Planning
Make a guest list. You should start keeping a guest list before you start working on the invitation. Be sure you include any friends, family, and coworkers that you would like to invite into your new home. Limit the guest list to the number of guests appropriate for the amount of space you have available. If you have a small space, consider hosting 2-3 smaller parties rather than one big one. Remember that more people lead to a more expensive party; if your budget is tight, try limiting the guest list.
Choose a date. It is good to have people to your home soon after you move in, but not too soon. You should have time to unpack, decorate, and clean most of the house. Planning a party 2-3 weeks after you move in can give you enough time to prepare and unpack, but will give you an added incentive to get yourself settled.
Send invitations. Invitations should be sent at least 2 weeks ahead of time for most parties. Shorter notice can be given if the party is more casual/informal. Use social media or an electronic invitation service if you want to send electronic invites and cut down on party-related expenses. For a more formal gathering, consider sending paper invitations. Be sure to include the date, start time, and end time on your invitation. Request an RSVP so that you can plan for food and drinks appropriately.
Plan the food for your party. Most house-warming parties feature finger foods that people can munch on as they are mingling, seeing your new house, and drinking. Consider the time of your party when planning for food. If your party takes place at a common mealtime, guests may expect to be fed. For example, a party that takes place from 4-9 should probably provide a full meal for dinner. Consider what types of food the people attending would enjoy eating: for example, if one is a vegetarian, don't prepare a meat-heavy selection. Be realistic about how much time you will have to prepare food. If you won’t have much prep time or if you have a limited budget, try keeping your food options simpler. A few easy party foods are: fresh fruits and vegetables with dips, cheese and cracker trays, chips or breads with savory dips, rolled deli meats, meats wrapped around other items such as vegetables or fruits, sandwich trays, and meatballs. If you provide a hot meal for your guests, consider preparing in and serving from a slow cooker, so you do not have to do much cooking after your guests have arrived. Be sure you have adequate plates, bowls, serving utensils, and eating utensils prior to your guests’ arrival.
Consider catered food if your budget allows. You can take some of the pressure off of your party planning by hiring a professional to cook the food for you. Just be sure you know how to serve the food properly and make arrangements to pick up the food or have it delivered on the day of your party.
Decide what drinks you will serve. Check your guest list and decide what kinds of drinks to provide based on the preferences of your guests. If you plan to serve alcohol, be sure to also have a few nonalcoholic options available. If serving alcohol, provide a variety of options, such as both red and white wine and two or three kinds of beer. Consider making a specialty punch for the occasion. Many guests like trying new things, and a homemade punch (with or without alcohol) is often popular at parties. Be sure to have clean water available for guests, either in a filtered pitcher or in water bottles.
Preparing Your Home
Unpack your boxes. Be sure your home is ready for people to see it. If you do not have time to unpack every box, at least try to unpack the main areas that party guests will be in: your kitchen, dining room, living room, and guest bathroom. Hide any unpacked boxes in closets or stack them discreetly in a corner. Be aware that at a housewarming party, guests will likely want to look at every room in your house, so even the rooms that aren’t “finished” should look neat.
Decorate your home. Even though people understand that your home may not be 100% perfect when they come over, you should make an effort to have some décor hung. Completely bare walls often make a home look unwelcoming, so hanging pictures or décor can make the difference between an unfinished and a polished look for your new home. Be practical when decorating your home. If you have several small children attending your party, you may not want to put breakable knick-knacks at low heights. Be sure that furniture and wall hangings are secured properly so that no guests are injured in your new home. EXPERT TIP Stefanie Chu-Leong Stefanie Chu-Leong Owner & Senior Event Planner, Stellify Events Stefanie Chu-Leong is the Owner and Senior Event Planner for Stellify Events, an event management business based in the San Francisco Bay Area and California Central Valley. Stefanie has over 15 years of event planning experience and specializes in large-scale events and special occasions. She has a BA in Marketing from San Francisco State University. Stefanie Chu-Leong Stefanie Chu-Leong Owner & Senior Event Planner, Stellify Events Put a shoe rack in the entryway if you don't want guests to wear shoes indoors. Without a shoe rack, guests will be left to organize their shoes themselves, which can lead to a messy pile. If you put up a nice shoe rack, your entryway will look organized and clean.
Provide some finishing touches. A few well-placed candles, a stocked powder room, and some quality music playing can make all the difference in your guests’ perception of your new home. Be sure to provide plenty of toilet paper, tissues, and a hand towel or two in each restroom.
Make yourself presentable. While people will be looking mostly at your home, it’s important that when you host a party, you look nice yourself too. Dress in comfortable but flattering clothing. If you’re cooking, you may want to wear an apron to protect your clothing from food stains.
Secure pets in a safe place. While some pets are great around people, sometimes large groups of new people can be stressful for pets. Consider shutting your pet in a room (with food and fresh water) when guests begin to arrive. This can help keep your home cleaner, avoid problems with guests who have phobias or allergies, and will likely make your pet more comfortable.
Interacting with Guests
Greet each guest who arrives yourself. Though you may have a lot to do, it’s nice to greet and welcome each arriving guest into your home yourself, rather than having another guest let them in. This is their first impression of your new home, and greeting them yourself sets the best tone for the party.
Offer each guest a drink. When each guest arrives, offer him a drink. Give an overview of the options and offer to pour a drink for him. If he declines initially, show him where the drinks are and encourage him to help himself whenever he is ready.
Offer guests a tour of your home. You may want to wait until a small group has arrived so that you don’t have to give as many individual tours. Guests love to see all of the rooms of your new home, including closets and pantries. If you have any unfinished rooms, ask guests if they have any suggestions for how to use or organize the space. This will take the focus off of the fact that you’re not unpacked yet and give guests an opportunity to feel helpful. Feel free to tell guests that they cannot go into certain rooms. It is your home, after all, and you do not have to show everyone every room in the house.
Put the finger food out on tables. You may want to put all the food out at once, but you can also put food out in waves. You could start with 2 or 3 food trays, then add to them or provide new things as the evening progresses. Encourage your guests to eat and ask them about any dietary restrictions or allergies as you direct them towards the different food options. Consider keeping the food and drink areas separate to avoid crowding. Providing two or more locations for food can also prevent crowding.
Mingle with everyone. Try not to spend too much time with any one party guest, but circulate around and speak with everyone. Be sure all your guests know each other, and if you are introducing two people who have never met, try to point out something that you think they may have in common.
Accept compliments about your new home graciously. Remember that people may have different styles and visions for homes, and that some of your guests may not have the privilege of owning a nice home. Always be gracious and be genuinely grateful that your guests have come to see and celebrate your new home with you.
Serve dinner when you feel the time is right. If you plan to serve a sit-down meal, try to serve it at the appropriate time. Most of your guests should have arrived, but no one should have been there long enough that they feel ready to leave.
Serve coffee and dessert. Towards the end of the night, consider serving your guests coffee and dessert (if you did not have dessert trays out already). This will be a signal to your guests that the party is winding down, and providing coffee before guests drive home is a nice way to help keep them safe. Be sure to thank guests for coming before they leave. If any guests aren't getting the hint that it's time to go home, try a light-hearted phrase like "You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here!" or "I'm headed to bed, clean dishes go in the cabinet above the sink!" Reader Poll: We asked 196 wikiHow readers who’ve had to kick someone out, and 52% felt that you should evaluate the situation and the person before using humor to ease the tension. [Take Poll]
Following Up
Clean your house. Sometimes conscientious party guests will help you clean up before they leave, but if they do not, you may have a rather large mess on your hands after the party. Try to clean at least one room before you go to bed, and clean the rest of the house the next day.
Write thank you notes. You might want to thank any guest who attended your party, but you should definitely send a note to anyone who brought you a housewarming gift. Mailed notes are more formal, but even an email note shows a personal touch. Be sure to thank them for any gifts and explain how/when you plan to use the gift. Mention a specific moment from the party that you found particularly funny or touching to make the note more personal. Make a suggestion for getting together again in the future to show that you enjoy the person’s company.
Enjoy your new home. One of the nice things about hosting a housewarming party is basking in the glow of the idea that everyone loved your new home. Take some time to enjoy the moment, and enjoy your new home. Remember that this party is going to be just one of many memories that will take place in the home.
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