To think most houses aren't 'visitor ready'?

[Pandrawerschangedmylife]

Got friends coming to stay this weekend. MIL just phoned to speak to DH, I explained he'd taken the kids out so that I can get the house sorted (change bedding, put the hoover round, clean the bathroom etc...) She sounded very surprised and made a comment along the lines of the house being pretty untidy if I need a few hours to clean it, as she just cleans hers as she goes (of course she does, there's only two of them living in the house!)

AIBU to think that most houses aren't tidy enough for overnight guests? There always seems to be things to sort and put away. Or am I actually living in squalor without knowing it?

My house is always visitor ready - well nearly always but then again that's because my son has left home and I have no husband

@Oblomov17 ..brilliant. That is me!
Had my earphones on whilst watching and everyone wondered what I was finding so hilarious.

If my guests are happy to sleep in a big pile of fresh laundry, rather than actual bed linen, I’m good to go

YANBU

This gaff is almost never visitor ready.

Goodness if someone was coming to stay I'd need at least a week to prepare, especially as we both work full time

Our house is always visitor-ready. Only because I love order and can't live in chaos, though. If I was normal it'd never be visitor-ready.

I’m obsessive about cleaning and love a tidy house so yes mine is always visitor ready. Even with a toddler in tow. Even though I admit it’s probably a sign of a wasted life.

Even though I admit it’s probably a sign of a wasted life.

I can't function properly in clutter or mess so keeping everything clean is a means to a happy life!

We are usually visitor ready on a Thursday afternoon - as the cleaner will have been and I always tidy up before she comes however by the time Friday comes around, the kids will have trashed the place again.

We aren't overnight visitor ready as I often kick my husband out into the spare room because of his snoring so I'd need to change the sheets for visitors. Most of the time, the only visitors I have are ones who I don't feel the need to tidy up for as they accept my house for what it is.

My house maybe visitor ready, but i rarely am visitor ready. My sil turned up the this morning 11.00am I was still in pyjamas, not a scrap of make up and hair a mess.
House was sparkling however and ds good to go.

I genuinely don't understand why you would make more of an effort for visitors than for the permanent residents

Because

a) cleaning is a pain in the arse
b) visitors are less likely to want to see my underwear drying on the radiators than my family

EastMidsMummy

Exactly.
I work from home and stuff covers the living room floor.
We have grundies on the radiator. OH is repairing a laptop atm and it is lying in bits on the dining room table.
This is part of every day family life, but things that get tidied if guests come.

Overnight visitor ready? I’d have to build an extra room first. 🤦🏻‍♀️

I live alone, work 10hr days, and can’t afford a cleaner. So no, my house is never visitor ready!

YANBU, our home is a home and so it's not in show home condition but we are happy and comfortable here and that matters more than impressing visitors.

Mine is always visitor ready except no-one ever visits ha.
I never have to spend more than. Half an hr cleaning at a time. I have a rota of something each day which takes about 15 mins. Plus laundry done and put away every day. Everything back in its place at night. I have had comments that I'm always cleaning but if you keep on top of it, then it only takes a short amount of time.

No judgement. I am this way because I can't stand mess. It makes me feel mentally unwell.

a) cleaning is a pain in the arse
b) visitors are less likely to want to see my underwear drying on the radiators than my family

Fair enough! The thing is I never have laundry drying on the radiators because it looks messy (don't care about other people's houses!), and I am also weary of damp and mould in my house.

I agree with cleaning being a pain in the ass, which is why I do the minimum. It's quicker for me to do it regularly and keep on top of it. I want to enjoy my own house, and unless I am selling and we go into show-room mode, I don't make extra efforts only for visitors.
I can't stand getting up in a messy house, I do like to have my first coffee in a relax and inviting room.

I kind of always assumed all my friends were generally tidy and easy going, I am now wondering which ones go into frantic clean before we turn up for a weekend... Don't get me wrong, I am flattered if anyone makes a special effort, but it's embarrassing and a bit of a waste of time isn't it?

bayseyan I really don't mean that in a sarcastic or unfriendly way, just wondering how you can have any mess at all if you are on your own and not home!

The less we spend home, the tidier and pristine it is. Mondays to Fridays everything is in top shape, weekends take a bit more work when everybody is around

YANBU, our home is a home and so it's not in show home condition but we are happy and comfortable here and that matters more than impressing visitors

Not really sure about this to be honest. Your house can be clean and tidy and not a show home. You do not have to live in a tip to be happy and comfortable. And I doubt people who tidy for guests do so to impress them, I would suspect it’s because they would just feel emabarased or ashamed if people saw a dirty, messy house.

Personally, I tidy as I go. I couldn’t feel happy and comfortable living in a cluttered/messy/dirty home. And if I could, then I wouldn’t tidy for guests.

In our house if the inlaws are coming we spend like 2 days ignoring the kids and frantically cleaning, just to get it to the standard where MIL can say "I suppose the main thing is the kids are loved" and then offer to clean something that I thought was actually quite clean

Mine depends. If school holiday and I'm home yes it would be tidy and clean. During term time out of the house 7.30 til 5.30 ish then various clubs with ds and then more work/marking until bedtime (teacher). Hence why I am looking into a cleaner as spend most of wkend washing, ironing and cleaning.

No my house is rarely visitor ready. I have two small children, I work 30 hours and my husband much more (shifts too).

I wish it was mind you, I may get a cleaner at some point

toomuch I think we share the same in laws.....

Not really sure about this to be honest. Your house can be clean and tidy and not a show home. You do not have to live in a tip to be happy and comfortable.

It's not cluttered and messy and it's certainly not a tip but it's also not a show home whereas my parents house is - even if you drop in there are never newspapers on the coffee table, a cup of tea in the process of being drunk and it looks like nobody lives there. Looking round my lounge now, the tv remote is on the arm of a chair, a vase is on the floor not the coffee table because I've moved it to read the sunday papers and the newspaper is open on the coffee table.

That's what I mean but not a show home. By my parent's standards it is not 'visitor ready'