You're my houseguest

I have often stayed with friends, although perhaps not for as long as a week. But… I barely know you, so I’d feel a little weird about it. Let’s assume it’s someone I know a bit better than I know you.

I’ll bring a house-gift, unless you are family or the friend I stay with all the time.

My drink of choice is tap water, unless your water is horrible, in which case I hope you keep bottled water around. I would feel comfortable pouring myself a glass of water, and I’d put the glass in the dishwasher, or wash it and leave it in the rack if that’s how you roll. I wouldn’t feel comfortable taking any food items you didn’t explicitly invite me to take. So, if you opened the pantry and said, here’s the breakfast cereal, feel free to have some if you get up before us", I would, indeed, feel comfortable taking it. But if you didn’t invite me to do so, I wouldn’t. I’d sneak out to a diner and grab something.

Hosts usually do show me the tea and the tea-making equipment (or coffee, etc.) and I will use that if I’m up before them in the morning. If I have reason to believe they will want coffee, too, I will make enough for them. I don’t make them tea, because I tend to make tea stronger than others like, and I’ll misjudge.

I would certainly look at your artwork, and your knicknacks, and your books. And I would likely make small talk about them. I also might peek behind closed doors. I’m nosy. But I wouldn’t touch anything or disturb anything.

Yes, I’d certainly take a walk in the neighborhood, and I’d knock when I got home (or call out “hello”) unless I thought you might be asleep. Yes, I’d ask to use the washer if I ran low on underwear, although I’d plan so as not to need to, unless visiting you was part of a long trip But I wouldn’t feel weird about asking, and I’d be surprised if you didn’t give me access to the washer, and any relevant instructions.

I’ve never scrubbed the shower. But when I visited a friend who had a squeegee in the shower, I carefully squeegeed down the walls after every shower. And I will keep my mess contained to the room you put me in, or to my suitcase, if you put me in the living room. The bathroom I used will look tidy. I won’t use more than one towel, either. I’d use two in a hotel (one for my hair, another for my body) but I don’t want to leave two damp towels lying around. I dunno, I like to keep a low profile as a guest, and not take up too much space.

I will take you out to dinner at a nice place while I’m there. I will enthusiastically eat the food you put in front of me, too. If you are cooking while I’m around, I will ask if you’d like help, and I may end up slicing the vegetables or something. Once, a friend had me picking herbs and fruit in her garden before preparing it. that was fun. :slight_smile: I’ll clean any dishes I might have used on my own, and I’ll wash some pots or empty the dishwasher if that seems helpful.

If I’m doing fun sightseeing, I will invite you along, my treat, but understand if you have other stuff you are doing.

At the end of my stay, I will strip the bed, and fold up the dirty sheets and towels and leave you a tidy pile.

I always stay at hotels, too. I might be comfortable staying at my mother’s house or my daughter’s but since they’re less than an hour away I would never be there as a houseguest.

I sometimes wonder how much of that is because my brother-in-law is a bad houseguest - he’s never stayed at my house( although he’s hinted often) but I’ve seen and heard enough about how he treats his hosts to wonder why they keep allowing him to stay with them.

Had I not scrolled past your post, I’d have saved myself precious time and the embarrassment of being unoriginal.

I’m also particular about coffee, I have a small travel French press and will often bring my own grounds. I simply have to have coffee before I can interact with anyone. Also, I love staying in hotels.

On the first visit, and for a week or less, probably not. I’d start doing the things mentioned in the OP the second time around.

what about agreeing on when visit ends?

I have never been a houseguest without clear and explicit plans for when i will arrive and leave. Nor have i ever hosted a houseguest without knowing that.

(And I’ve done a lot of couch surfing from both sides.)

As a guest, I’ve cooked with what’s on hand, I’ve shopped for groceries and cooked with them, I’ll clean if asked, sometimes even without asking!

I stayed at one friend’s home for a couple of weeks. She was waiting for rotator cuff surgery, and there were some things she simply could NOT do. So, I cleaned behind the kitchen sink, scrubbed out her microwave, stuff like that.

I’m famous as a guest for cleaning the bathroom.

I don’t particularly like cleaning the bathroom. Most people I know dislike that chore, very much. But when I’m a guest in someone’s home, I want to be useful and show my appreciation for the hospitality.

(I always get invited back!)

~VOW

Do you mean like on a regular basis? Say, every Tuesday afternoon…

Pretty much what thorny_locust said in reply #2 with a few additions.

I’ll supply my own booze unless your household is alcohol free for any reason.
I’d strongly offer to make breakfast/lunch/supper once or twice during my stay.
Minor home repairs have a nasty habit of being resolved when I’m around. I think I’m followed by a squad of ninja repair elves.