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1. LET THE SUNSHINE IN – Nothing makes a house look more sad and gloomy than the lack of natural light. The first thing you should do is open every blind & curtain you can get your hands on. Go around the house and turn on the lights in any room that seems dark or dingy. I recently went to dinner at a friend’s house and, other than the breakfast room where we ate, the entire house was dark. It was rather cold & uncomfortable and I couldn’t help but get the subliminal message that this house was off limits. Make sure you send a message to your guest that they are welcome in your home.

*As part of your yearly maintenance schedule you should make sure you clean your windows at least once a year (twice is even better). To prove this point, I recently cleaned the windows in my family and my best friend walked in and asked if I had painted the room! Everything sparkles with clean windows!

2. Listen to your mother and MAKE YOUR BED – my grandmother had a saying “as long as you make the bed & have fresh flowers, no one will notice the dust”. Making your bed gives the room a fresh and clean appearance. It also eliminates clutter by getting your pillows etc. off the floor.

3. FRESH FLOWERS – I know it would be ideal if we all had a vase of blossoming tulips to greet us at the door, but this isn’t what I’m talking about. I can bet you can find something fresh and beautiful in your yard to put in a vase. Try a single daisy in a jelly jar, or how about a hosta leaf with some long blades of grass. In the winter I’ve even clipped a few limbs of my pine tree to give me that much needed burst of fresh greenery. The point is, this little touch of nature shows that you care about your house and the way it looks. A simple handpicked bouquet will transform your messy kitchen into a “lived in cottage” – well almost!

4. CLEAN THE BATHROOM - If you have only 5 minutes to spare this is where I would spend 4 of them! Wipe down the counter and the toilet (and ALWAYS put the lid down) and wipe up the floor. Put out a clean hand towel and fresh roll of paper. REMOVE your personal towels. There is nothing worse than using someone’s bathroom and being forced to wipe your hands on their bath towel – YUCK! Stash away anything that your guest wouldn’t need (medications, your slippers, your toothbrush etc.)

5. THE HILLS (OK HOMES) ARE ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF MUSIC – Turn off your squawking TV and put on some very soft background music. Music is a room warmer; it permeates every nook, cranny & corner. It makes a house feel like people belong there and beckons your guest to pull up a chair and stay a while.

Whether you have 5 or 50 minutes warning there is always something you can do to make your home a special place for guests to visit. Don’t be surprised if, after you employ the above tips, these unexpected visits start to come a little more often. If so, just know your doing something right!

About the author:

Melissa Lauer is an interior decorator and custom window treatment designer. She has recently opened http://www.onlinesilkfabricstore.com which specializes not only in exquisite silk fabrics from around the world, but also in custom silk drapery and silk bedding. With its reasonable prices and ease of use, http://www.onlinesilkfabricstore.com has become a favorite of both weekend decorators and professionals.