I often hear people say, “I want to have people over more often, but my home isn’t up to hosting.”
Two truths here:
- We are social animals who enjoy spending time with others.
- We are almost never satisfied with how our homes look.
If you’re desiring to have your home ready for a get-together, here are some small, actionable steps to serve as a roadmap to get you there.
1. Define Which Areas Will Be Open to Guests
It’s okay to set boundaries in your home. “Yes, we will hang in the living room for drinks and cards. No, you will not be seeing my bedroom closet tonight.”
By defining a smaller portion of your home as guest-worthy, you can cut your overwhelm in half, or more.
A basic starting point is:
- Entryway
- Gathering room (living room or kitchen table depending on activity)
- A bathroom for guests to use
2. Cut Yourself Some Slack
It’s okay for your home not to be ready for a magazine shoot. We all have lives and priorities outside of staging our pillows. Take a deep breath and remember that nobody’s home is perfect, and yours doesn’t have to be either. You don’t need to apologize when your guests arrive; instead, say: “Thank you for coming, so glad to have you here!”
3. Pick Up
In the areas you defined for hosting, pick up items that do not belong. This includes piles of returns on the counter or dirty laundry on the floor. Depending on your time and energy, you can either:
- Put items in a tote and store it out of sight (in that bedroom closet no one is going to see). Just promise yourself to pull that tote back out and deal with the items later.
- Take time to process the items and put them where they belong.
4. Clean (After Pick Up!)
This isn’t a deep clean that will leave you sweaty and too tired to enjoy your company. This is:
- Grab your vacuum and extensions. Use the soft bristle attachment to do a quick top-to-bottom sweep, sucking up any cobwebs, dust, crumbs, and dirt around couch legs.
- Then use the main vacuum to do a pass on the floor.
- Lastly, spot clean. Use a cleaning cloth and multi-purpose spray to walk the areas open to guests and scan the surfaces for anything visible that needs to be cleaned.
5. Make It Smell Good
Pleasant smells are the cherry on top for having a space feel ready for guests. Do what works for you, your guests, and matches the event:
- A quick spritz of room freshener
- A candle
- Simmer some aromatic ingredients on the stove like lemon, cinnamon, or vanilla
Just pick one; subtle is the key here. You want to whisper “this space is clean” and not yell “I’m covering up other smells!”
The Takeaway
The biggest takeaway is not to let perfection be the enemy that stops you from socializing. People love to gather, share an activity, and feel a sense of community. Spread that joy ripple by inviting a friend, or two, or 20 over. Follow these steps and remember: Nobody’s house is perfect!