While moving can be pretty stressful and unpacking a lot of goods is not the most fun, it’s nice to settle into a new place you like and enjoy a period of “nesting.”
To celebrate your new abode and get to know some of the people living in the area, if you choose, you might like to hold an awesome housewarming party. Here are some tips for creating a low-stress event.
Give Yourself Enough Time to Get Settled First
Firstly, as much as you might be incredibly excited to welcome people to your new home, don’t stress yourself out by planning your housewarming too soon after you move. Instead, give yourself enough time to unpack, find a place for everything, get a feel for your new abode, and know where things are in your area. This will ensure you’re able to feel more comfortable and relaxed during the party, which will make your guests feel more welcome, in turn.
It’s usually best to wait at least a few weeks after your move-in day to have your party, but this is dependent on how much stuff you have and how long it will likely take you to get settled. Think about what works for you and your specific needs.
Invite Your Guests and Provide Decent Notice
Next, remember that all your guests need to have as much notice as possible, too, so don’t leave invites until the last minute. Everyone is busy these days, and many people may have to get babysitters, rearrange their schedules, or make other provisions to attend your party. The more notice you can give people then, the better.
It pays to send out casual “save the date” invitations, text messages, or emails ASAP to give people more warning of the date and approximate time of day of the party before you have all the details sorted out. Plus, when considering your guest list, keeping things reasonably intimate and focusing on your closest friends and family is nice.
However, you might also invite some of your new neighbors. Your housewarming party can provide an excellent opportunity to meet or get to know the people in your building or on your street.
Set a Budget
As with any event, it’s wise to set yourself a budget for how much you will spend on the occasion. The sooner you do this, the quicker and easier it will be for you to plan out different event elements. Once you know how much you feel comfortable outlaying on your party, you can work back from there and allocate parts of the budget to different aspects of the event, such as food, drinks, entertainment, decorations, etc.
Then, when you choose things for these aspects of your party, your budget will guide you on the best choices, and you won’t be inclined to go overboard on your spending and regret the costs later.
Serve Easy Food and Drink
Another tip for throwing a housewarming party is not to try and go too formal or fancy with the food and drinks you serve. Unless you plan on having the event catered (which may be an option, depending on your budget), it’s wise to opt for menu items that are easy to prepare, cook, and serve.
For instance, you could offer bite-size foods that will be okay at room temperature, dishes you can prepare the day before, pre-made grazing platters, pre-cut fruit, cookies and other snacks, and more. Plus, don’t forget to load up on ice for people’s drinks and consider asking a few close family members or friends to bring extra ice chests or cooler boxes, etc., for guests to stow their drinks in if you’re asking people to bring their own and are expecting significant attendee numbers.
Plus, you may like to serve food on good quality paper plates so they look decent but, better yet, can be thrown out or recycled afterward to minimize the required cleanup. After unpacking your whole home recently, you’ll likely not want to spend a lot of time washing dishes after your party!
Set Up Some Fun Entertainment
Lastly, don’t forget to set up some good entertainment for your event, especially if you know that many of the guests attending don’t know each other. For instance, you might like to arrange some games for people to play to break the ice, such as a trivia game or a mini scavenger hunt that relates to your new home or suburb.
Also, set the atmosphere with music by creating your own or using a pre-designed Spotify playlist. If your budget is quite big, you could potentially bring in an entertainer such as a music or comedian act, or if you’re living in a home with a big backyard or on a property, go all out by arranging for a fireworks display with roman candles, cakes, mortars, rockets, etc. This can be an excellent opportunity to wow people and create an event they won’t forget in a hurry.
Complete your housewarming by offering guests a guided tour of your new abode. Then, be sure to send thank you notes or messages out later to those who came to help you feel welcome in your new place and new neighborhood.
