Moving away from home or to a new city means you’re guaranteed to have visitors coming to see you and check out your new place. My sister will be visiting from New Jersey this weekend (her first time in SF!) and I’m so excited to get to hang out with her and show her all of our favorite things about San Francisco.

While we’re busy planning and prepping, I wanted to share a few ideas for making hosting house guests stress-free so you have more time for the fun of entertaining:

1. Declutter before their arrival: As you’re tidying up and prepping for your house guests, take a moment to not only clean, but declutter a bit. Have mail stacked on the counter? Throw it in a plastic bag and tuck it away out of sight. Have your beauty products overtaken the bathroom vanity? Stash ‘em away under the sink. You may not mind your own every day clutter but adding extra guests to the equation can amplify it very quickly!

2. Stock up: Plan to have extra snacks and drinks on hand to help make your guests feel comfortable (but keep things causal – you don’t need to be in entertaining mode at all times!). Do a grocery store run before your house guests’ arrival and don’t forget about things like toilet paper, paper towels and tissues which you’ll go through faster with additional people in your home. Have some extra toiletries on hand like hotel shampoos and conditioners, disposable razors and toothbrushes in case of forgotten items.

3. Give them the tour: Once your guests have settled in a bit after their arrival, give them a tour of your home to help them get a feel for the layout and where things are. Be sure to show them where they can find things like water glasses, the television remote or extra toilet paper so they never feel lost or like they’re inconveniencing you.

4. Show off your favorites: Use this time with your house guests to show off your very favorite parts of your hometown – from restaurants to parks, your guests will love your perspective on the best of the best that your city has to offer. Sharing your favorites with your guests will make sure they have the best trip ever while also instantly making you feel like an official local, even if you just recently moved to your new location.

5. Let them help: Don’t feel like you have to do it all! Don’t be afraid to accept your house guests’ offers to help or assign them kitchen duties when cooking a group meal together. Allowing them to be involved is a great way to reduce the workload for yourself while also making sure you’re spending as much time as possible with them.

Do you have any tips for hosting houseguests?