Do you remember that feel-good The Holiday? It’s the one where Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet’s characters swap houses all of a sudden, and there’s no prep, no planning, just a plane ticket and some emotional baggage. Now, yeah, being spontaneous like that is super cute on screen, but in reality, it’s all one giant mess. Like, your home affects your health, and for your guests, especially in the winter, you want to make sure they stay healthy, right?
But really, just imagine showing up to a stranger’s house and having to guess which remote turns the TV on, or trying to light the fireplace only to smoke yourself out. Yeah, that’s not exactly the cozy winter getaway you pictured. But if you’re actually doing a house swap, it takes a little more than tossing someone the keys. Like, there’s quite a bit of work to get done, and you really want to make sure there’s no scavenger hunts either (or freezing).
So, what all do you need to do?
Start with the Stuff that Screams “First Impression”
Well, for starters, you have to keep in mind that guests notice the basics before anything else. While this doesn’t need to be hotel-level, it does help if beds are made with crisp sheets, fluffy towels that don’t have any holes, and of course, there’s surfaces that aren’t covered in a mysterious layer of… whatever that is. Now, yeah, no one’s asking for a hotel-level deep clean, but it should feel cared for. But overall, the goal is to have them walk in, drop their bags, and think, “Okay, this works.” This is what you want, and hopefully you’ll get that from them too.
Stock the Kitchen
You know what’s depressing? Opening a fridge to find nothing but a jar of pickles and some sauce that expired during the last presidency. You wouldn’t want that either, right? So, it helps to just toss the sad stuff and give your guests a few staples. So, milk, eggs, bread, maybe a snack or two, and if you’re feeling generous, a bottle of wine. No, you don’t have to cook for them or anything like that. Instead, it’s about not making them grocery shop the second they land.
Get the Fireplace Guest-Ready
It’s winter, so you already know someone’s going to want to build a fire and live their Nancy Meyers fantasy. Seriously, who wouldn’t want that? Besides, when it comes to the wintertime, people dream of hot chocolate next to a roaring fire. However, since so many people dream of this, that doesn’t mean that the chimney needs to be looked at (especially if it hasn’t been touched in years).
So, before anyone goes all-out with the logs, it’s going to really help to just book professional chimney services to get it cleaned. Like nothing kills the house-swap mood faster than smoke pouring into the living room, right?
Explain the Weird Stuff About Your House
Every house has quirks, and they’re always the kind that drive guests insane. For example, maybe the front door only locks if you pull twice, the shower handle has a sweet spot, or the thermostat is basically a puzzle. But you absolutely need to write it all down in plain English. Basically, you’ll want to think of it like a cheat sheet for surviving your house.
Your guests will love you for it, and it saves them from a meltdown at midnight when the heat refuses to turn on.
