Why do guests rearrange furniture?

[Laura2592]

This one really stumps me.

We have had a few guests who have done some redecorating of our space....moved furniture,  rearranged lamps and put them in different rooms,  taken down curtains or paintings, etc. I just do not understand this.   Its never the same thing so its not a hint that we need more light in a spot or the sofa is poorly situated for the TV.

Its just as though some people need to put their "stamp" on even the most temporary residence. Ultimately I wouldn't care if they put things back. I love to decorate but can honestly say I've never done this at an Airbnb or hotel. 

Anyone have insight into this behavior? Its just got me curious!

[Ann72]

@Sarah977  "That nesting business" made me laugh!  🙂

It's definitely annoying to do that, but I never have enough kitchen cabinet space to spread everything out (just as one never has enough bookshelf space, does one?), and this way you at least see all your choices in one place.  😂

[Sandra126]

I don't like stacked either, but in my own kitchen I stack according to popularity. Hence, favourite bowl gets stacked higher even if size is wrong for stacking order. 

[Katrina79]

@Sarah977 Funny story about shared kitchens. I stayed in a home share in London when visiting my partner’s family. I found the room on VRBO and wasn’t familiar with the site so had to ask if I could use the kitchen to prepare a dish to take to a family dinner invite. The host was really friendly, didn’t mind and showed my the allocated fridge space I could use. The host was pretty easy going and there were a few other rooms occupied and with everyone using the kitchen all the time I thought I would clean it up really good after I prepared my dish. I washed out her frying pan really well as it looked like it needed it! Later she explained to me about her amazing pan and how it shouldn’t be washed with dish soap. Oooops, hopefully it didn’t make all her next meals taste like soap! While she was educating me on her amazing pan one of the fellow house mates was smiling and smirking in the background behind her. I wonder how many guests he had seen get the pan tutorial lol 

[Sarah977]

@Katrina79 I have 2 cast iron frying pans that I've had for about 45 years. Everyone always says how they aren't supposed to be washed, just wiped out with some paper towels. But it grosses me out to think that a pan never gets washed, and I've always washed those pans with soap and water. And they still work just fine 🙂

[Suzanne302]

@Sarah977  I just stumbled into this old thread somehow but on the subject of cleaning cast iron pans I never understood how it would "hurt" the pan to clean it with soap. I don't use soap on mine, but I do sprinkle sea salt into the pan and wipe up any gunk with a paper towel with several rinses in between. The salt is great as an abrasive and apparently it's "good" for the pan. I think I saw a youtube video on it once and thought, why not? 🙂

[Skye82]

No!!!! This will rust your pans 😂 

[Leanne99]

@Ann72  You forgot the classic ‘nesting bowls together; non-nesting’ where all the bowls are stacked randomly but definitely not in order of diminishing size. My teenage kids who despite both being excellent mathematicians with great geometry skills excel at this one when unpacking the dishwasher 😉

[Ann72]

@Leanne99   Aarrgghh!

We'll just put it down to teenage brain development.  Sigh.

[Carolyn742]

...had a guest who "relocated" kitchen bowls/plates to another Airbnb property across town randomly found during cleaning process, only to rebook again at orig property and leave a massive haul of very used kitchen crap behind for their next stay😶‍🌫️smh

[Ute42]

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@Laura2592 

Guests can't rearrage furniture in my place bc we have bolted everything onto the wall and put a lock on it.

• Guest: Can You unlock the cupboard so we can rearrange it?
  
  

• Ute: NO

[Emiel1]

@Ute42 

Instead of bolting all the furniture I suggest to chain the guests at the wall. Guaranteed no furniture moved, but there is a (although very small) risk getting a bad review.....

[Ute42]

.

@Emiel1 

we already thought about chaining guests and we are already geared up for that. We've bolted a massive chain onto a concrete column. We didn't need that amenity so far, but should we need it, we are ready to go.

cc @Sarah977 @Branka-and-Silvia0 

[Ann72]

@Emiel1  The bad-review risk is very small because you leave them chained to the wall until the review period passes.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

hahaha @Ute42  I knew this comment is yours before I've seen your name above it 😄 😄

we've noticed Chinese guests rearrange furniture as soon as they enter, while we are still there during check-in. Feng-shui maybe? who knows...

[Anna9170]

@Ute42  You're a fire, I was waiting for your next NO in this theme.....😂