Running a language exchange and homestay business offers a number of advantages for hosts. With extra income, increased flexibility, a better work/life balance, and the opportunity to meet people from all over the world just some of the plus-points.
Preparing your home for guests isn’t easy though. You’ll have a long list of requirements to satisfy to ensure each and every one of your homestay guests receives a warm welcome.
In this blog post, we’re running through a homestay host checklist to get you ready to receive your very first guest.
Your guest room
Every homestay experience should give guests the space and privacy they need to feel right at home. Your guest room should provide all the convenience of a hotel room and all the comfort of home, so make sure it’s fully equipped to cater to guests’ varying needs.
It should be more than just a place to stay after a long day of language learning or exploration. In addition to providing a calm place to sleep and relax, it should deliver the storage and furnishings needed to feel comfortable throughout their stay.
Think about things like extra bedding, a mirror and basic toiletries as essentials for your guest room. Personalising a guest welcome basket with a few luxuries using the information you gleaned from your pre-visit chats is also a great idea.
Your home
Your wider home should be just as welcoming for homestay guests. You’ll share communal areas such as the kitchen, living room and maybe the bathroom with the people who come to stay with you.
As such, make sure they’re completely clean and topped up with provisions such as extra toilet roll, towels, and coffee or cold drink refreshments.
Keep in mind that your guests won’t be as familiar with your home’s layout as you are. Make essentials easy to find and talk them through the basics when they arrive. How does the shower work? Where’s the ironing board? Those kind of things.
Many homestay hosts provide further information, such as the wifi password, in their welcome baskets for guests to refer to as and when they need to. It many also be handy to include a copy of your house rules.
Your family
Living life as a host family is an exciting and rewarding experience for all. For adults and children alike, hosting homestay guests can lead to better cultural awareness and lifelong relationships.
Don’t just take our word for it though, listen to 15-year-old Alice Canning who has been hosting foreign students with her mother for a number of years:
“I have really enjoyed talking with foreign students about table manners, weddings, schooling and so on. Often they bring gifts from their countries and sometimes cook a traditional dinner. They are mostly cheerful and good company and I have never felt that they were intruding in our personal life but sometimes they take a bit long in the bathroom!”
Sometimes there are challenges that crop up and you should make sure your family is prepared. Your guests experiencing homesickness will be common. They may also feel overwhelmed in a new environment.
If you have small curious children or pets, a small security lock on your guest bedroom door may make your guest more comfortable. Put yourself in their shoes and preempt any difficulties. Again your house rules will assist you in setting boundaries that you, your family and your guests are comfortable with.
Your profile
Lingoo provides an excellent way to connect hosts with homestay guests. Whether it’s your first time hosting or you’re an experienced homestay host, Lingoo gives you the platform to shout about your homestay offering.
Your profile offers a snapshot of your homestay experience. Don’t scrimp on the details here. Describe your home and wider community in depth, and provide an informative insight into your life, family, and homestay business. Include photos that really showcase you, your home and the surrounding area.
The homestay host checklist should have given you a great basis to get started on bringing in those 5 star reviews from your homestay guests. If you haven’t already, register as a homestay host now to get started.
