The House Manual Every Guest Needs: Appliances, Wi-Fi & Check-out

Ask any host what guests message about most and you'll hear the same thing: "How does X work?" The heating, the hot water, the tricky shower, the TV remote. A clear house manual turns those late-night texts into a quiet phone. Here's what to cover and how to keep it usable.

Why the house manual matters

Guests aren't being difficult — your home is unfamiliar to them. A good manual respects their time and yours. It also prevents the small frustrations (a cold shower, a beeping appliance) that quietly cost you a star in the review.

Cover the appliances that confuse people

• Heating & thermostat: how to turn it on, set the temperature, and any quirks.
• Hot water / boiler: where it is and how to get it going.
• Kitchen: oven, hob, dishwasher, coffee machine — a one-line "how to" each.
• TV & entertainment: which remote, which input, how to log into streaming (and to log out at check-out).
• Washing machine / dryer: if available, the basic program.

Add the "where is…" answers

Guests waste time hunting for things. Note where to find the fuse box, spare bin bags, the vacuum, extra blankets, and the first-aid kit. It's a small section that saves a lot of messages.

Keep instructions short and visual

Nobody reads a wall of text on holiday. Use short steps, and where you can, a photo of the actual thermostat or boiler with a note. "Press this button, wait two minutes" beats a paragraph every time.

Don't forget check-out

The end of the stay is where confusion peaks. Spell out the check-out time and exactly what you'd like done: dishwasher on, rubbish in the right bin, windows closed, key back in the lockbox. Keep it light — "the rest is on us."

Put it all in one place

A house manual scattered across notes and messages is a house manual nobody reads. Bundle it into your welcome book, right after the Wi-Fi, so guests find "how things work" exactly where they expect it — on their phone, in seconds.

Written by the Welcomap team — more about us.