Guestbooks are a tradition that dates back centuries. They began appearing in grand homes and castles in the seventeenth century to keep a record of a place’s social history.
Having the names of famous or well-regarded people in your family’s guestbook was a way of showing off your social status.
Nowadays, guestbooks no longer serve a practical purpose.
After all, an Instagram story showing your night out is a more effective way to publicize who you hang out with than any book you keep in your home could ever be.
That said, house guestbooks are still a wonderful way to record who has visited your home.
If you’re staying with a friend who has a guestbook, make an effort to write a meaningful personal message in it!
30 great messages to write in a house guestbook
- Thank you for your wonderful hospitality. We’ve loved visiting you in your beautiful home and can’t wait to come back.
- Harry and John were here on Memorial Day weekend 2023. We spent our days lounging in the garden and taking walks on the local beaches. We loved spending time with you two and will especially remember our sunset barbecue dinners.
- A wonderful weekend. Fantastic company and a stunning home. Thank you so much! Love, Sarah
- This place is food for the soul! You’ve created a beautiful home. I can’t wait to come visit you again.
- Your home is an oasis! Thank you for hosting me and for giving me such a relaxing experience.
- Gerard and Sally enjoyed a beautiful few nights here in April 2022. That’s when things got weird…
- Thank you for welcoming us with open arms and making us feel at home right away. We won’t forget this wonderful week—and we especially won’t forget David’s incredible cooking.
- A perfect home—made even better by the company of our excellent hosts.
- Wishing you good health, good fortune, and happiness in your new home!
- Congratulations on your beautiful home. May it be a little piece of paradise.
- You got the keys!!! And your home is absolutely gorgeous. I can’t wait to come and mess it up when we celebrate this incredible life achievement properly 😉
- This house is so YOU. Everything about it feels like it was designed specifically with you in mind, and it makes me so happy to see you settled somewhere so beautiful.
- You’ve worked so hard for this moment and I’m so happy for you. Congratulations on your beautiful new home.
- So…which bedroom is for me? Just kidding. So proud of you and thrilled to see you settled in your new home.
- YOU DID IT!! Now, put your feet up (it’s your house, you can do what you want!!) and relax.
- Congratulations, homeowner! I award you 5 adulting points.
- Beautiful home. Shame about the owners.
- Three stars. My main complaint is that the hosts were far too generous with the wine. They should learn to be more restrained—my head hurts.
- John Vernon blessed this home with his presence on 10 April 2024.
- Gerard Newman was here, December 2023. (You might want to keep that autograph—it’ll be worth a pretty penny when I get my big break.)
- Our stay in this beautiful vacation home was a dream. The local food was so fresh, the views from the nearby mountains were stunning, and the house had everything we could ever have wished for. Thank you so much!
- Carrie and Seamus from Northampton spent our fall vacation here in October 2022. The house offered us the perfect respite from the outside world, and we loved making the fire every evening.
- Henry and Lisa would like to thank James and Alina for giving us the run of their wonderful beach house for a week in July 2022. We had an incredible time exploring the dunes and sitting out in the sun. You have created a beautiful little retreat here—and your taste is impeccable.
- We fell in love with this holiday cottage during our time here. It is the perfect combination of a rustic aesthetic with modern convenience. We will certainly be back! James and Janine
- “Home is the nicest word there is.” – Laura Ingalls Wilder
- “Home is where you feel at home and are treated well.” – The Dalai Lama
- “Peace—that was the other name for home.” – Kathleen Norris
- “The house shelters day-dreaming, the house protects the dreamer, the house allows one to dream in peace.” – Gaston Bachelard
- “Love begins at home.” – Mother Teresa
- “A little happy house is the strongest castle in this whole universe!” – Mehmet Murat Ildan
There are few things as lovely as a beautiful and well-cared-for home.
If you’re visiting someone’s house and notice a guestbook, make sure you take the time to write a message to your hosts.
People who have a visitors’ book in their house are usually enthusiastic and generous hosts.
They like keeping a record of all the people they have welcomed under their roof.
If you can tell that your hosts have put careful thought into every detail of the house, you should compliment them on their home.
You can reference specific rooms that you like, or you can use your message to thank them for their excellent company and hospitality.
If you’re looking for inspiration for what to write in a guestbook, check out this comprehensive list of sample visitors’ book inscriptions.
1. Thank you for your wonderful hospitality. We’ve loved visiting you in your beautiful home and can’t wait to come back.
This is a friendly (but still formal) message to write in a house guestbook.
This inscription would be perfect if, for example, you and your partner went to visit relatives or family friends.
It thanks your hosts for their hospitality, compliments their home, and expresses a desire to return.
2. Harry and John were here on Memorial Day weekend 2023. We spent our days lounging in the garden and taking walks on the local beaches. We loved spending time with you two and will especially remember our sunset barbecue dinners.
Because a guestbook is basically a logbook for the history of a house, stating your names and when you visited is an important part of your entry.
You can either include it in the beginning of your message or sign off your inscription with your name(s) and the date.
If you’d like to start your entry by stating who you are, this sample message offers a nice way to go about it.
3. A wonderful weekend. Fantastic company and a stunning home. Thank you so much! Love, Sarah
Thanking your hosts for the time you’ve spent in their house is always a nice thing to do in a guestbook inscription.
Hosting isn’t easy! Providing your guests with the comforts they need, good food, and a welcoming, clean space takes effort.
Showing appreciation for the lengths your hosts have gone to to provide you with a good experience is a nice way to repay their generosity.
4. This place is food for the soul! You’ve created a beautiful home. I can’t wait to come visit you again.
Some homes stand out among the rest. What makes a house feel like a calm, safe haven?
It’s often difficult to put your finger on why someone’s home is so special.
Whether it’s the carefully chosen décor, the smell, the light, or even just the energy in the space, let your hosts know that you think they have an exceptional home.
The most specific you are about why you like it, the better.
Particularly if the place you’re staying is a family home that belonged to a loved one your friend has recently lost, complimenting the house will mean a lot.
5. Your home is an oasis! Thank you for hosting me and for giving me such a relaxing experience.
Have you ever gone to stay with friends because you needed a break from your normal life? Having people that you can lean on in times of difficulty is a wonderful thing.
If you’re writing an entry in a house guestbook for a place that you’ve stayed in to relax, acknowledge how restorative your experience was.
6. Gerard and Sally enjoyed a beautiful few nights here in April 2022. That’s when things got weird…
If you are a writer and need something to write about when you are bored, you can think of your entry in a house guestbook as composing a very short story of your visit.
Giving the time and place at the beginning of your story provides your reader with the necessary background.
Then, let your imagination run wild! Your short story will surely entertain future guestbook inscribers. And if nothing else, it’ll be a change from the monotony of names and dates.
7. Thank you for welcoming us with open arms and making us feel at home right away. We won’t forget this wonderful week—and we especially won’t forget David’s incredible cooking.
When someone opens their doors to you and invites you to make yourself at home, it is nice to acknowledge how good they’ve been to you.
Hosting is an important part of many cultures, and many people take pride in their ability to create a welcoming space for their guests.
Acknowledging how well someone has done this when you write in their guest book will make their efforts feel worthwhile.
If there is something that stood out about your time there—whether that is the food, the views, or even the comforters—note it down in the guestbook.
People always love a positive review.
8. A perfect home—made even better by the company of our excellent hosts.
This would make a great inscription for a guestbook in a wide variety of situations.
It is formal enough to use when staying with acquaintances, but enthusiastic enough to use when staying with your best friends.
Great things to write in a guestbook at a housewarming
Some people choose to get their guestbook off the ground from the first time they host an event in their home.
In fact, if you’re ever planning a housewarming party, buying a guestbook to pass around is a lovely way to remember the people who helped you christen your new house.
The first night in a new home is a big deal! Buying a property is no easy feat.
The first time that new homeowners open their doors up to their nearest and dearest is a memory that will stay with them forever.
Are you going to a housewarming party and suspect that your hosts might want to document their special first evening by getting their guests to inscribe a visitors’ book?
Have a look at these sample messages to write in a guestbook at a housewarming so that you’re ready the moment someone passes you a pen.
9. Wishing you good health, good fortune, and happiness in your new home!
This is a classic housewarming message.
Wishing someone good health and good fortune is a way of expressing that you have only positive hopes for them and are rooting for them to have a bright future.
When someone has just moved into a new home, a message like this one is a way of sending them good karma. It lets them know that you hope they find happiness during the period of their life they spend within those four walls.
10. Congratulations on your beautiful home. May it be a little piece of paradise.
Home should be a place where one can go to relax completely.
Telling someone you hope their new house becomes a piece of paradise (or a shelter from the storm) lets them know that you hope they feel safe and comfortable there.
Congratulating them on the accomplishment of having secured and moved into their new home is also a customary thing to do at a housewarming.
11. You got the keys!!! And your home is absolutely gorgeous. I can’t wait to come and mess it up when we celebrate this incredible life achievement properly 😉
Beware! This is a very informal message to inscribe a guestbook with. That said, it is the perfect message to write in your bestie’s housewarming book.
If you know that the two of you will spend many a night sipping sparkling drinks at her brand-new kitchen table, you can inscribe this familiar message in her guestbook.
Much like writing an anniversary card for friends, writing an inscription in friends’ visitors’ books doesn’t have to follow formal convention.
You’re close enough, after all!
And if you’d text them “What’s good?” on any given day, you don’t need to stand on ceremony just because you’re suddenly writing something down on paper.
12. This house is so YOU. Everything about it feels like it was designed specifically with you in mind, and it makes me so happy to see you settled somewhere so beautiful.
If you are at a housewarming and feel like the place is absolutely perfect for the person moving in, you can express this in their guestbook.
It’s often difficult to describe what makes a space and person compatible.
We all know the feeling of walking through an open house and feeling “the ick.” And equally, we know the feeling of attending a property showing and being completely infatuated by the place.
What is the special quality that draws us to a potential home?
Well, it’s different for everyone.
If you can tell that your friend has found their space and are sure it must really speak to them, this is a wonderful message to write in their guestbook.
Not only does it show an attention to detail, but it also proves how well you know them and how much you care about them.
13. You’ve worked so hard for this moment and I’m so happy for you. Congratulations on your beautiful new home.
The time and effort involved in buying property should not be underestimated.
And even after a mortgage has been agreed and the house has been signed over, there’s so much to do!
Think of all the furniture and practical house accessories that need to be bought and moved in, and all the cleaning and clearing that needs to be done.
By the time someone is ready to invite people into their home, they’ve probably been working on “project new home” for months.
And that’s not even considering the years they’ve spent saving to be able to afford to invest in a suitable property.
For this reason, a new homeowner will love to read that you were thinking about the lengths they’ve gone to to get their new home. And being congratulated won’t go amiss either.
Funny things to write in a friend’s visitors’ books
If you’re staying with a close friend who keeps a visitors’ book, you might be tempted to write a funny message.
After all, there are only so many “….was here” messages that a person can read before they get bored.
Especially if you’re the type to make a scrapbook for your best friend, don’t be afraid to spice up a friend’s guestbook with a funny, personal message.
You can reference an inside joke, or you can poke fun at the concept of a guestbook.
Or, you can make fun of yourself.
Whatever route you go down, injecting a bit of humor into the pages of a friend’s visitors’ book will surely be appreciated when they flip through it.
14. So…which bedroom is for me? Just kidding. So proud of you and thrilled to see you settled in your new home.
This is a great, funny inscription. Whether you attend a housewarming or just go to see the place soon after your friend has move in, you can joke about which bedroom is yours.
Then, clarify that you’re kidding and tell them how proud you are that they’ve settled into their new place.
15. YOU DID IT!! Now, put your feet up (it’s your house, you can do what you want!!) and relax.
This is another cute message to write in a friend’s visitors’ book when they’ve just bought a new place.
This sample message jokes that because your friend is living in a house they’ve paid for, they can put their feet up wherever they want. It is a nice way to remind them of everything they’ve earned the right to do as a homeowner.
16. Congratulations, homeowner! I award you 5 adulting points.
“Are we adults already?” You might wonder as you walk through your childhood friend’s new house.
The answer is probably yes. But that doesn’t mean you have to be too serious.
I mean, when are you really an adult? And what does that even mean?
In any case, joking about awarding your friend adulting points for having moved into a new house is a lighthearted way to comment on how quickly time has passed.
17. Beautiful home. Shame about the owners.
This is a great way to poke fun at very close friends who have hosted you.
For maximum effect, don’t show them your entry and just wait for them to discover it at some point in the future.
Make sure you sign this so that they who to turn to and scold when they do eventually find it!
18. Three stars. My main complaint is that the hosts were far too generous with the wine. They should learn to be more restrained—my head hurts.
Treating your friend’s guestbook like a place to write online reviews will surely make them chuckle.
Jokingly complaining about how your sore head is your hosts’ fault is a good way to reference how much fun you all had together.
19. John Vernon blessed this home with his presence on 10 April 2024.
Replace “John Vernon” with your name and you have a ready-made funny inscription for a friend’s visitors’ book.
Joking that you have blessed their home with your presence will certainly elicit a chuckle when your friends read your entry.
20. Gerard Newman was here, December 2023. (You might want to keep that autograph—it’ll be worth a pretty penny when I get my big break.)
Referencing your future fame will definitely amuse your friends when they read through old visitors’ book entries.
They’ll enjoy the little joke in amongst all the serious entries.
Great notes to write in a vacation home guest book
If you stay at a beautiful vacation home that is straight off your Pinterest cottage core pinboard, you can express how much you liked your time there in the guestbook.
Whether you found the place on a booking site, through an agent, or it belongs to family friends, leave your name, impression, and thanks in the visitors’ book.
Including recommendations for future visitors also never goes amiss.
Was there a restaurant you think everyone who stays there should go to? Or is there a trick to getting the heater in the living room to work? The more detailed and different your inscription, the better.
21. Our stay in this beautiful vacation home was a dream. The local food was so fresh, the views from the nearby mountains were stunning, and the house had everything we could ever have wished for. Thank you so much!
This could double as an online review if you booked your holiday home on a website.
It also definitely makes a great inscription for a visitors’ book because it includes details about the best parts of your experience.
Mentioning sampling the local cuisine and wandering in the natural environment shows that you genuinely tried to soak up what the place you’re staying has to offer.
Complimenting the house itself for perfectly equipped is a nice touch. Then, thanking its owners for your stay is a polite way to finish your entry.
22. Carrie and Seamus from Northampton spent our fall vacation here in October 2022. The house offered us the perfect respite from the outside world, and we loved making the fire every evening.
Including your names, the date of your stay, and the place you are from are the three classic elements of a guestbook entry.
If you stay in a remote accommodation, you can describe the house as a place of respite.
As with any guestbook entry, try to reference at least one specific detail about your stay that you will remember.
23. Henry and Lisa would like to thank James and Alina for giving us the run of their wonderful beach house for a week in July 2022. We had an incredible time exploring the dunes and sitting out in the sun. You have created a beautiful little retreat here—and your taste is impeccable.
If you are writing in the visitors’ book at a friends’ place, you should try to show just how appreciative you are.
Describe what you spent your time doing so your friends can imagine you enjoying their space. If you went to a particularly good bar or did an especially beautiful walk, mention it in your message.
You should of course also compliment the house itself!
24. We fell in love with this holiday cottage during our time here. It is the perfect combination of a rustic aesthetic with modern convenience. We will certainly be back! James and Janine
Again, this guestbook entry would make a great review on an online house-sharing or renting platform.
But it would also look lovely in elegant handwriting on the aged pages of a real guestbook.
Saying you will be back and signing your names makes a good ending to your inscription.
Quotes to write in a house guest book
If you would rather borrow words than come up with your own, there is nothing wrong with that! There’s a reason why famous authors’ and speakers’ quotes live on—it’s because they express things that we can all relate to.
If you’d like to inscribe someone’s guestbook with a line from one of your favorite thinkers about the meaning of a home, go for it.
If you like the idea of writing a quote in a visitors’ book but nothing is coming to mind, check out this list of options.
25. “Home is the nicest word there is.” – Laura Ingalls Wilder
This is a sweet thing to write in a visitors’ book at a friend’s house.
They will particularly appreciate it if they are founding a family and creating a safe and loving space to introduce children to.
26. “Home is where you feel at home and are treated well.” – The Dalai Lama
If you know how much your host values sharing their home with others, this is a nice quote to inscribe in their guest book.
End your message by signing your name and writing down the date of your stay.
27. “Peace—that was the other name for home.” – Kathleen Norris
For people who grow up in a chaotic environment, there is often nothing more important than establishing an adult home that is a quiet, safe space.
If you know that your friend really values the peace that comes with their home, choose this quote to inscribe in their guestbook.
28. “The house shelters day-dreaming, the house protects the dreamer, the house allows one to dream in peace.” – Gaston Bachelard
This is a beautiful thing to write in the guestbook of an artist.
Do you have a friend who is a writer, a potter, a sculptor, or a painter? If so, you can write this quote about a house that is a safe space for dreaming in their visitors’ book.
29. “Love begins at home.” – Mother Teresa
If you visit a friend who is a stay-at-home parent, this quote will reaffirm the importance of their role.
Stay-at-home parents give so much of themselves to ensure that their children have a safe and loving home.
The role of the primary child-carer is often underappreciated.
Acknowledging how vital your friend’s contribution to society is in your visitors’ book inscription will make them feel seen.
30. “A little happy house is the strongest castle in this whole universe!” – Mehmet Murat Ildan
If your friend’s house is more cabin than mansion but still has everything you could possibly want, this is a lovely way to reassure them that size doesn’t matter.
If you love the atmosphere in your friend’s little nook, this makes a great guestbook inscription.