As you set about planning a date, you put your head to solving such issues as what your outing will include, where you will take the girl for dinner and a movie. Or is it just too trite and you are going to a fair for a change? Or you have the same favorite band and grab an opportunity to attend their concert.

Anyway, as you get closer and spend more time together, there is a certain point when your girl is about to enter your personal premises. Maybe you feel the importance of the event, or you are inclined to underrate it, but the fact is, you seem to be moving to the next phase where your relationship will be getting more serious. Are you ready to put your cards on the table? What’s more, it can be just a passing drop-by, not necessarily spending a cuddly evening at your place or even sharing a bed – in terms of the girl’s checking you out there’s hardly any difference at all. The general impression your place will produce can weigh heavily in your favor – or against you!

So at this turning point of your relationship it’s time the guy asked himself a question: what can the girl see in his place that may put her out? Has it already occurred that you took a woman to your place and it was the first and the last time she crossed your threshold? Oh, it wasn’t so bad, and that’s nice, yet you can’t be sure that your place is perfectly prepared for the visit of that special woman. Here is some help, providing you with the inside knowledge of women who are definitely interested in the conditions the guy is accustomed to living in.

It can be stated beyond doubt that many guys don’t seem to be aware of things about their abode that can prove distasteful for women. As she steps in, she wants to feel comfortable and fit into the surroundings to the max; besides, she understands that she sees the inside of you, the sort of man you are, and how you take life in general. It’s all very complicated when taken as a whole, but some things must be known so as to avoid the obvious mistakes.

Inadequate furniture, small bed

Many women, on seeing a small bed, are likely to feel that they are not expected here – at least in any serious capacity. Your girl may start thinking along the lines “It won’t be very pleasant to stay here for the night in this tiny single.” Thus, one of the first impressions she gets is she is not welcome!

No matter how hot the man is, it isn’t a pleasing idea to squeeze alongside of him onto a bed that looks grossly inadequate – even if you like tiny women! She would definitely prefer the coziness of her own bed to acrobatics she is going to have on something that is more of a cot than a bed. Therefore, match your bed to your expectations!

No, this entry doesn’t tell you to go and splurge on classy furniture. Just see to it that you don’t offer your potential girlfriend patio chairs to sit upon to share that bottle of wine with you. You will have to invest into furniture if you are out to captivate a decent girl.

Pest traces and traps

Let’s assume it’s clear that you don’t want any small creatures crawling around your floor. If there happen to be some, you understandably want to get rid of them, and you take measures towards it. While it’s undeniably what should be done, the presence of traps positioned judiciously all over the place isn’t exactly what your guests will want to see. Especially female guests. As soon as they catch sight of a mousetrap, they will naturally be on the lookout for mice. They will start acting extremely suspiciously towards places where mice may lurk – closets, food stock places, small doors. And what if they get into a dropped shoe? And what if one accidentally steps on such a device? I’m afraid there are fat chances of romance flying out of the window.

So, if the place is fitted with different traps, the answer is to push them far out of sight to prevent wild ideas about your home. Hopefully you made sure that you invited your woman to a place where your traps are empty and not sporting their success in the form of bloody corpses. Don’t count on women retaining their composure – and their sense of comfort – when they chance upon a viciously killed rodent.

Soiled laundry in a heap

Yes, there are lots of better things than taking care of your laundry. This chore is the one that keeps recurring until it makes us bored, hateful and… neglecting. Still, the fight is on, and when your articles of clothing that need washing pile up until your laundry basket is overflowing, and they start collecting on chairs – well… You should really brace yourself and do something about it.

To begin with, such a sight triggers off a string of inner questions like “How long have the things at the bottom of this pile been lying there?” or “Does he go around wearing soiled clothes after he failed to do his laundry in good time?” To follow up, this can be construed that you are altogether careless and neglect your household duties on a regular basis. Which is not the quality one would want to find in somebody they are thinking of sharing their lives with (maybe).

Taking into consideration the fact that the guy may not be meaning for the good girl to stay around for ever, it would be very nice if you did a load of laundry before inviting her over. At the very least make sure it is not visible strewn on the furniture and on the floor. Most of all, not on the bed!

Soiled sheets

Is the great plan to go between the sheets together at the end of the evening? Then your sheets will have to be clean, and you had better see about it well in advance. Just imagine that the woman, having gotten where you want her, suddenly begins to sniff at a queer stain and then wrinkle her nose. Don’t be surprised that it would be the last you saw of her… and there are women who would be sorry, but they actually couldn’t stay, because there are other commitments…

It’s no good to expect of a woman to agree to lying through the night on a sheet that has been serving you since the time you rented this place. It must have gone through many events after its meeting with the washing machine, and it can be fairly revolting to think of it. The possibility of the woman being turned off rises significantly.

The best bet, therefore, is to put on fresh sheets and thus free the woman from squinting at stains, holding her nose and wishing she were somewhere else instead. If you want to add points to your credit, do it with bed sheets, for your bed is sure to enhance or detract from your overall image.

Hairs all over the sink

True, men and women alike are apt to shed hair, and it remains in places where we least want it to. Women’s hairs can often be found on shower walls, while men’s hairs collect around bathroom sinks and counters.

We all know that, and we can take good care so that somebody else who goes into the bathroom to brush her teeth doesn’t have to face shaved-off hairs floating about – she may not like it at all. Apart from the disgusting impression they are sure to make, you won’t want to put things on a surface because now you think they will collect some stray hairs, and it won’t be nice at all.

Come to think of it, that’s the problem that can be settled in a moment with a good wipeout. If you have omitted to do it, you practically invite the girl to think you are dead lazy. Really, what sort of man is it that neglects to clean up after himself? Let him get a maid before he invites decent women in!

Apartment devoid of personal décor

It may be a moot point whether your female visitor likes your interior design, but what she will undoubtedly notice is how much time and care you spent to make your place your own. On the other hand, seeing barren walls without the slightest trace of decoration (imparting your place a hospital look) will hardly make your visitor feel laid-back. Also, the woman looks around and gets absolutely no information about you and your tastes. As if you were ready to pack up and move away at any moment. Do you really wish to create this impression?

Why not take a break from your routine and get some nice curtains? They will set a color palette you can augment by a couple of posters – and don’t forget to put up your degrees and trophies on display! Believe us, your home will acquire brilliance and personality at once and will become a memorable place.

There will be some adjustments too. Want to have your girlfriend over? Mind that you take down the posers with naked girls, she won’t be overjoyed to see them. Then, if you are fond of black-light or colored-light illumination, you may as well purchase one common-type lamp in case the girl won’t appreciate your lighting preferences. You don’t want her disturbed with blue light on her face.

Freeloading friends

A man ought to be a worker who works up his way in society – at least that’s what most women prefer their men to be. They can hardly be expected to appreciate a pushover – or a friend of pushover, letting his pals hang around, doss around, eat around and, incidentally, mess around. This is not the idea of a friendly support women will endorse to, especially if the woman strives to be self-sufficient and self-made. Your relations with your buddies who live off you are your own business, of course, and you can explain it to your girlfriend, yet a room-mate who hangs around contributing nothing will not be a credit to you anyhow.

Helping your friends when they’re temporarily down for a reason and letting people eat off you because they like to sponge are two different things that can be easily told one from the other, so your girlfriend is likely to realize how things stand. Do you really expect her to join in the game of indulging your pals? So keep in mind that a freeloader in your place is an excellent turn-off for any serious relationship you may want to form.

A trashed-over place

If truth be told, no woman expects a man to keep his place spotlessly clean. But that doesn’t mean that the place can be in an awful condition. Your girlfriend will be glad to see that you are proud of your place and don’t let it get littered. A bed full of crumbs, with bottles and cups standing around, used napkins crumbled up and dropped on the floor is something that will definitely be a no-no for the second visit. You can easily imagine the impression left by trash cans filled to the brim so that it’s unfathomable to put in anything else without letting stuff go scattering around. And how long have these pizza boxes and takeout containers been lying there? You invite the woman to your apartment and not to the local rubbish heap.

Every time your home will be looked upon as your reflection – bear it in mind. You may not think of it, but you can become associated with trash, so it is worth your while to see to it that all your garbage is outside and your trash can is new and not over-functioning. Do yourself a favor.

A badly disorganized place

A certain level of untidiness can be even charming and personal, that’s right. The thing is, it’s so easy to overdo it. Will the woman be able to walk about your home without getting tripped up by something scattered on the floor? It’s also not quite right when there are paths laid on the floor which had better be stuck to, for any straying may be dangerous. See if your floor needs un-cluttering, and make it nice by putting various things to the places they are generally supposed to be. Leaving things where you happened to be at the time doesn’t speak very well of you.

It is often the case with men who are single fathers, and then the disordered place is really excusable. Anyway, a little bit of clearing up will go a long way. Remember, your female visitor should be able to put her things down, and move around unhesitatingly. If she can see bits of floor now and then it’s just grand!

Unwashed kitchenware in the sink

Laundry-like, dish-washing can sometimes get us down by sheer inability to avoid this – and by accumulating in the sink with a sickening speed. You’ve done them all only to face the same sight on the next day. Everybody understands this and if there are a couple of plates and spoons in your sink, no-one will have the heart to put it against you. But if the whole sink is piled over with dirty dishes, there are yet more dishes on the counter, and finally it turns out that you have no clean plates at hand, that stinks!

Will your girlfriend have to wash a used glass herself if she would like a drink? Are you going to treat her to a meal without previously splashing in the sink trying to get some utensils clean? Or will you suggest she eat with her hands because of the condition in your kitchen?

Moreover, think how many times a woman runs into that state of things? More than you think, and more than you would like to know. That follows that your kitchen disorder is not the first one she clapped her eyes on so far. And it’s exhausting to know what you can see.

It’s the same stuff everywhere: plates put down at random, hardened bits of uneaten food, with the smell of rotten milk all over the heap. Women see it all and small it all – and the only reaction you get from them is the wish to run away from the place.

Nothing to drink or eat

So you’ve decided to invite a girl over, it’s an occasion that requires some preparation, especially in consideration of the situation when your visitor will get thirsty or hungry. Yes, there is always tap water to fill the gap, but you want to make a better appearance than that, right? By that time you should have an inkling of her favorite drinks, both soft and hard. Get her some soda and/or juice as well as some alcoholic beverages. It would be better than falling back on the water from the tap.

Oh, and we shouldn’t forget about some snacks! It will be fine if you offer a few delicious bits after the glass of wine. Is your fridge empty? Then a visit to the grocery shop is indicated, more so if your fridge is empty. And if you get food that can be turned into a meal, that would be great! Probably you do not mean it as a dinner date, all the same, the sight of a couple of dishes that have been – or will be – made soon, is sure to cause delight. Your girlfriend may be happy with an ordered pizza, but then your ability (or complete disability) to knock up a meal will weigh in hugely.

Dirt in the bathroom

Shaven-off hairs make a bad decoration for your bathroom, as we have agreed. But, apart from your doffed moustache, the advisable thing is to keep the bathroom clean to the best extent that is within your power. As soon as you have worked on the bathroom floor with a mop you will see the difference it makes – and your female guest will see it too! The toilet requires special attention, for it not to offer to a discerning eye marks and spots of a highly suspicious nature, old urine that somehow found its way back and other traces and substances that can make people’s gorge rise. The toilet and the seat had better be rubbed until they shine so they could earn you bonus points. You don’t want your girlfriend to think she found herself in a public restroom.

If your bathroom doesn’t happen to come up to (modest) expectations, your private hygiene can be seriously impugned. Most people want to feel very comfortable in the bathroom, and they usually take pains to provide the best surroundings for that. Therefore people who let this sacred place grow dirty can disappoint other so strongly they won’t even begin to guess. Avoid this drastic turn-off and get the bathroom in order.

Having to look for soap, paper, towels etc. in the bathroom

This is extremely bothersome, and if you fail to find these items, it can be downright devastating. First thing to keep in mind, women need toilet paper more often than men do. Think of your girlfriend going for toilet paper, finding an empty roll (that nobody bothered to take away, by the way) – and no more rolls near at hand. Then she has to wipe her hands on a towel that has obviously been there for the last year. This kind of adjournment to the bathroom can spoil the girl’s whole evening. And what if she was supposed to stay for long and expects to go to the toilet again later?

It’s a good idea to make a detour of your bathroom and check the paraphernalia unless you want your bathroom to scare the good lady once and for all. But when you go grab the necessities, refrain from making a nice gesture and buying feminine products pointedly. When you inform your girlfriends that you have some women’s products handy, it can make them wonder why you stock such things – is it because you often entertain women? Or can it be that you already have a steady girlfriend who keeps some of her things in your place? Not the ideas you would want to put into her head, are they? So let her take care of her stuff, but make it as hygienic for her as you possibly can.

Smells, smells

When you live with some smell for a long time you get accustomed to it and cease to detect it. But for other people who weren’t exposed to it, though, it is generally very noticeable. Do you have smells? Food gets bad? The laundry exudes the smell of your sweat? Whatever – it is no way to welcome a woman in your place.

You can play on the safe side, consequently, by making use of air freshener, joss sticks, or simply candles to give the air a special touch. Coming on top of a good housecleaning it will be just perfect.

If the small is rather pervading, the trick is to smother it and not to cover it up. So, if you do it in a lazy way by going over the place with your cologne bottle, you can come off with a heavy combination of different smells that will produce a sickening impression.

Traces and pictures of previous women in your life

There is a photo of you together with your ex-girlfriend near your computer? That’s nice, but hardly helpful now. Then, a girlfriend you separated with left behind a couple of bottles and things, a pack of tampons? There is a razor in your bathroom that clearly belonged to a woman? Now is the time for you to chuck it all out (and stuff the photographs somewhere out of sight). Are you cherishing serious intentions towards the woman who is going to come over? Then, there’s nothing more important than not pushing your past in her face.

Observing that you keep old photos in the places where you can see them often looks like you want to hold on to your memories still; keeping a girl’s belongings that you don’t really need makes you seem to be a queer person. As the girl figures this your chances of a stable long-term relationship drop off dramatically.

CDs with your and you ex’s favorite songs… Declarations of love on restaurant menus, postcards or hotel booklets… Photos with you together holding hands when walking along a beach… That was wonderful, but it’s time you decided whether you want to move on or stick with your past. Your new flame will sense wherein your interests lie, if not at once, then after a while, and you will have to face a showdown. You’ve got to lose either your past or your future, that’s basically what this is about.