Does anyone else get fed up with guests?

[Winnie101]

Our latest guests stayed with their three children for two weeks and left their bedrooms and bathrooms in a disgusting state. They went to the beach every day and then brought huge quantities of sand back home with them each time. I cleaned all the communal areas numerous times whilst they were here but didn't go into their rooms. I went in after they were gone and was shocked by how they'd left the rooms. They were disgusting - sand and dirt everywhere etc.

I don't want to feel this way but I'm now pretty fed up of having guests to stay. I just can't imagine treating someone else's home in this way. Is it only me who feels this way?

That is so disrespectful and bang out of order. How rude. How on earth do they think that that is even remotely acceptable? Was it family, or friends (not that it should matter).

It was actually family. Family who know I'm 28 weeks pregnant and have been told by the doctor to take it easy...

Your saying that has actually made me feel better though pupsie! I thought maybe it was just me who thought it was out of order. It took me three hours to clean their bedrooms and bathrooms :-(.

Say something to them. Don't let them get away with being so inconsiderate.

They treated your house like a hotel, they didn't act like house guests. How awful. Hope you can rest up now. And don't let them come back!

I hate having guests for more than a couple of hours and can't stand sleep overs.
If you are ever to have guests again, do give them a list of rules and say you EXPECT the room to be as they found it.
Suggest they pay for a cleaner, can you recommend anyone?
Maybe I am too strict because DH's family are good people but bad guests, and I absolutely loath it when they spend long time at mine.

OMG the fact that you are pg too?! I'm astounded. I only asked if it was family or friends cos I figured friends would be far less likely to do that than family (or perhaps just in my case...).

Thanks for the replies. I'm not sure what to do about this. Along with the dirt, there are also felt tip pen marks on the wall and some scratches to furniture. The really sad thing for me is that it totally puts me off having more guests particularly guests with kids. It'll be easy to say no to them based on space once the baby is here but I wish I didn't have to. It would be nice if people just treated our home with respect and then it would be lovely to have them to stay.

I sympathise with you OP, we have a lot of guests and some have been particularly messy, treating us rather like a cheap hotel than family. The difficult part is when they want to come back. I had a fall out with my sister over this, her DSs made a real mess and i picked her up on it. I was then given the lecture on how they had spend their valuable money and holiday time on visiting us so that the cousins could spend time with each other.

Tough one. Take the rough with the smooth, some guests will be crap and some won't. My friend has been here 12 years and never gets any visitors anymore because everyone has been already and she is a neat freak and has scared them off

Maybe take up sewing, for your first sampler a quote by Benjamin Franklin : "Guests, like Fish, begin to smell after three days".

You are not unreasonable they are. Did they do anything for you while they were there?

My children have been known to be "lively" but we'd always tidy up after ourselves, and admit any messes they make, and never stay 2 weeks!

Its surprising sometimes how people who you don't expect to take the piss, do. I remember when my parents first had a holiday home abroad, they used to let it to friends for peanuts, but they had to stop because it was getting trashed - by their friends and their kids!!

Just say no in future. Two weeks is waaaaay too long to stay with anyone anyway - my new rule is 3-4 days max for us to either be guests or have guests to stay. Any more than that is a strain for everyone - particularly the hosts.

They're taking the mick. Just be tough in future. Two weeks is a very long time to put up with rude, messy, sponging people.

Mummytime - how true! Guests are like fish!!!

Juneau - yes, it is surprising that its people who wouldn't expect to take the piss who do...

Greyhound - totally, 2 weeks is a long time!

I'm going to have to be much tougher in future and definitely limit the length of stays.

You need to set really form ground rules before they come, email a list of house rules and ask they agree to them.

Have a printed copy and pull them up as needed. 'Hey, we agreed on a rota for X.'

Direct them to the nearest camp site. How very rude of them!

So, did they spend much time with you or was it a free holiday for them? I'd be mightily pissed off. My guests usually can't do enough and i'd be the same. Hire a cleaner and send them the bill!

Say something to your guests. Let them know that they will not be welcome back and explain why.

Id also decide that from here on, you will only have guests for a maximum of 3 days/2 nights. Then when people ask to stay, just be honest and say "last time we had guests stay, they used us like a hotel, trashed the room, didnt help clean their mess and the kids drew all over the walls. so now we only have weekend guests who can behave themselves"

I have the same issues, we have guests all the time given where we live, have a couple of spare rooms etc but people do take the piss!.

I didn't think your SIL is being reasonable, very well her DC coming to spend time with their cousins but don't trash your house in the process!!

i think id be very honest about why they arent/the conditions of them coming back- they don't draw on the walls etc and they are a little mor considerate! Honestly!!!!!