Living in a small apartment is sometimes unpleasant in itself, but it also poses a serious problem when you have guests over, especially those who plan to stay for a long time. Then you must plan and improvise in order to accommodate them in. To take some decisive actions, you need to have some tips in mind that we will be sharing with you in this article. Let’s get right into it.
Organize and Take Out Extra Furniture
If you are having guests over for a long time stay, it is probably the best time to clear the extras and organize all your stuff, that you have not done so in quite a while. Check on all the extras that have accumulated over time, and take them out or neatly organize them.
Take out the extra furniture that may be lying around your house occupying space unnecessarily. Move all the unwanted furniture against a wall to make room for seating and bedding in the lounge or room as may seem fit. The unwanted, merely decorative furniture can be set aside for now. Place the decorative stuff stacked in the minimum space possible. Your lounge needs more sitting and sleeping space now.
Privacy is Important
Quite a few people occupying a small place may get annoyed at having constant interference even if it is unplanned. Therefore, it is important to arrange some privacy for your guests coming over for an extended stay. If there is an extra room, you may lend it to your guests. Otherwise, you can always arrange things. Using folding partitions with curtains could come in handy. The partitions can be temporarily arranged in place, so you don’t have to clear it away every morning. This would make a single room into two private rooms, where you can both enjoy your privacy and comfort.
Go For Foldable Furniture
A small apartment only has limited space for furniture. For a family that is living and has adjusted to it, that is not a problem, but to accommodate extra people, you may have to rethink. Invest in foldable furniture. Your money spent won’t go wasted since you can use it now to accommodate your extra guests and store it for later. The characteristic of it being fold-able ensures that it occupies minimum space in your house. You can simply unfold stacked furniture when you want a coffee-table or even someplace to put the luggage for some time. Foldable racks are the best solution for the storage of extra bags or shoes that may look untidy lying around.
Go For the Right Bed
When guests are coming over for a long stay, the most important thing is to provide a proper place for sleeping. A good night’s sleep is important for both the host and the guest. A small apartment is not suitable for giant beds that take up a lot of space. The best solution would be air mattresses that do not take up space until they are needed. Just take them out at the moment they are required. They are easy to inflate, available in large size, and easy to store in minimum space when not needed.
Sofa beds in the lounge are also an excellent alternative. They can provide good seating in the lounge, and upon requirement, proper space to sleep. Hence you can adjust according to the space occupancy of your furniture. Day beds are also a perfect investment for smaller apartments, but you do not need to worry if you cannot make such an investment. Just gather up your sheets and cozy blankets and turn the couch or a sofa-cum-bed into a perfect sleeping place.
Have Enough Laundered Items
It is a good idea to be prepared for a long time stay of guests. When you hear that guests are going to stay for a while, do the laundry. Gather enough laundered and fresh towels, bedsheets, and blankets because you will need them for yourself and your long term guests. It is important to be saved from embarrassment, and with all the entertaining and taking care of guests, the chances are that you will not find time to do the laundry every now and then.
Shop for Groceries
It looks unwelcoming to guests if they see you running out time and again to get supplies that are usually expected to be present at home. Before your guests arrive, you should already buy items like cereals, coffee, tea, and other necessities like detergents, or toiletries. It is always good to be equipped beforehand for eatables like milk, bread, and eggs that you will need on a daily basis when you are cooking for your guests.
Also, get as many help-yourself items, like snacks and drinks, so you don’t have to deal with the untimely hunger pangs.
Free up Some Space
Another important thing you might want to do is to clean up the closets and make room for your guests to unpack and keep their things. Clean the cupboards and organize the stuff to make more room for the additional luggage, which is bound to come your way. You can organize the closets and prefer hanging most of your clothes, which will make more room.
Take out the unwanted clothes from your cabinets or store them in boxes that you can keep out of sight until the guests leave. You can always sort out that stuff later. Go for hanging things on the walls. You can use folding racks or hooks on the wall, which can be used for hanging clothes, sheets, or towels. Go for as much vertical storage as you can to make some extra space for extra luggage.
Accommodating the Kids
If your guests are coming with kids, you will require to make some additional arrangements. You can arrange a bunk bed for kids to utilize more vertical space and leave more room for other things. Kids may even be excited about sleeping on an air mattress or couches. Have small foldable chairs for kids in the lounge instead of sofas, which take up unnecessary space. Set aside an area for the kids so they can play and sit around without getting bored and irritated.
Make Room for Air and Ventilation
A small apartment housing several people can easily become stuffy. Therefore, make sure that there is adequate ventilation. Try opening the windows to have enough light and air so that everyone stays fresh and healthy inside. Create a welcoming ambiance. Light and air are good players in that.
Dining Table Alternatives
It is rare to have a six or eight-chair dining table in a small apartment, as it would only be a waste of space. Make the best use of your kitchen counter. Have buffet-like meals arranged on the counter, from which everyone can get their share and enjoy their meals in the lounge while watching television or simply chatting. Or you could simply arrange picnic-like meals. Spread a dining sheet on the floor and gather together to enjoy your meal in a picnic-style.
Final Words
Having guests over for a long time stay in your small apartment can make you panic if you do not plan and go accordingly. Therefore, it is important to take care of things while staying fresh and going easy. Do not overdo, let things flow naturally, and enjoy the company of people who are coming over. Little adjustments in your house can easily help you do that.