Steal the little basket of forgotten things — toothbrush, toothpaste, paracetamol, hand cream, a hair tie — because someone always forgets one of them. Ignore the rest: the scattering of cushions, the folded towel sculpture, the scented candle so strong it dominates the room. A mild scent or none at all is safer; plenty of people are sensitive to fragrance and will simply open the window and freeze.
What if my spare room is also my office?
Then the aim is to make the work visibly finished for the duration of the stay. Clear the desk down to the lamp, put files and cables in a lidded box, shut the laptop and move it out if you can, and make sure the desk chair isn't the only seat. Guests sleep badly in rooms that look like someone will need to come in and use them, so a single tidied surface and a cleared half of the wardrobe signal that the room is theirs this week.
How do I make a sofa bed or air bed feel considerate?
Treat it like a proper bed rather than an apology: a fitted sheet that actually fits, a real duvet, two pillows, and a mattress topper if the frame is thin. The bigger issue with a living-room bed is privacy and timing, so agree openly when the room becomes theirs in the evening and when the household starts moving in the morning, and give them a corner — a chair or a shelf — where their belongings can live without being packed away each day.
