Do you have friends or family that come to stay with you often? Or, perhaps, even just the occasional houseguests who visit? Do you love having guests, or does it cause you some stress? 

Lots of people find hosting people in their home to be a little bit nerve-wracking, but it shouldn’t be. With a little preparation before friends or family arrive, you can have an enjoyable time with your guests – and eliminate the stress.

• Have a nightstand, lamp, and clock by the bed: If you have a spare room where you put overnight guests, it’s important to make sure it’s well-equipped for visitors. This doesn’t mean it needs all of the niceties of a hotel, but a few basics will definitely help. A nightstand, lamp, and clock are three must-haves. People always need a place to put a few things at night, and a nightstand is perfect for this. A lamp allows someone to read in bed and not need to get out of bed to turn off an overhead light. And, while everyone has a phone, a clock is nice for quickly seeing what time it is.
• Choose great bedding and have extras: You want to choose some great bedding for your guest room. Choose comfortable pillows and sheets for the bed. Have a warm blanket and a comforter or duvet. Additionally, have extras of everything on hand so that guests can adjust for their comfort level.
• Provide some essential toiletries: A nice little extra is to provide some toiletries for your guests. Small bottles of shampoo, conditioner, soap, hand lotion, and maybe a toothbrush and toothpaste are all great to have on hand if your guests need them. (If you’ve stayed in a hotel, you may have extras that you’ve taken home, and this is the perfect chance to use them.)
• Give your guests plenty of towels: There’s nothing worse than to leave guests searching for towels when they want to clean up or take a shower. Leave plenty of towels (of various sizes) in their room. This will save them from having to search for them. 
• Allow them to unpack: Guests will arrive with a suitcase, so if you are able to, allow them some space to unpack. Is there a closet where they can hang some clothes? Is there a dresser with some empty drawers? If you don’t have these things in the guest room, think about getting a luggage rack or two (easily available online) where they can place their open suitcase.
• Provide some privacy: While you are most likely excited to have guests be sure to allow for some privacy, too. 
• Ask for requests: A great host will ask if their guests have any special needs or requests. While you don’t need to accommodate anything that’s too out-of-the-ordinary, it’s nice to have a few things you know they’ll love.
• Clean the bathroom: Nobody expects that your home is perfectly clean and that everything is picked up and put away. But one room that deserves some extra attention is the bathroom. Spend some time making sure it’s extra clean before guests arrive.
• Let guests help: If you’ll be cooking meals and your guests ask if they can help, let them. They’ll feel better about staying with you if they can assist, and an extra set of hands is always welcome.
• Relax and enjoy your time together: Most importantly, relax and enjoy spending time with your family or friends. They’ll only be staying with you for a short time – so have fun!

Having overnight houseguests doesn’t have to be stressful. Use these tips to get you and your home prepared – and enjoy spending time with your visitors.