Having house guests can be difficult. Depending on how close of a relationship you have with the guests that are staying in your home will negotiate what type of host or hostess you will be. Though regardless if you are having you in-laws stay for a long weekend or an old college over for a night while he passes through town, there are certain things you should avoid. They key is to make your house guests feel comfortable, regardless of how close your relationship is. Avoid some major hostess blunders to ensure your guests will have a pleasant stay in your home and will want to return in the future.

Don’t Over Do It

Yes, you should put a little extra thought into your guests stay; however, if you appear to be going over the top and creating a huge fuss, your guests will surely feel uncomfortable. Rather than preparing a huge dinner and fancy wine lists, invite your house guests to join your typical family dinner. They key is to make your guests feel special while not making them feel like a burden. Perhaps creating a nice recipe and a simple dessert would be more appropriate than a three course meal served on a fancy linen set table.

Don’t Make Them Hunt

As a considerate hostess, don’t make your guests go hunting through your cabinets for items like extra blankets, toilet paper, or bottles of water. Think about the items they might need during their stay and set them out in plain sight. Leaving and extra blanket at the foot of their bed and clean bath towels on top of the bathroom sink will make your guests stay much more pleasant and less embarrassing. No one wants to be caught snooping through cabinets in an attempt to find the extra toilet paper.

Don’t Run Out in the Morning

Depending on the reason for your guests’ stay, don’t simply get up and run out the door in the morning. If you are going to be leaving early in the morning, be sure to let your guests know before the turn in the night before. Letting them know what to expect for the next day is much more considerate than having them wake up in an empty house and wonder where everyone went and when they’ll return. If you do have to run out the next day, let them know when to expect you home, provide them with your cell phone number, and tell them to make themselves feel comfortable.

Don’t Deprive them of Television

If your home television requires three remotes just to turn on, be sure to let your guests know how to work them. Perhaps even creating a small list of instructions to serve as a guide will be the easiest. Make sure that if your guests want to flip on the news late at night, they’ll know how and not be afraid of hitting the wrong buttons. Also, be sure to let them know where the telephone is in case they need to make a call and the key to operating any other technically challenging devices you may own.

The most important key to ensuring that your house guests are comfortable while staying with you is to simply think about what would make you the most comfortable if you were the guests. Give it a little thought and you’ll be having them back several times over.