With the world now finally opening up again, early dates are likely to be in public spaces. If things go well, however, then, at some point, one of you is going to invite the other home. This first “at home” date can be “make or break” for what happens next. It’s therefore worth being prepared. Here are some tips to help!
Make sure they’re comfortable with getting to you
Even if you’re collecting your date, make sure they’re comfortable getting to and from your place. Have at least one plan for getting them home. Remember, transport can often be erratic particularly in cities. Underground lines can go out of action, buses aren’t always comfortable (especially at night), taxis can be busy. That’s why you need options.
Obviously, you won’t want your date to leave early. They will, however, probably feel a lot more relaxed if they know that they can leave easily. In fact, it might persuade them to stay longer.
Deal with allergy issues
Sounds a bit too serious for a dating post but allergies issues can really put a downer on your date. In fact, they might literally kill it. Given that allergies are becoming an increasingly common problem, this is definitely something you want to check in advance.
Always check with your date. Never assume they’ll remember to mention it to you. More accurately, never assume that you’d have remembered if your date had mentioned it in the past. You might find that they did and you forgot.
Have a plan for pets
If you and your date are going to become a regular fixture, then there’s going to have to be some sort of agreement between them and your pets. There’s a lot of truth in the saying “Love me, love my dog.” (or cat or whatever else you own).
If, however, this is your first date at home, that’s all in the future. Feel free to introduce your pets but you generally want to keep them out of the way for the evening. Many animals are creatures of habit and routine (even cats). They may need time to get used to new people and a first home date isn’t necessarily the ideal time for it.
Be prepared to educate your date on how to treat your pets. That may mean finding a nice way to say “leave them alone”. Remember, some people are not used to being around animals.
Have a place for your date’s stuff
Outside of peak summer (and maybe even in it), you can expect your date to have some kind of jacket or coat. In colder weather, they may have heavy shoes or boots. There’s a good chance they’ll have a bag at any time of year. Make sure there’s somewhere for your date to put these so they’ll be safe but accessible.
If you have a “no-shoes” home, then make sure your date knows about it in advance. They might prefer to bring something of their own to put on inside your home. That said, you should definitely have something to offer them.
Pay attention to the details
Hopefully, your home is reasonably clean and tidy most of the time. If it’s not, then make sure you deal with it before your date arrives. Once you have the basics sorted, it’s time to think about the details. These are what can really impress your date. The good news is, that sorting out these details generally just takes common sense and a little effort.
Make sure your entrance looks welcoming. Have some decent tea and coffee in your kitchen and something nice to serve them in. Consider going to a coffee shop that knows its way around trade coffee and picking up some supplies. If you’re planning on serving alcohol, do your research on what’s good and how to serve it.
Your date’s probably going to want to use the bathroom at some point so, at the very least, make sure it smells pleasant. Also, make sure that there’s plenty of toilet paper (and/or a spare roll in an obvious place). Ideally, put in fresh towels and for bonus points iron them.
On that note, if there’s even a chance that your date will be staying over, then clean, fresh bed linen is a must. Iron it if you possibly can. It only takes a little effort and makes a huge difference to how your bed linen feels. There is a reason why all top hotels do it. Also, try to have spares of key items (like toiletries) to offer your date if they need them.
Make sure you follow through
Everybody knows that first impressions count. Last impressions count too. Make sure your date has a chance to do anything they need to do before they leave. Then make sure that they have a safe way of getting where they need to be. Hopefully, you’ll both want to see each other again, if only as friends. Even if you don’t, they may still set you up with a friend.
