Why good houseguests don't actually 'make themselves at home'

With summer slowly winding down, many of you may be hoping to use the last of that sweet vacation time to get out of town and visit friends and family. But how do you ensure that your presence in someone else's home feels like a gift and not a burden?

For etiquette expert Elaine Swann , being a star houseguest isn't all that complicated.

Whether you're couch surfing at your college roommate's pad or taking the kids to stay at your aunt's house, being a considerate guest starts by simply respecting someone else's space — no matter how comfortable you may feel with them.

"You still want to have reverence for the fact that this is not really your home," Swann says.

Swann, who runs The Swann School of Protocol , an etiquette training program, answers tricky questions about staying