Guests Are Judging These Small Details in Your Home, Even If They Never Say a Word
For many people, the holiday season means opening their home to welcome family and friends to come gather together. That can be an exciting time for a lot of folks, especially when they have people traveling in from far away, or when they’re hosting visitors that they don’t get to see that often.
However, others worry about whether their home is up to snuff, stressing over everything from the aesthetics to whether they even have enough space to host a large dinner or party.
But according to experts and everyday houseguests, some people may be worrying over nothing. That’s because there are certain things that your guests are more likely to notice when they are visiting your home over the holidays, and it may not be what you think.
From smells to carpeting, these are the things that the pros say guests are going to notice when they visit for the holidays—and the good news is that there is still time to pay extra attention to some of these things in order to make a good impression.
Clutter and Smells Are Standouts
What small home flaws do guests always notice during the holidays?
by
u/Candid-Outcome-8594 in
homeowners
When someone arrives for a big holiday meal, one of the first things they will notice is whether the home’s surfaces are cluttered. According to The Spruce, that includes spaces like kitchen and bathroom counters, drink stations, and even coffee tables.
“Guests notice clutter in areas where they need to act: shoes blocking the entrance, belongings covering seats, or counters with nowhere to set anything down,” professional organizer Sarit Weiss told The Spruce.
Another big thing guests pick up on is how the home smells. “Guests appreciate a fresh-smelling home,” professional organizer Sharon Lowenheim told the outlet, suggesting that worried hosts and hostesses light some candles or put out a diffuser to address odors.
The Little Cleaning Details Guests Notice
Meanwhile, on Reddit, someone posed a similar question as they were preparing to host guests for the holidays, and u/Candid-Outcome-8594 asked the message board what people tend to notice first. Cleanliness was a big one.
“Toilet,” one person wrote. “I’ve been to a few houses where the toilet was not clean. And they knew days in advance guests were coming over. So there’s that.”
“The state of the floor,” another person wrote. “A friend of mine never vacuums; his carpet is always crunchy.”
A third person noted that the small things really make a big difference, writing, “The cleanliness of the light switches—it’s so small, but everyone touches them.”
The good news is that most of these standouts are easy fixes, especially for those who know they will be hosting guests well in advance, making it easier to earn the title of host with the most this holiday season.
