
Finally, show guests where your thermostat is so they can set it to a temperature that works for them.
When all is said and done, there’s going to be something your guests need that you didn’t foresee. That’s why you should go the extra mile throughout their stay and ask them if there’s anything else they need to make themselves feel comfortable. If you were a guest in someone else’s home, wouldn’t you want them to do the same for you?
To make sure you’re keeping your guests safe as well as comfortable, don’t make these three dangerous mistakes with your Christmas lights.
Posted in: Tips