12 Best Ways I Love To Prep For Surprise Guests in 12 minutes

Surprise visits are stressful when the house is a mess.  Receiving a call from guests saying they're "on their way, be there in a few, or waiting for the elevator" gives me that sudden surge of energy to accomplish these in lightning fast speed.  If you're like me, here are some of the things I do for a truly insta-guest-ready home :)  

1. Choices.  Who are my guests?  Where will we hang out?  What will we do?  Which area of the house will be the easiest to prep?  Early on I decide on this so I'll know which area/s to focus on.  But if the guest will want a tour of the entire house, then I'll be needing an extra shot of espresso to finish the task if they come at a very unfortunate time that the whole place is a mess.

2. Grab and go.  First off, I scan the entire place and grab any and every clutter I can find, quickly either throw them in the trash, hide in a cabinet, or return to original place.  During this "scan", I see areas that need attention---cleaning, fixing, setup, etc.

3. Skirt the issue.  Whenever there's just too much clutter and just not enough time, I dump everything in a pile, cover it with a sheet, then call it a day, haha!  One time, I had an uncle drop by and needed to give him a full tour of the house.  After doing everything else on this list, I come back to our room to find the bed unmade.  I quickly pushed the pillows, blankets and stuffed toys towards the headboard and neatly covered it with the comforter!  Voila!  Insta ig-worthy bed!    

4. Wipe.  Quickly wipe off dust, spills, or crumbs on table tops.  If the floor is clean, make sure to catch the debris so you don't have to go over the floors anymore.  If not, let it fall, you'll be sweeping it soon after anyways.  We are talking about a quick fix here so go through this step like a lazy janitor and wipe areas that can be seen or will be used...So, no need to lift objects and go through crevices, cabinet tops, or hard to reach areas.  

5. Clear the path.  Just like the previous item, no need to do thorough cleaning.  Sweep, mop, or vacuum floor that will be seen or used.  While writing this, I realize it's so much better to receive surprise visits at night, with yellow lighting, since minor dirt on my floors are unnoticeable during this time.   

6. Spray it.  I think this is the time I use the most sprays in minutes...lysol, air freshener, linen spray, pledge, glass cleaner, etc.  As much as I'd like to use less chemicals in the cleaning process, desperate times call for desperate measures.  These chemicals truly make cleaning a breeze and almost effortless.  I don't have time to prep those diy vinegar, lemon, or baking soda hacks so I go for all these at the meantime.  I also either light up a candle or turn on my humidifier and put in a fresh scent.

7. Throw in.  There are days when I have so much (big) stuff scattered all over the house.  Whether it be furniture and accessories for clients, products in boxes, unpacked shopping bags, or large plastic bags of items to be given away, I usually place them in areas that I will easily see so that I'll remember to dispose them asap.  I pick a room or cabinet then throw everything in.  Times like these, don't think, just do.  Throw everything inside then go back to it as soon as your guests leave.    

8. Lock it.  After throwing all those items in the assigned room, keep the door closed, or better yet, lock it to make sure wandering guests don't find your stash!  When you're showing your guests around and find a room locked,  I don't think they'll wait around or ask you to find the key, right?  

9. Quick Snack.  Think ahead...What are the contents of your ref?  Pantry?  They clearly don't expect to be fed because hey, they took you by surprise but it's always nice to at least offer them something to drink.  This is something I love to do when my guests have already arrived.  I can chat and prepare them a snack while they're sitting by the bar of our kitchen.  It's also a nice way of masking the fact that I haven't washed the dishes,  that the dishes in the sink were from prepping this snack right now, haha!  If you're out of anything to feed your guests, make a quick call to the fastest food delivery service you know.

10. Staging.  I was inspired by Amy Adams' role in Leap Year where she was a real estate stager.  Basically, just highlight the good points of what I already have.  It's setting up the place to give a good experience.  So it's not always all about how clean or clutter-free the space is.  Sometimes, when I know my guest would love a good cup of coffee, I'd be brewing one using my moka pot so the house is filled with the aroma as soon as they step in.  Serving chips and nuts in bowls is far more attractive than just putting the bags on the table.  Having a scented candle on is cozier than just spraying everything with lysol.  Blasting the aircon to 18degrees and throwing on a blanky is more fun than sitting in the living room trying hard not to sweat.  (Goalssss---get an ac for our living room!)   

11. Dress the part.  I'm definitely covered in sweat after all that cleaning and decluttering so I squeeze in a quick shower, put on some decent clothes, and put my hair up.  If there's really not enough time, at least brush your teeth, wash your face, change clothes, and spray cologne all over your body.

12. Navigate.  If you fail to do some of the steps on this list, it's best to steer your guests away from the mess.  Whenever our ground floor is such a mess, I direct my guests to hangout in our bedroom instead.  When there's too much going on in the dining area, we resort to staying in the living area.  If the guest room is too cluttered, I have my guests sleep in my son's room.  I sometimes ask my guests to sit at a certain spot so they won't be staring at the mess behind me during their visit.  You can do whatever you want.  At the end of the day, your house, your rules, right? ;)