Get Your Home Ready to Welcome a Summer Exchange Student
Summer is the time when people typically plan barbecues and pool parties, eager to take advantage of the warm weather. It’s also a season when young people from other countries often travel to host families in the United States to learn what it’s like to live in another country and experience a different culture. Whether you’ve welcomed an exchange student to your home before or are doing so for the first time this year, you can do several things to get prepared and reduce the probability of unexpected issues.
Make Storage Space Available
Your exchange student will probably be at your house for a long-term stay that lasts up to several months. And, the individual will likely bring at least one suitcase full of clothes and other essential items. You can make the person feel at home by clearing out some spaces in your abode to allow for storing things.
While getting your home ready for the guest’s arrival, try to create some areas that are just for that person to use. Otherwise, they might feel awkward and decide it’s most convenient for you if they merely live out of their suitcase for the duration of the trip. However, that can be a stressful approach because it’s hard to keep things organized and find certain items when needed.
Decide on Some Ground Rules
Although your summer exchange student will be sharing your space, it’s still crucial to decide what the person can and cannot do while under your roof. For example, should you set a Wi-Fi usage limit? That could be important if you’re on a plan with a data cap. Are there specific foods that are off-limits in your kitchen? What about rooms where the person isn’t allowed to go? How often should the guest wash sheets and clothing?
Don’t forget to also establish a curfew for school nights, particularly because exchange students often go to language-learning programs while staying with their host families. You don’t want to give the impression you’re facilitating irresponsibility.
Take time to sit down with all the members of your household and set some foundational rules before the exchange student arrives. Then, if needed, you can display flexibility in some cases depending on how the visitor reacts after hearing the rules.
Schedule Proactive Servicing Appointments
You should also check records to see when you last got major components of your home serviced, such as the HVAC system. Regular appointments with professionals can help you avoid spur-of-the-moment AC repair and maintenance calls, especially those that become necessary because your home cooling unit suddenly stops working during a hotter-than-average day, causing inconveniences for your exchange student and the rest of the people in your home.
If you’ve noticed appliances in your home aren’t working as expected or have started to display strange characteristics, prioritize getting a technician to investigate the matters before your exchange student comes to stay. Then, you’ll reduce the likelihood of stressful circumstances.
Having an exchange student in your home will likely result in an overall experience that teaches you new things and makes your houseguest come away with additional knowledge and perspectives, too. Focusing on getting your house ready beforehand makes you feel well-equipped for what’s to come.
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