The high price of unwelcome house guests
Brits who are thinking of putting up a friend or relative for a few nights should think again after new research found that more than two thirds of homeowners (68 per cent) have had to endure unwanted house guests at a whopping cost of £1.8 billion each year in additional living expenses.
The study by Sheilas' Wheels home insurance found that the most costly culprits - guilty of outstaying their welcome the longest - are adult sons and daughters with the average parents shelling out £465 per year on hosting their overgrown offspring.
The ‘boomerang generation' of young adults who have flown the nest but just keep coming back typically stay three weeks a year beyond their welcome. Struggling to get on the property ladder, a quarter of adult sons and daughters (26 per cent) have even had to shack up with their parents long term to save money on rent.
Family and friends visiting from across the UK also topped the list of unwanted guests (24 per cent) with particularly irritating family members (15 per cent) and mother-in-laws (15 per cent) following closely behind.
According to the findings, more than half (51 per cent) of homeowners have had a row with those they live with about their troublesome house guests. A fifth of mother-in-laws (11 per cent) were guilty of outstaying their welcome for two weeks or more a year causing an unlucky 28 per cent to admit that their visits had caused arguments with their other half and a rift in the home.
With guests staying longer than their hosts would like, Brits have revealed a lengthy list of gripes. Amongst the pet peeves of annoying visitors was leaving mess lying around (38 per cent), never tidying (33 per cent) and not offering to contribute towards bills (29 per cent).
Top ten unwanted guest gripes:
1. Leaving mess lying around (38 per cent)
2. Never tidying (33 per cent)
3. Not offering to contribute to bills (29 per cent)
4. Eating someone else's food from the fridge (28 per cent)
5. Never saying thank you (28 per cent)
6. Avoiding washing up (26 per cent)
7. Hogging the television (26 per cent)
8. Making loud noises (23 per cent)
9. Everyone having to change their sleeping routine (22 per cent)
10. Talking during films (22 per cent)
Across the country, Londoners fared the worst with half of those surveyed (50 per cent) revealing they had to cope with extra guests over the Olympics period and a further 40 per cent admitted friends and family had stayed in their home to save money on accommodation during the Games.
Jacky Brown, at Sheilas' Wheels home insurance, said: "Brits are well known for being an over-polite bunch but it clearly comes at a hidden cost. What is really worrying is that it is not just the financial implication of housing ‘unwanted' guests that is a concern but also the pressure it puts on relationships when sharing a living space for that little bit too long."
Whilst the majority of Brits have experienced unwanted guests, one in five (19 per cent) admit to also being guilty of outstaying their welcome in someone else's home.
Etiquette expert Jill Harbord adds: "It is just awful to see the number of guests who are outstaying their welcome and the significant cost this is having on families across the nation. It is extremely important that guests treat their hosts' houses with the utmost respect and for them to be on their best behaviour at all times."
To help tackle the nation's woes, Sheilas' Wheels has enlisted Jill to offer top tips on how to be the perfect house guest.
Top tips for guests:
Always clean up after yourself
Be respectful of your host and their family
Supply something with monetary value to thank your host such as flowers or a bottle of their favourite wine
Treat your guests home as your own, meaning take as much care of the guests house as your own
Be aware of your bad habits and do not succumb to these whilst staying as a guest
Offer to cook your host a meal during your stay
If your host is cooking for you always offer to wash up after dinner
Be aware of your hosts' daily routines and be conscious not to disrupt these in any way
Write your host a thank you letter or email following your stay