How to cope with expense of house guests

[Moomoo75]

Just that really. A relative will come and stay for about a wk in the next few months. On the one hand I am delighted to see them as it's been 5yrs. On the other The cost involved in hosting another person, the disruption to the household. Ie moving kids out of rooms / furniture to put in a spare bed is maki g me anxious. Ideally I'd love to repaint a couple of our rooms and do general improvements before they come but I just can't afford it. We had a very unlucky yr last yr financially and money is v. Tight. So while looking forward to seeing this person I am also mixed with dread, anxiety and embarrassment.

They are coming to see you not the house. Please don't worry. There will always be bigger and better homes out there so don't beat yourself up trying to complete.

Yes spend your energy making sure they have a place to sleep that's clean.

You'd be cheaper paying for them to stay in hotel for a week!

Honestly any guest worth having won't care about decor or furniture. A bed with clean sheets and somewhere to hang a couple of clothes (such as hook on Everything back of the door). Everything else can stay in the suitcase if necessary.

Do you need to buy new furniture? If they need a real bed, could you turf yourself/a kid out of a bed and offer them that one, with the bed owner sleeping on sofa/an airbed? There are some really good airbeds now, we have a self inflating amazon basics one which is great.

Or top and tail siblings to make a bed spare.

Worst case sleep in with the kids on a borrowed airbed and give guest your room

If I were a guest, I'd be mortified knowing that my visit was causing stress, particularly financially.

Remember, that when they leave, they probably won't remember that that rooms needed repainting, they'll remember you and your family and how much they enjoyed your visit.

You don't have to decorate, just clean and tidy, that will make you feel so much better.

@purpledagger

If I were a guest, I'd be mortified knowing that my visit was causing stress, particularly financially.

Remember, that when they leave, they probably won't remember that that rooms needed repainting, they'll remember you and your family and how much they enjoyed your visit.

You don't have to decorate, just clean and tidy, that will make you feel so much better.

This.

Thank you, you are all of course absolutely correct. I just needed to have it said. I will work things out and just enjoy the time with my guest when the time comes.
Cheers all. X