When you open up your home or vacation space to guests, you want them to feel just as comfortable as you do in that space! The best way to accomplish such a feat is to tell them how to do that! Yes, I know, it sounds crazy. But sometimes a little direction can go so much further than extra items cluttering a living space for those visiting. Labels and instructions are the best way to help a guest learn all the little things about a house you already know! Being able to find everything and knowing how things work are important to make things feel seamless and ready-to-live in. Better yet... a step above what a hotel offers (so totally worth getting your place over a hotel)! First and foremost, BUY A LABEL MAKER! It can be used for so many things when organizing pretty much anything! Heres my favorite affordable label maker!
Kitchen
Bins/labels for the pantry or cupboards can help to easily organize and find food or cooking items for guests that stay here - especially since they'll likely be bringing in some groceries and snacks. They may as well have a comfortable place to put it all.
Here are the pros:
For organizing massive shopping trips
Paper goods space
Grilling utensils bin (if applicable)
Bins for disposable utensils)
What you'll need:
Turntables that measure anywhere from 9" - 11" can be an ultra functional way to have easy access to everything in small spaces, namely kitchen cabinets. Double-tiered turntables can really increase available storage space! Store staple grocery items for your guests in one single cabinet by doing something similar as seen below:
Here's what you can store on them:
Seasonings
Spices
Medicine Section
Condiments (in fridge)
What you'll need:
Bedrooms
Keep a fan in each bedroom to accommodate the whole house! People are used to their own home, temperatures, air-flow, etc. Because the house temperature may accommodate some but not others, just as blankets can help those feeling cold, a fan is the perfect way to cool a warm space, create more airflow, or even just have some background noise!
Here's my favorite: the WOOZOO Personal Circulator Fan by IRIS.
I love this fan because it's small and easily portable, but also very powerful! It has 3 speeds and comes in different colors to flow with the aesthetic of your vacation rental. It's compact enough to tuck away in a closet, or set on a nightstand when guests want to cool off!
A "Just in Case" and "Useful Item" section in linen or individual closets can help a guest feel like they have everything they need
Here's what you can include in this section:
Sheets - label bed size/room/sheet color on sheet bin
First-Aid
What you'll need:
Murphy Beds can maximize living space while also maximizing guest count!
Leave two sets of laminated instructions:
- One in the bedroom
- One in the Entryway or living area (where they'll see it!)
What you'll need:
Vanity as nightstand help guests feel as though there's more space in the house than there actually is. By offering a vanity, when others are using the bathroom, there's space for people to get ready (you know, in case its that person who locks the door for two hours while everyone else waiting outside in their pajamas). I really like this vanity set, as it's the perfect size to work as a nightstand, desk, and/or a place to get hair and makeup done. (Bonus: it comes with the stool!)
Closet storage + separation is important for helping guests utilize all of the space they have. Closets tend to feel weirdly personal for some people, so by offering more storage space (labelled maybe?), your guests can feel as at-home as they do at.. well, home!
Here's what you can put in the closets:
Hanging shoe storage
Hangers
Towel Hooks in closet (so nobody gets confused which is theirs)
Laundry hamper (Guests can use their laundry bags as a liner inside the hamper, then pull it out and take it home when their vacation comes to an end. This allows them to get the sloppy laundry bag off the floor.)
Place for suitcases (to encourage closet usage)
Some Additional empty bins for visitor items
Leave closet doors open!
Here's what you'll need:
Other
Linen closets that store extra sheets can be hard to navigate for guests (and for cleanup!). It's hard to tell what size sheets you're looking at if there are stacks of several clean sheets lined up next to one-another. One tip I learned from my own mom is to buy a different color of sheets for each size bed. Post inside of the linen closet - which color sheets go with which size beds. Or better yet, package them all up separately and like always, label away!
Sheets
Light switch labels can help guests easily maneuver throughout the space without confusion! Instead of trying every switch in the house, it'd be so much easier to simply read what it's for!
It may also be helpful to put a note next to the switch that seems most sensible for a light to be connected to if the actual switch is around the corner or somewhere crazy to minimize their search.
Here's what you'll need:
Clear Tape
Black Pen
or
Game storage in linen closet
Store vertically to save space
Label storage boxes for games so far gone, they need a new container
Keep lids attached to bottoms by rubber-banding them together
Keep a small bowl of rubber bands where games are stored in case any of the ones on boxes snap or get lost
Tape corners to salvage boxes
Line them up to the front
Keep a laminated guide in the kitchen or family room with a list of all the games you have and where they're located (also some other house rules + expectations!)
Here's what you'll need:
Strong, Clear Tape
We hope this helps you achieve all of your 5-star vacation host dreams! We included all of the item links in the "here's what you'll need:" section under each tip! Please let us know which of these you'll be implementing in your vacation home and let us know if we missed anything you feel makes a world of difference in for you!