13 Signs That Can Make Any Host Welcoming and Inviting

We all like to host guests at home sometimes. Even despite this fact, this is not an easy activity. All because you need to put in so much effort and think through many details not mess up. After all, we all want our guests to have pleasant memories from visiting our lodges.

We at Bright Side pondered why we gladly rush to some people’s homes, and look for a reason to say “No” when it comes to other hosts. In other words, what does a hospitable housekeeper do that others don’t?

They provide comfortable sitting places for guests.

Ideally, guests are seated at a big dining table with similar soft chairs. But in real life, not all of us have houses big enough to fit such big furniture.

Most often, when guests arrive, we take old folding chairs out of the storage room. If that happens, hospitable housekeepers will always take the most inconvenient seats themselves and will never let their guests take them.

They lay the table before the arrival of guests.

The first place among the list of mistakes that ruin the impression of a party is the lack of food on the table or waiting too long to serve food or drinks. Asking guests to help you lay the table is impolite. Ideally, everything should be ready by the time they come.

They don’t force board games.

Board games help guests get to know each other better. But not everyone loves them — some people prefer traditional communication and even if the host themselves wants to play a lot, they shouldn’t insist and press for the guests to take part. Offering this activity once and understanding the refusal is enough.

They don’t ask help with clean-up.

Cleaning up after guests have left is not an easy task especially if the hosts spent a lot of time cooking and preparing for the party before. But still, it’s not recommended to ask the guests to stay and help with the washing-up. As a matter of etiquette, it is best to respond with a polite refusal if the guests themselves offer help.

They throw away trash before the arrival of guests.

Have you ever had a situation when you needed to use a garbage bin when at someone’s home? Probably yes because it’s quite a normal situation. When we see a bin full of leftovers, our impression is ruined (though slightly). It’s better to throw away all the trash before the arrival of guests, even if the bin is half-empty, and put a new garbage bag into the bin.

They empty the dishwasher.

It’s necessary to change your guests’ plates. It’s better not to spend time washing up the plates because the host will have to leave their guests without their attention for quite a long time. At the same time, the pile of dirty dishes in the sink looks unaesthetic.

That’s why if you have a dishwasher at home, you’d better empty it in advance to quickly put the dirty dishes into it and get back to the guests. If you don’t have one, you need to think in advance about a place where you can put dirty dishes so that they are not visible to your guests.

They don’t look tired.

The host who wants to show off their culinary talents always has a choice: To cook everything themselves and get tired before the party begins or to delegate the cooking to someone else. Sometimes it’s better to use delivery or catering services.

Don’t whine about how difficult it was for you to bake a cake or to cook the French sauce — it’s a sign of bad manners. Your guests in no case should feel obliged or guilty.

They remove all the unnecessary stuff from the bathroom.

The abundance of towels, bottles, jars, and tubes is confusing. A guest enters the bathroom and doesn’t understand how to wash and dry their hands. That’s why it’s good when there are only one or two hand towels in the bathroom, and when there is liquid soap (it’s much more hygienic than bar soap.)

You need to make sure there is a sufficient amount of toilet paper and air freshener. All the rest should be put away onto the closed shelves not visible to anyone. Socks and underwear drying on the radiator should be removed too.

They prepare necessary appliances and tools in advance.

All the tools and cutlery necessary for taking food, making sandwiches, and cocktails should be prepared in advance. At the same time, you don’t need to lay the table with oyster forks if you are not going to serve them.

They take into account the presence of kids.

According to the rules of etiquette, the host who invites guests must make it clear whether the presence of children at the party is permissible. If the answer is yes, then they should take care of children’s leisure in advance, even if they themselves have no children.

A caring host will prepare a flash drive with cartoons, think up various activities, prepare toys or a drawing set. All in all, they will do their best to make sure kids don’t feel bored and don’t start to ask their parents to go back home.

They choose the right background music.

Music is an important part of the festive atmosphere, that’s why you need to choose it carefully. A good host takes into account the tastes of the guests and doesn’t try to impose their musical tastes on them.

Of course, it’s impossible to select music so that everyone loves it — that’s why you’d better go for something neutral. For example, you can download compilations of old hits or the playlists of coffee shops and supermarkets.

They make sure the temperature inside is comfortable.

When inviting a group of friends home, we must be careful to create a comfortable temperature. Experienced hosts recommend setting the temperature several degrees below normal in the summer if you have an air conditioner.

They close pets in another room if they disturb guests.

Every pet owner believes that his pet is irresistible. At the same time, they should take into account that not all guests can share their feelings, especially if the animal is hyperactive, smells bad, leaves fur everywhere, jumps on the table, or makes loud sounds. Also, some of the guests may be allergic to dogs or cats.

Therefore, if you are not sure that all of your guests will be delighted to see your pet, close your animal in another room or arrange a special zone that your pet won’t be able to leave. Also, make sure the pet will feel comfortable alone.

What do you like more: To visit other peoples’ homes or to throw parties yourself? Tell us how you usually get prepared for hosting guests.

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