With more and more people gathering together again after years of being apart, it’s important to make your home feel welcoming to your guests. If you’re having guests over to your home for the first time in a while, you’re probably wondering how you can make them feel welcomed and comfortable. Whether it’s been a while or if you have guests over often, here are five ways that you can impress your guests.
#1: Burn Scented Candles
Burning candles is one of the easiest ways to make your home smell amazing, but you have to keep in mind that not everyone will enjoy the same scents as you. Florals and food-related candle scents are popular, but they’re also known to be heavily fragranced and can trigger headaches in some of your guests. To be on the safe side, you’ll want to stick with candles that have more natural-smelling scents or candles made with essential oils. Some of the safest fragrance choices include:
- Lemon/lime
- Orange/Clementine
- Water lily
It will also help to have good ventilation throughout your home, so as not to upset those who may be sensitive to certain fragrances.
#2: Clean up Your Front Porch and Entryway
First impressions are everything, and your guests can immediately imagine what to expect on the inside of your home while still on the outside. Meaning that if your front porch/entryway/etc. isn’t presentable, they’re going to assume that the rest of your home is in the same condition. While that may not be true, you still want to make a good first impression on those walking up to your door.
If you have an entryway on the inside of your home, you’ll want this part to look neat and welcoming as well. Also, if your home is shoe-free, make sure there’s a place for your guests to put their shoes, and offer socks/slippers for those who don’t want to go barefoot.
#3: Declutter Your Home
This is a general tip for brightening up any room of your home, whether you have guests coming over or not. A home that’s free of clutter will always make a good impression on guests over a home that has some clutter here and there. Look into some helpful tips for decluttering your home, as it’s not always as simple as it sounds. One helpful tip is to repurpose old items (i.e., find a different, functional use for them) before donating, selling, or throwing them away.
Even if you have to “hide” your clutter while guests are over— it’s still better than having clutter around. Also, look into multipurpose furniture that provides extra storage space, or large baskets that can stylishly conceal storage.
#4: Hang or Display Seasonal Decorations
Most people enjoy visiting a beautifully decorated home, and you’ll really impress your guests when you decorate for each season and holiday. The majority of people stick with decorating for Halloween and Christmas but consider decorating for the fall so that you’ll also have decorations up for Thanksgiving. You can also decorate for the winter so that you’ll still have decorations up long after Christmas— without people judging you for having Christmas decorations up in the new year.
And you don’t have to stop with end-of-the-year decorations— you can also find decorations for spring and summer, and for the spring and summer holidays. Doing this will make your guests feel like every day they visit you is a true celebration.
#5: Make a Signature Drink, Snack, or Dessert
One thing people look for when visiting others’ homes is refreshments, and you can take this to the next level by creating your own signature drink, snack, and/or dessert. This will give your guests something to look forward to every time they visit. Create your own cocktail, put your spin on a charcuterie board, or make your own whipped cream recipe with a whipped cream charger and dispenser (visit Exotic Whip for cream chargers). It’s also important to make sure that your signature dish/drink is prepared ahead of time unless the gathering involves them making something.
Not only will these tips impress your guests and make them feel welcome in your home, but they will also make your home feel cozier for yourself. So even if you’re not having guests over at your place, you can still do all five of these things to make your space cozier for yourself.
