How to Make House Guests Comfortable

House guests can be a mixed blessing. It's wonderful to have your friends and family close by again, but it can also be stressful for both you and them. With a little bit of planning, you can eliminate much of the stress involved with having house guests.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Toilet Paper
   Make sure that you leave plenty of extra rolls of toilet paper in an obvious place. Your guest may not feel comfortable looking under the sink and running into other personal items or they may not know that the pretty "sculpture" actually hides extra toilet paper. Make it easy for your guests.

2. Night Light
   House guests don't know their way around your house and won't feel comfortable turning on a light and possibly waking up others. Provide a night light or flash light to help your guest avoid bumps during their stay.

3. Water glass, note pad, pens, and tissues
   Hotels provide these things because they are quite handy. Your guest may get thirsty in the night and not want to clank around the kitchen. A note pad and pen can help your guest jot down a quick phone number or address.

4. Linens
   Make sure you provide your guests with extra towels, wash clothes, and blankets. They may need more than you think they do. Your guests won't know where you store extras and may feel uncomfortable asking.

5. House Key and Address
   Make your guest a copy of the house key. Also make them a card to put in their wallet with the house address in case they get lost and can't find their way "home". On a separate card, provide alarm or gate codes so that your guests don't find them trapped in or out of your house all day while you are at work.

6. Brochures for Tourist sites
   Go to a hotel or visitor's bureau and pick up brochures about interesting sites you think your guests may find interesting or on the history of the area.

7. Maps and Transportation Tips
   Provide guests a handful of bus or subway tokens to get them started as well as a map and schedule of public transportation. You may want to leave a number for a taxi service or a map if they are driving themselves.

8. House Rules and Procedures
   At the start of the visit, discuss how long your guests will be staying so that you don't get surprised. Explain how your household functions. Mention how meals will work, laundry, and any other procedures.