6 Practical Ways to Make Your Home More Welcoming to Guests
Have you ever walked into someone’s house and felt instantly at home – even if it was the first time you’d been there? Do you think people feel the same way about your house?
Anyone can make a house feel like a home, but it usually doesn’t happen by accident. If you want your guests to feel welcome in your home, there are some specific steps you can take to put them at ease. Here are a few suggestions:
- Spruce Up Curb Appeal
What does your home’s curb appeal say about your house when people pull into the driveway? Does it come across as messy, chaotic, and disheveled? Or is it warm, inviting, and familiar?
First impressions are everything. Take the time to spruce up your curb appeal. This may look like pulling weeds, trimming shrubs, applying a fresh coat of paint to the front door, or putting fresh flowers in pots. But above all else, make sure it’s indicative of your style.
- Focus on the Entryway
Curb appeal sets the very first impression. But you also want to wow guests as soon as they walk through the front door. You can do this by placing a major emphasis on the entryway. It should be clean, tasteful, and cheery.
- Make Your House Smell Good
Every house has a certain smell. And whether you realize it or not, your house has its own unique smell. Because you live in the house full-time, you’re probably oblivious to it, but your guests most certainly are not.
“The truth is that your house has good days and bad days. However, it should be your goal to have more of the former than the latter,” Houston-based Green Residential says. “You want your house to smell good all the time – both for your sanity and for your guest’s sake.”
Common culprits of a smelly house include food, clothes, pets, a dirty HVAC system, a lack of cleanliness, and trash. Most of these are easy fixes. By regularly cleaning your home, you can eliminate many of these problem areas. Additionally, you may try diffusing essential oils and/or simmering cinnamon sticks or herbs on the stove when you know guests will be arriving soon.
- Ensure the House Feels Livable
If you’ve ever spent time thumbing through a home design magazine or catalog, you’ve certainly found designs that you like. But how many of those designs are actually practical? In other words, could you live in these spaces?
There’s something to be said for making your house livable. If people feel like they can’t sit down on your sofa and kick their feet up, you might be doing something wrong. A more relaxed feel will help.
- Use Unique and Personal Decor
There’s nothing wrong with buying cute decor online or at your favorite big box store, but too many generic home accessories will make your house feel like an exact replica of an in-store display. Sometimes it pays off to incorporate unique and personal decor items.
“We have [my mother-in-law’s] handmade quilts on our couches, her crocheted doilies on my end tables, her canisters on my kitchen counter, and the list go on,” blogger Jennifer Poindexter writes. “And you know what? My guests love it! They are conversational pieces that everyone notices.”
What personal items have you been hiding or storing for later use? Now might be the best time to pull them out and integrate them into key living spaces.
- Provide Everything Guests Need
“This is just a personal tip that I have found makes a huge difference when in somebody’s home,” home decor blogger Toria Sheffield writes. “Make sure there’s enough toilet paper (because no visitors enjoy having to ask for more), that the soap dispenser is full, and that there are clean towels for drying your hands. It also doesn’t hurt to have a subtle air freshener or some potpourri for an added little touch.”
In other words, make sure your guests have what they need. (And don’t be offended when these items go untouched. It’s more the thought that counts here. Even if a guest doesn’t open up that nice bar of soap – they absolutely noticed that it was there.)
Give Your Home a Makeover
You don’t need to invest in a total redesign or renovation of your house. To make your home more inviting, a simple makeover will do. Walk around your house and look for areas that could use some attention. With a few simple tweaks, you could change the entire look and feel of your home!