Housewarming 101
A housewarming is the celebration of a new home. Have you recently moved into a new home and are looking to host your first gathering? Perhaps you’ve been in your home for a while but have delayed this event due to remodeling, unpacking, or just the basic getting-things-in-order process. Or maybe the whole idea of a housewarming feels too stressful and overwhelming.
The fact is, a housewarming party can be a very simple and mostly stress-free gathering. You just need to have the right approach and mindset. No matter if it’s been 6 days in the new place, or 6 months, I encourage you to host a housewarming party!
Why Should I Throw a Housewarming Party?
I think the real question is why shouldn’t you throw a housewarming party? (long pause…) that’s right, I can’t think of one… single… reason. A housewarming party sets the initial groundwork for all of the future entertaining you will do in your new home!
Most importantly, a housewarming party helps you to connect to your house. What better way to make a new place feel homey than to fill it with the people you love? If you host a housewarming, your new house will be feeling like home in no time.
Wait, my House isn’t Ready!
There’s no need to wait until your home is finished or everything is perfectly in order to have a housewarming party. In fact, since people know you’ve recently moved, there is no better event to allow yourself to have a slightly unsettled home as this.
We all want our house to be pristine before hosting a gathering. But in reality, good friends will just be happy to share in the excitement of this new home with you. I guaranteed that if you let everyone know you are still settling in, but would love to have them over, your imperfect home won’t bother them in the least.
Give a Tour - Even if your Home isn’t Complete
What guest doesn’t appreciate a home tour? I know that I love seeing my friends’ new houses. I feel like I always leave their place inspired in some way. Plus, you are hosting a housewarming, so your guests are expecting to see your new home!
I know giving a home tour can be overwhelming if things are still a bit of a mess. Just think of it this way. When someone has given you a tour of their new home, were you walking around, critiquing everything? Or were you instead envisioning the potential of their home? More than likely you were sharing in the excitement of what your friend had planned for their new space. This should be the same case for those you invite over to your home. They are just there to share in the excitement. Mess or no mess.
Instead of focusing on the negatives of what still needs to be done, point out the plans you have to make the space into what you want it to be. Show them your home vision and paint a picture for them as you tour your home.
Benefits of an Unfinished House
Believe it or not, there can actually be a benefit to a housewarming that’s not house-ready. How is that, you ask? Well, it gives you the opportunity to recruit a little help from your guests. If you are struggling with how to organize a room or where to place that piece of furniture you love that doesn’t seem to fit, ask for their opinion. Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes in a new space is all we need. It could be the key to that last bit of home organization you were looking for!
What if I'm new to an Area?
A housewarming party is even more nerve-wracking when you don’t have your close friends and family to invite over. But that is no reason to hesitate to host one.
Housewarming parties are the very best events to host at your home when you are new to an area. This is a great time to invite over your neighbors and coworkers. This type of party is a wonderful opportunity to break the ice with new acquaintances.
For starters, the term “housewarming” explains in itself that you are new to the house, likely the neighborhood (if you are in one), and perhaps even the area itself. This is why a housewarming party is the perfect event to motivate you to meet new people and make new friends.
Invite your Neighbors
Go knock on some doors! Introduce yourself and let them know that you have recently moved in. Likely, they are already aware and noticed the giant U-Haul in your driveway. You can either extend a verbal invite or, better yet, print out a simple invitation beforehand. I believe that a physical invite is always best, since it serves as a reminder. If you want to go all out with that invitation, attach it to a small plate of homemade goodies.
Invite your Coworkers
When Daniel and I moved to Utah, we didn’t know anyone. After we got our townhome set up, I really wanted to host. The only thing was we didn’t have any friends yet. We decided to invite some of our coworkers that we got along with and it ended up being a great gathering. It not only helped us to socialize, but it was nice for our coworkers to interact with each other outside of the work environment.
Inviting coworkers can help to build even better working relationships. Hosting an event outside of the office allows people to relax and be themselves without the work hustle and bustle getting in the way.
A note about inviting coworkers. I would highly recommend either mixing some coworkers with people outside of work, or being sure you steer away from too much work talk. Some talk about work can be a good ice breaker to help everyone connect and talk about something they have in common.
On the other hand, no one wants to leave work just to talk about work all night at a party. This event you are hosting is meant to be an escape. So, if the office chatter goes on too long, be sure to take the conversation in another direction. You can easily do this by asking what everyone likes to do outside of work, or by breaking out a game to get their attention directed elsewhere.
Make it a Mixer
Bringing different groups of people together can be hard, especially when you don’t know many people and have no established friends in the area. You don’t even know how well everyone will get along. I have more on how to host a mixer here, but let’s summarize.
Have some games and ice breakers to play (there is a game section at the end of this post). Games are a great way for people to interact without having to think of what to say to someone new. A party activity provides a nice groundwork for interactions with new people.
Brainstorm some easy subjects to talk about during your housewarming party. Hobbies, places they have lived, how couples met each other, or what they love about the area, for example. This way you have some subjects in your back pocket for when the conversation has a lull.
Although it can be a bit awkward with all new people in your new home, I also feel that mixers with new people are wonderful. Since no one knows anything about each other, everything you’re learning is new. If you can make friends while helping others to meet new friends as well, then that makes for a very successful housewarming party.
What Should I Serve at my Housewarming Party?
Keep it simple when planning what to serve at your housewarming. Guests are here to enjoy welcoming you into your new home, and there is no need to add to the moving stress by making some elaborate meal. A cocktail and some snacks are all you really need.
It’s All About Timing
Do be aware of the time you are hosting your event. If you are having company over at a normal mealtime, like lunch or dinner, it’s a good idea to provide them with a full meal. If your party is situated between meals, you can get away with just serving some food for your guests to snack on.
Meals
If you are planning on making a meal, this is a great time to break out that crock pot or casserole dish. Make it all ahead of time and just throw it in the oven before guests arrive. These methods mean less work for you and it will help your new home smell amazing! (for other ways to make your home smell amazing before guests arrive, check out this post).
Appetizers
To keep your housewarming an easy event, serve a few finger foods to your guests. Think of snacks that are easy for them to put on a plate and walk around with. This is a social event after all. Things like crackers and cheese, chips and dip, or veggie trays are great and make for simple prep.
Drinks
A simple cocktail is always a good addition to any party. Make a batch of one of your favorites and serve it along with wine and beer. No need for hard alcohol here, just a few of the basics will do perfectly!
Having an alcohol-free option is always a good call, especially if you are inviting people over that you are not well acquainted. A lemonade, iced tea, or basic mocktail are all safe bets.
Housewarming Party Games
The last thing you want at any party is a lack of activities. While conversations among friends can take up an entire evening, likely you’ll have some time during your housewarming event where a well-placed game will help to keep the party going. Here are a few ideas to get your celebration rolling.
New Home Advice
Material needed:
Paper
Pens
Glass bowl or jar
Get some scraps of paper, pens, and a bowl. Ask each guest to write down a “new home tip” when they arrive or while they are enjoying cocktails and appetizers. This should be something they recommend to make a new place cozy, or a tip for home care. Perhaps a tradition they have for their home, or even remodeling advice. They can even give advice on what not to do. Let your guests make this as serious or as funny as they would like.
Once everyone has contributed their ideas, read them aloud to the group. Perhaps your guests will get a new idea for their home as well.
Home Memories
No supplies needed. Go around the room and ask everyone to share their favorite or funniest new home moment. Whether it’s the cute recollection of eating pizza on the floor while they were waiting for their furniture to be delivered (we have been there ourselves), or a home makeover mishap that was terrible in the moment but they happily laugh about now.
Home Trivia
Consider a cute housewarming game that matches music or movies with the word house or home in it. Have guests guess the name of the film, song, or artist. Let guests pair up to make it more fun.
If most of your guests do not know each other, this is the perfect time to have them pair up with someone new. If your party is large enough and consists of mostly couples, keep them together but have them pair with another couple.
Group Games
Traditional large group games are always a good go-to and great to have on hand for any party. Pictionary, Heads Up, Trivial Pursuit, there are so many out there… Our personal favorite is Taboo as it seems to be a good choice for any level of game player.
Just be sure to read the group, some people may not be super comfortable in front of new crowds. It’s always good to have both upbeat and low-key game options. Not everyone is comfortable acting out charades in front of total strangers.
That First Step
As you can see, you can have a lot of fun when hosting a housewarming party. It’s the perfect event where you can let your house be less-than-perfect. Whether you are inviting over old friends or using this as the perfect excuse to make new ones, a housewarming party is the first step in turning your house into a home.
