After you sign the papers, hire the movers and unload all of your boxes, it’s time for the house-warming. Your celebration doesn’t have to break the bank. After all, you just bought a new home. Add a few touches of personality here and there to make your home uniquely you. Here’s how to plan and prepare for the perfect house-warming.
Keep the guest list small
Sure, all of your friends and family will be dying to see your new place. But before you invite everyone and their plus-ones, figure out how many people your new home can comfortably hold. Since you’ve only just moved in, you may need to improvise when it comes to seating, or justify a standing-room-only approach.
(Not) fully-furnished
Although you may want to show off your home when, and only when, it’s decorated like the living spaces you’ve seen in magazines, this sort of thinking is not realistic. Your friends and family will be anxiously waiting to see your new home, don’t keep them waiting too long. By adding a few hints of your personal style, like accented walls, artwork and your existing furniture, you can throw together a stylish space in no time without feeling bad about possibly redecorating in the future as you accumulate more furnishings.
Table-setting
If you opt to have a small house-warming with only your closest friends and family, consider breaking in the kitchen and having a dinner party. Serve your dinner on a set of stylish tableware, like Z Gallerie’s Origami collection and choose napkins and cutlery to match. If you’re on a budget, check out Zazzle’s collection of disposable and customisable paper plates. Choose a dinner party theme and decorate with a vase or two of fresh-cut flowers. Use one vase or use multiple vases to create a statement all while making your new home feel welcoming. Be cautious, too much tablescape décor can quickly turn into a mistake if there’s no room for the food or refreshments.
To register or not to register
While house-warming registries do exist, they should be left for weddings and baby showers. It’s not wrong to ask for what you want, but it is bold and some may consider these types of registries tacky. If your guests do decide to bring gifts, accept them graciously. In most cases house-warming gifts are modest, like a bottle of wine for example. Whatever the gift, be sure to send a handwritten thank-you note to the gift giver after your house-warming.
The basics
It’s wise to wait until you’ve been in your space for a bit before hosting a house-warming, but sometimes the big move into a new, permanent home is just too exciting not to share with the rest of the world. If you really want to wow your guests in the days after you’ve just moved in, be sure that you’ve got everything unpacked and ready to use if you think you’ll need it. Be sure that your cloakroom is furnished with the proper toiletries, like hand towels and other personal items, and if you’re cooking for your house-warming be sure that you have all of your ingredients unpacked. Without preparation, your house-warming could turn into a nightmare.
