Booking a therapist to your home removes the drive, the parking and the waiting room. It also puts one small job on you that a spa would normally handle: getting the space ready. It takes about five minutes, and doing it properly is the difference between a good treatment and a slightly awkward one.

How much space is actually needed

A professional massage table is roughly 190cm long and 70cm wide. Your therapist needs to walk around it, so the working figure is about two metres by two metres of clear floor. That is smaller than most people assume. A cleared living room floor, the space at the foot of a bed, or a spare room all work.

A couples booking is the exception. Two tables and two therapists need closer to four metres by three, which usually means a living room rather than a bedroom.

Thai massage is different again. It is performed on a floor mat rather than a table, so you need clear floor rather than clear space around furniture.

Pick the room before your therapist arrives

Deciding this in advance saves the first five minutes of your appointment. Think about which room is quietest, which has light you can dim, and which you can close a door on. Bedrooms tend to win on all three.

If you live with other people, tell them the appointment is happening. Being interrupted halfway through is the most common reason guests say they could not fully relax.

Temperature matters more than you think

You will be lying still, mostly uncovered, for an hour. Air conditioning that feels comfortable when you are moving around will feel cold when you are not. Set the room a couple of degrees warmer than usual before the therapist arrives, and let them know if you get cold partway through.

What you do not need to provide

Your therapist brings the table, fresh linens used for you and nobody else, and premium organic oils. You do not need to supply towels, sheets, oil, music or anything else. If you would prefer your own product for any reason, mention it when you book.

There is one exception. If you have booked a body scrub, you will need a shower available, because rinsing is part of the treatment.

Say the awkward things when you book

Allergies, injuries, recent surgery, pregnancy, medication and skin conditions all change what your therapist should and should not do. None of it is awkward to them and all of it is useful. Some treatments are not suitable in certain circumstances, and it is far better to know that before someone is standing in your hallway.

The same applies to pressure. If you want firm work, say so at the start rather than enduring an hour of something too light.

What happens afterwards

Do not plan anything demanding straight after. The hour following a treatment is part of the treatment, and it is the part people usually waste by rushing back into their day. Drink water, and give yourself a few minutes before standing up.

This is also the single biggest advantage of a home visit. When the therapist packs up and leaves, you are already exactly where you want to be.

A short checklist

  • Clear two metres by two metres of floor, or four by three for a couples booking
  • Choose the room and tell the household
  • Warm the room slightly
  • Have a shower available if you booked a body scrub
  • Mention allergies, injuries, pregnancy or medication when you book
  • Leave the hour afterwards free

That is genuinely all of it. Everything else arrives with your therapist.