A houseguest should always take extra precautions against offending or upsetting the host, even accidentally. The following tips are ways to guarantee a smooth and drama-free stay, without putting yourself at risk of being evicted from your host’s home!

1. Be clear on how long you are planning to stay. Realize that your host is going to a lot of trouble to ensure that you have everything you need (i.e. meals, towels, shampoo, lotions, medicine), and that you should never arrive at someone’s doorstep without specifying beforehand the exact arrival and departure date you have in mind.

2. Your departure date and travel arrangements should not be left open-ended. If you are planning on traveling home by plane, make sure that you book your flight a reasonable time beforehand. The last thing you want to do is inform your host that you will be staying an extra one or two weeks!

3. To prevent inconveniencing your host, bring necessary items with you, like shampoo, creams and lotions, hair dryer, towels, slippers, allergy medicine, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc. Do not expect your host to have everything you need upon arrival. The less you require or ask of your host, the better.

4. Do try to coordinate your schedule with that of your host’s. After all, this may have been a last-minute engagement. You suddenly decided to take a week off, and your host, a distant cousin whom you have always gotten along with, agreed to put you up and show you the sights. However, he works 12-hour shifts every day of the week and sleeps in till noon on the weekend. Don’t depend on your host to do everything for you (i.e. plan your itinerary, serve as a personal tour guide). Take it upon yourself to do as much as you can on your own.

5. Always ask before using anything in or around the house. Even if it’s a simple fruit plate (a potential heirloom your host inherited from her great grandmother), ask your host’s permission to use it before even setting fingers on it.

6. Help out around the house by volunteering yourself for various tasks. These tasks are usually simple and straightforward, like washing the dishes or setting the table for dinner, but they say a lot about how responsible and mature you are.

7. This final one is the golden rule. Never arrive at your host’s home empty-handed. Your gift could be as simple as a gift card, a fruit basket, a box of chocolates, or a bottle of wine. Always include a handwritten card with your gift, expressing your thanks and acknowledging the trouble your host must have taken on your behalf.

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Tags: Lifestyle