Two ways to ensure your small home can accommodate a long-term guest

If a guest will be staying in your home for quite a while (i.e. a few months) and you are concerned that, due to the small size of your home, you may struggle to accommodate them, here are some tips that you might find helpful.

Put your superfluous belongings into a self storage unit before your guest arrives

If there are items around your home that you only use occasionally and which you are unlikely to require during the period when your guest will be visiting, then it might be best to take these items to one of the self storage facilities in the local area and put them in a storage unit for the duration of your guest's stay.

For example, if your guest room is currently stuffed with things that are too large to store anywhere else in your home (such as your bicycle, treadmill, bulky winter clothes, etc.), removing these items from your home and transferring them to a storage unit will make the guestroom far more comfortable for your visitor to sleep in.

Likewise, if your living room is overflowing with your children's old toys and dozens of books that you rarely read, then taking these items out of the house and temporarily putting them into a self storage building will ensure that you and your guest can relax in this part of your home, without having to clamber over piles of 'stuff' to reach the sofa or switch on the television.

Make your guestroom multi-functional

If your home is quite small, you should make a few changes to the guestroom before your guest arrives so that it serves more than one function.

For example, if your kitchen is very compact, your guest may struggle to find enough space to make their cup of coffee or prepare their breakfast in the morning, when you and your other family members are already squeezed into this room and are all trying to do things like prepare the school lunches, do the laundry and load the dishwasher.

As such, it might be a good idea to put some things into their room that allow them to use it for more than just sleeping. You may, for example, want to put a travel kettle, a mug and some tea and coffee in the guestroom.

Additionally, if you can afford to, it may be worth buying a mini fridge and a compact microwave for this room, as these two items will allow your guest to access and prepare some basic snacks without having to endure the cramped conditions of your small and busy kitchen every time they feel hungry.

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