Summary: Find out what you can do to be invited back when staying at someone else’s home.
When you’re staying with someone else as a guest, it can be easy to treat to treat their home like a hotel room or even your own home depending on how comfortable you are with your hosts. However, it’s so important to remember that you are technically invading someone else’s personal space, no matter how much they want you there. If you want to make a good impression and keep a good relationship with your hosts, you need to make sure you’re being respectful. Here are some tips on being a good guest to make sure you’re invited back.
- Bring a gift. You’ve probably heard that you should bring a gift, such as wine or flowers, when you attend a party at someone’s house. Staying at someone’s house overnight is even more of a commitment for your hosts, so a gift is even more appropriate. Stick with something simple and that you know they would use.
- Take your hosts out for a meal. While you may think it is “free” to host someone in your home, your hosts are likely giving you food, making a space for you, washing sheets and towels and letting you use their things. It’s always a good show of gratitude to offer to take your hosts to lunch, dinner, or even out for a drink or fun dessert.
- Be helpful. Whether it’s helping with cooking or dishes in the kitchen or weekend chores if you’re staying longer, you should help your hosts in any other ways that you can. This isn’t a hotel you’re paying for so you don’t just get to lay back and relax. Show your hosts that you appreciate them by doing things to help them.
- Communicate. Before you arrive, make sure you’ve clearly communicated expectations with your host. Let them know exactly when you’re arriving, when you’re leaving and whether or not you’ll need help getting to and from an airport, a meeting, or anywhere else you need to be during your travels.
- Tidy up after yourself. Again, you’re not staying at a hotel, so there isn’t a paid employee coming around to clean up after you. Make your hosts’ lives a little easier by cleaning up after yourself and leaving your space just a nice as, or better than, it was when you arrived. Additionally, while you’re there, make sure you keep your things together and neat rather than lying around their home.
- Make your own plans. Being a host can be exhausting because you’re often expected to entertain your guest all day long. Be sure to come up with some things you can do yourself and give your hosts a break so they can do a few things that they would normally need to get done while you’re visiting.