We all want our guests to “feel at home” whenever they come to visit, but some guests may take that line too seriously. Some guests may overstay their welcome, and make your home a lot like an extension of theirs. They complain about the food you serve, make a house out of your guest bedroom, and use up all the hot water in the shower. You'd like to turn them away, but you don't want to hear any bad rumors and backtalk from them when they leave. You don't have to put up with them and wear fake smiles when you have unwanted guests in your home. Here are some ways to turn them away without burning bridges along the way.

Tell Them Straight Up

The best way to get rid of unwanted guests is to tell them straight away that unless they conduct themselves appropriately, they're not welcome at your home. Tell them that while you enjoy their company, they're not welcome to stay at your home. It may sound difficult, but it's better than putting up with their irritating presence. Whenever you confront them, be frank but fair. Don't turn them away if they have just stepped into your home, or if they're inside your house while there's a raging storm outside. When you tell them straight up that you don't want them around, be clear and tactful. There's no use beating around the bush, especially if your guests are repeat offenders at annoying you and disrupting your home's peace and quiet. You may end up burning a few bridges with your visitors, or some of them may feel insulted or offended at your refusal. You can prevent some of the hard feelings from building up if you tell them off respectfully but frankly.

Visit Them

Sometimes guests stick around for too long because you don't spend the time and exert the effort to visit them yourself. You can cut the times a guest visits your home if you take the time and effort to pay them a visit at their own home. While you're there, you can set a good example on how a guest should conduct himself or herself properly. While you're expected to feel at home at someone else's house, you should be very prudent and respectful:

• Always say “Please” and “Thank you.” Whether it's for lowering the temperature of the air conditioner or passing the salt from across the table, it's important to be courteous.
• Make sure you compliment your host on the upkeep of the house and the food you're served. You may not personally like the color of the curtains or you may find dinner a bit too salty for your taste, but your hosts went through great lengths to prepare their home for your visit.
• Be appreciative of your host, and express your thanks for the warm welcome and stay at their place. Your nice habits may even rub off on them, and they wouldn't be so annoying or irritating next time.

Get Rid of Incentives

You may have unwanted visitors because they have every reason to visit you, and it's not just because they're sincere about it. Maybe you cook a perfect pot roast, or maybe you have a 52-inch flat-screen plasma TV. Maybe you have a spacious guest room that's way cooler and more well-appointed than theirs, so they overstay their welcome to get the best experience from your home. While you may feel complimented, you may have that ill feeling that you may even be insulted. Reverse psychology works if you want to get rid of the reason or the incentive why you have unwanted guests. You can try cooking up a really bad meal instead of your specialty roast, and say that you're experimenting with new ingredients and cooking methods. You can also tell your guests that your plasma-screen TV isn't working, but you did manage to snag an old black-and-white TV from the discount store. If you're really intent on getting rid of a persistent, unwanted guest, then you have to get rid of the reasons why they keep on visiting.

Put Your Foot Down

To many people, the worst unwanted guests are those who overstay their welcome. You may have a relative who got an eviction notice and promised to stay a couple of weeks until he or she can get a place to stay. Your unwanted guest may be a friend who got into a fight with his or her significant other, and promised to stay a couple of days until the fight blows over. Either way, he or she may end up staying at your place for months on end. While you would like to be helpful and nice for the troubles and problems of your guest, you can't put up with the unwelcome behavior for too long. Often you have no choice but put up with a few hurt feelings. Here are some ways you could use to deal with an unwanted guest:

• Lay some ground rules. If your friend will have to stay at your house, both of you should set rules that you both agree with. Your friend must also do his or her own fair share of housekeeping while he or she stays at your home.
• Let him or her foot some of the bills. Electricity, food, water, and other utilities do not come cheap. While you're willing to help out a friend in a time of need, it doesn't mean that he or she should remain a freeloader. Let your guest pay for some of the utilities he or she uses, like water, electricity and the phone.
• Set the limits. When your guest says that he or she will stay around for two days or two weeks, make sure that he or she stays within that time, and not beyond. You should set deadlines on when he or she gets a job, or when fights blow over so that he or she can go back to his or her own place.

Send Them Packing

The rule when you're getting rid of an unwanted house guest is simple: your house, your rules. There's a difference between making your guests feel at home, and your guests making your home their own. No matter how magnanimous and graceful you are, some unwanted guests will abuse your hospitality and demand so much from you as a host. Some guests can be so dense that they don't get the message at all. When this happens, the best solution is to send them packing. No one can blame you if you get irritated at your unwanted guests, especially if they start to pile up your utility bills, if your house becomes a mess, or if things start to go missing. If they still don't want to leave, or if they start spewing out threats, call the police and tell them that people have trespassed on your property. If your guests don't want to deal with you, they can think twice about dealing with the law. Patience may be a virtue, but not for overly persistent guests who take up much of your valuable time and energy. Getting rid of them is often the best way to show people that they're welcome at your home, as long as they behave themselves properly and respectfully.