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A houseful for Christmas

Do you have guests coming to stay this Christmas? To keep everything running smoothly so that you don’t get flustered or frustrated but make the stay for your guests and resident family as good as possible it’s best to plan ahead.

 

We don’t mean food and drink though it’s good to check if your guests have any particular dietary requirements if you don’t know already. Their particular food hates are useful to know as well. A lovely idea is to ask each of them if they have a favourite tipple and if funds allow make sure you have a bottle of each so that guests can enjoy their special festive cheer.

 

Pet policy

Remember to make it clear what your policy on pets is. If you already have pets of your own you probably won’t want guests to arrive with their pet pooch as well. In fact not everyone will embrace someone else’s pet so if you feel strongly about this, you need to make it clear to your guests in the kindest way. It could just be that you don’t have room. Dogs for instance take up more room than you’d expect whereas cats are likely to mooch off somewhere quiet.

 

However if animal hair and feeding bowls are just two more things you don’t want to cope with over the festive season, then it is absolutely fine for you to make this clear to guests beforehand.

 

Space is premium

Probably the most important thing when you have guests staying is to make sure that you optimise the space you have that is usually occupied by less people. It goes without saying that you will give your house a thorough clean before it’s invaded by guests. You can enlist the help of those members of the family who live with you – and make sure their rooms are spotless too.

 

After your guests leave, it’s useful to have a plan to clear up which also involves your resident family members. This way you aren’t too exhausted by the time things return to normal or your next group of visitors arrive for New Year!

 

Optimising space tips
  • Is there room in your hallway for extra coats and shoes/boots?
  • If not make sure there is hanging space in the guests’ rooms for these essentials
  • Bring extra chairs into the living space if necessary
  • Make sure you have enough easily accessible chairs for the dining table
  • If you aren’t lucky enough to have guest bathrooms and are all relying on one bathroom space make sure you give the family a rota
  • Get them up early if necessary to use the facilities before the guests
  • Make sure you leave towels and bathing accessories – lovely soaps and bath or shower gels – in guests’ rooms
  • Nominate one of your family to clean the bathroom each day after everyone has used it – this way it doesn’t fall on you. After all you’ll probably be busy preparing, cooking and organising food

 

After the festivities

If having guests to stay has made you realise what a squash it is, maybe you have a space you could turn into an en-suite or a second bathroom in the future. Livinghouse have a wide range of fittings including smaller toilets and basins to fit into restricted spaces.

 

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