Overnight Guests Checklist: Make Them Feel at Home
By Alex at SOFGO ·
Having someone to stay should feel like a treat, not a scramble. Most of what makes a guest comfortable is simple: a bed that's ready before they're tired, somewhere to put their things, a room they can make dark and warm, and a few small touches that save them from having to ask.
This checklist works whether your guest is sleeping in a spare room, a home office or on a sofa bed in the living room. Work through it a few days before they arrive, then do the last few jobs on the day. Our guide to hosting in a small house covers planning where everyone sleeps. This one is about getting the space itself ready.
The bed
The bed matters more than anything else on this list, so start here and give yourself time to fix anything you find.
- Open it up in advance. If your guest is on a sofa bed, open it fully a few days before, not on the evening they arrive. Check the mechanism moves smoothly, the sleeping surface is flat and nothing is caught underneath. Close it again gently and fully.
- Lie on it yourself. Spend ten minutes lying on it as your guest would. If you can feel a dip, a seam or a gap, you'll know whether you need a topper or an extra layer. Our guide to making a sofa bed more comfortable covers toppers, protectors and pillows.
- Check the size against your bedding. Find the sleeping area on the product page or measure it yourself. Then check that your sheets, duvet and topper will actually fit before you need them.
- Clear the floor around it. An open sofa bed takes up much more floor than a closed one. Move the coffee table, rug or footstool somewhere it won't be tripped over in the dark.
- Give it a quick clean. Vacuum the seat and the gaps, and air the room. If the sofa has picked up a smell from pets or cooking, getting rid of sofa smells explains how to find the cause and deal with it.
If you're still choosing a bed for guests, sofa bed vs guest bed compares the two, and click-clack, pull-out and electric sofa beds explains how each mechanism opens.
Bedding and towels
Fresh bedding is the quickest way to make a guest feel expected.
- Wash and dry everything ahead. Sheets, duvet cover and pillowcases should be clean and fully dry, not damp from the airer.
- Make the bed before they arrive. If it's a sofa bed you use as a seat during the day, you can make it up in the afternoon. That way your guest can go to bed whenever they like, without waiting for you to move furniture.
- Add a layer. Leave a spare blanket or throw on the end of the bed. Some people sleep cold, and nobody likes asking for more covers at midnight.
- Offer two pillows each. One firm and one soft suits most sleepers, and it lets your guest sit up to read.
- Put out towels. A bath towel and a hand towel for each guest, folded on the bed or a chair, so they don't have to guess which ones are theirs.
- Keep a spare set nearby. An extra sheet and pillowcase in reach means a spill doesn't turn into a late-night search.
Storage and a place for bags
Guests living out of a bag on the floor never quite settle. A little space of their own makes a big difference.
- Clear a surface. A chair, a stool or the end of a sideboard gives them somewhere to put a bag that isn't the floor or the bed.
- Free up some hanging space. A few empty hangers on the back of a door, or a hook with two or three hangers, stops a shirt or dress getting creased.
- Make room for the bedding. If the bed folds away during the day, your guest needs somewhere to put the duvet and pillows. A sofa bed with storage under the seat or chaise solves this neatly: the bedding goes in, the lid closes and the room is a living room again. Our guide to what fits in a sofa bed storage chaise has practical packing ideas.
- Tidy what's yours. Put away paperwork, laundry and anything you'll need while they're asleep, so you're not tiptoeing in for your laptop at 7am.
If your spare room also has to work as an office or a den, spare room ideas with a sofa bed shows how to set it up for both.
Light, heat and privacy
People sleep badly in rooms that are too bright, too cold or too open, and they rarely like to say so.
Light. Check the curtains or blinds close properly, especially if there's a streetlight outside. Leave a lamp they can switch off from bed. Better still, add a small night light for finding the bathroom in a strange house.
Heat. Make sure the room is warm when they go to bed, and show them how the radiator works. A spare blanket helps here too. Remember that the living room can feel warm while you're all sitting up, then cool down quickly once the heating goes off. If the sofa bed has to sit near a radiator, our guide to placing a sofa in front of a radiator explains the gaps to leave.
Privacy. A guest sleeping in a shared room needs to know they won't be disturbed. Agree a rough plan for the evening and morning: when the living room becomes a bedroom, and when it's fine to come through to the kitchen. Close internal doors if you can. If the bathroom is shared, let them know when it's usually free in the morning.
Noise. Tell them about anything that might wake them, such as an early alarm, a boiler that clicks on or a dog that barks at the post. Leaving a pair of earplugs on the bedside table is a kind, low-key touch.
Little extras
None of these costs much, but together they save your guest from having to ask for things.
- The Wi-Fi name and password, written on a card by the bed.
- A phone charger and a free socket within reach of the pillow. An extension lead is handy if the nearest socket is behind the sofa.
- A glass and a bottle or jug of water on a side table or the arm of the sofa.
- A spare toothbrush and a few basics, such as toothpaste and shower gel, in case something has been forgotten.
- A mirror if the room doesn't already have one, so they can get ready without queueing for the bathroom.
- Breakfast plans. Tell them where the tea, coffee and cereal are, and that they're welcome to help themselves if they wake first.
- A spare key or the door code, if they'll be coming and going while you're out.
When they leave
Strip the bed straight away, so the bedding can be washed and dried before it goes back into storage. Leave the sofa bed open for an hour to air, then plump the cushions and fold it away. Put the towels, spare toiletries and the Wi-Fi card together in one place, and the next visit will take half the time to prepare.
FAQs
How do I prepare for overnight guests?
Start with the bed. Open it up a few days before, check it's comfortable and make it up with clean bedding. Then give your guest somewhere to put their bag, hang a few clothes and store the bedding during the day. Make sure the room can be made dark and warm, and leave out towels, water, a charger and the Wi-Fi password.
What should I put in a guest room?
A comfortable made-up bed, a spare blanket, two pillows each, towels, a lamp they can switch off from bed, a place for their bag, a few hangers, water and a phone charger. A night light, earplugs and a few spare toiletries are thoughtful extras.
How do I make overnight guests feel welcome?
Have the bed ready before they arrive, show them where everything is, and agree a rough plan for the evening and morning. Small touches that mean they don't have to ask, like the Wi-Fi password, a glass of water and knowing they can make their own breakfast, help most.
Is a sofa bed comfortable enough for overnight guests?
It can be, if you set it up properly. Open it fully, check the surface is flat and lie on it yourself first. A topper or an extra layer can make a big difference. Our guide to making a sofa bed more comfortable explains what helps.
Where do I put the bedding when the sofa bed is closed?
A sofa bed with a storage compartment under the seat or chaise is the simplest answer, because the duvet and pillows can go straight in. All three sofa beds shown here list a full-width storage compartment under the seat.
How much space does an open sofa bed need?
It depends on the model. Check the sleeping area on the product page, then measure the floor in front of the sofa with the coffee table moved. Leave room to walk round the bed, and make sure doors can still open.
Getting ready for guests and need a sofa bed? Our corner sofa beds with storage come with free assembly in the room of your choice, and we take the packaging away. Delivery is free to most of mainland UK. The delivery page lists the postcode areas that carry a delivery charge, the areas we don't deliver to, and the charge for upstairs rooms without a lift (£49 for the 1st to 4th floor, in flats and houses alike). Before you order, our guide to measuring a room for a corner sofa will help you check it fits.
Got a question we haven't covered? Message our team or email support@sofgo.co.uk. We reply between 8am and 10pm, every day. Our FAQ and returns page answer the most common questions about fabrics, delivery and returns.
Alex at SOFGO