Hey, since you’ve arrived here, let us first say congratulations on your new home! That was one hell of a slog; of paperwork, stress, doubt and hope. You have successfully made the move, finished unpacking, rearranged the new furniture, looked after the interiors, and made things feel homely. Phew, breathe a sigh of relief and once you’ve done that, it’s finally time to celebrate.
Housewarming parties are a great way to take a break after the stress of moving and unpacking. Not to forget, they also provide an excellent opportunity to interact with your new neighbours. Traditionally, such parties are low-key affairs, with new homeowners not wanting red wine spilt on the carpet before they’ve even bedded in. But they can be as fancy as you want — after all, it’s your house and your party. With that in mind, here are 5 IDEAL tips for throwing an awesome house warming party.
WAIT A FEW WEEKS
You’ve just had the stress and expense of moving house, do you really want the stress of throwing a party for your nearest and dearest straight away? And the inevitable clean up both before and after the event? Sounds like a nightmare to us. Instead, wait until your house has warmed up a little, until you’ve settled in properly. Friends and relatives won’t want to see the house as a shell anyway, and when you’ve made the house your own with decorations and unique flourishes, it’ll be a more interesting prospect for a party. So, bide your time.
DON’T FORGET TO INVITE YOUR NEIGHBOURS
Yep, people can be forgotten, ignored or deliberately excluded when you’re drawing up a guestlist dependant on the size of your house. But a housewarming party presents a golden opportunity to get acquainted with your neighbours and cement bonds which could last decades. Having a close relationship with those living close to you can be incredibly useful; allies who’ll water your plants and feed your pets while you’re away, and lend a cup of sugar and piece of advice while you’re there and in need. At best, new lifelong friendships will be formed. And at the very least, you’ll establish a little tolerance of late night noise in the future.
CONSIDER A THEME
Sure, the overarching theme of celebrating your new house is already written and in stone. But once you’ve shown guests around, discussed your settling in process and had a little moan about the move, well, where does that leave you? A static, stale atmosphere if you don’t take the bash bulldog by the horns and guide it. A theme can create a fun, boisterous and immersive environment that can help people feel comfortable quicker; ideal when there’ll likely be guests from all walks of life attending.
So, pick a theme, and decide music and decorations accordingly. Consider getting props in for the event from companies like Spur Creative, who have a wide selection of high-quality props, sculptures and structures, if you really want to go all out. Alternatively, opt for something simple like a cheese and wine night. Just make sure you alert guests to the theme before they arrive.
DEEP CLEAN PRIOR TO THE PARTY
If you’ve just moved in and are still living out of your suitcase, or even if you’ve done your best to fill your wardrobe and pack out your cupboards, a little dust and debris is inevitable after the big move. So, once that dust has settled and before you host guests, consider hiring a professional cleaning service for a deep clean prior to the party. This will, of course, not only benefit the event itself, but will serve your house well for a good while after. Or, you could pull on those rubber gloves and do it yourself, should you have time. Check out our 5 IDEAL ways to take the hassle out of cleaning over here for some advice!
BE PREPARED FOR TOURS
Guests will undoubtedly want to examine every last nook and cranny of your home (it is a housewarming party, after all) and they will, of course, be expecting a tour. This may get repetitive since everyone will arrive at different times, and hence, you’ll have to be prepared to give a few tours. Make the experience interesting rather than going through the motions. Furnish them with anecdotes related to the move, the home decor and backstory intricate pieces of furniture. Doing so will inject personality and love into the event.