How the hell do you throw a housewarming party?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love parties and throw quiet a few! I hope I can help a bit.

1. I am renting. Can I still have a party?
Yes! Of course you can! Make sure you find out about parking for your guests beforehand and include this with the invite.

2. I'd like to have the party on a Saturday night. Is this ok or is another night better?
Saturday night is a wonderful night for a party. Friday is good too.

3. Do I serve dinner or heavy hors douveres?
I would serve cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and then dessert and coffee.
-For drinks it really depends on the size of the party and your guests. You could go all out with a bottle (or two) of white and red, an assortment of craft beer and either a special cocktail or you could set out liquor and mixers. And soft options for those choosing not to drink. For a housewarming party I think I'd do red/white wine and a soft option. Plan on guests having two drinks per hour.
-A cheese board is simple. Brie, blue and something of your choosing. I'd go with goat cheese rolled in herbs or nuts or you could do a smoked chedder or gouda. You can add fruit, sliced bread or crackers. You want three ounces of cheese per guest.
-For hors d'oeuvres plan on 12 pieces per guest. Make sure you have at least one hot and one cold option. To make sure you have enough the formula is 12 pieces per person times the number of people divided by the number of different hors d'oeurves. So if you have 4 options and 6 guests you'll want 18 servings of each hors d'oeuvres. (For reference if you are serving dinner at a party the formula is 6 pieces per guest times the number of people divided by the number of appetizers)
-For dessert I'd set out a cheesecake (always a crowd favorite) and some decaf coffee

4. I have never actually been to a housewarming party. Do I just give tours, serve food and mingle? Do I plan activities?
For a housewarming its basically serve food and mingle. No activities needed unless you are having children. If you are its a nice idea to set up a little space for them, even just a coffee table with some paper and crayons or a game or two. Its just a nice touch. And yes, show people around that is the point of a housewarming party!

5. Online invitations are good?
Yes they are. Ask that they RSVP and follow up if they don't respond so you don't over or under buy your supplies for the party. Also please don't say "No gifts" its actually considered rude (I know people have strong opinions one way or the other) Housewarming gifts are usually a bottle of wine or a plant or some simple kitchen gift like dish towels. People expect to take a host/ess gift to a housewarming.

Any advice is appreciated. Thank you?

I hope you have fun. Congrats on your new place. If I can be of any other help please just ask!

OP here. Wow! This is amazing advice! You are an amazing hostess and I know I'd have a blast at your parties! Thank you!!

You are so welcome. I am happy that I helped. Enjoy your party and your new place!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If also do wine and cheese- and paper invites. NOT some FB group. Yikes! And please don't offer to give "tours". So awkward.

So you don't show your home at a housewarming party? Maybe it could be a "stand in one room" party.
Do you ever rent yourself out as an ice statue?

Tour friends through bedrooms and bathrooms and whatnot? Of course I don't do this. So weird. And why would they have to stand in one room? When we entertain we use the entire downstairs, the deck, the finished basement. That called hosting. Walking your friends around on a tour of your home is simply awkward and not conducive to a fun party.

Many people give tours during a housewarming party. Apparently unlike yours, our bedrooms and bathrooms are thoroughly cleaned before a party. It's not hard to put your tampon box away and tuck your birth control pills in the night stand. Nothing awkward about the tours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If also do wine and cheese- and paper invites. NOT some FB group. Yikes! And please don't offer to give "tours". So awkward.

So you don't show your home at a housewarming party? Maybe it could be a "stand in one room" party.
Do you ever rent yourself out as an ice statue?

Tour friends through bedrooms and bathrooms and whatnot? Of course I don't do this. So weird. And why would they have to stand in one room? When we entertain we use the entire downstairs, the deck, the finished basement. That called hosting. Walking your friends around on a tour of your home is simply awkward and not conducive to a fun party.

Many people give tours during a housewarming party. Apparently unlike yours, our bedrooms and bathrooms are thoroughly cleaned before a party. It's not hard to put your tampon box away and tuck your birth control pills in the night stand. Nothing awkward about the tours.

Exactly!

It is not like you start a formal tour with POI stops. While mingling you ask our guest if they'd like to see the place and show them around. Guest will ask this of you as well. Because that is pretty much the point of a housewarming.

And no, you don't have to open up the bathroom cupboard and showcase your tampons.

[Anonymous]

You can throw a party if you are renting as long as it's not ALOT of people. You know a lot when you see it. And if you live in a home that has shared bathrooms/kitchen or any living spaces with an apartment/house mate, you should probably check with that person first before having a party. If you live alone, party away. And you know how loud your friends can be so I would keep it low after 10pm or at least let neighbors know you guys will be a bit loud. And lastly, people keep forgetting this. Please let people know about your parking situation. If there are more than assigned parking and very little open parking, let them know or they will be circling around for 30 min looking for a space.

If you are close with your supportive friends, than it should be easy to invite them. Make it friendly. By email or evite/whatever people use these days.
If money is not an issue, order catering to feed people with gourmet sandwiches. Or if you know your crowd likes pizza more than anything in the world, get pizza. no harm in that. If you know they hate pizza, don't bother.
If it's to many people, just do cheese, wine, snacks, desserts. Most importantly, have a good time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If also do wine and cheese- and paper invites. NOT some FB group. Yikes! And please don't offer to give "tours". So awkward.

So you don't show your home at a housewarming party? Maybe it could be a "stand in one room" party.
Do you ever rent yourself out as an ice statue?

Tour friends through bedrooms and bathrooms and whatnot? Of course I don't do this. So weird. And why would they have to stand in one room? When we entertain we use the entire downstairs, the deck, the finished basement. That called hosting. Walking your friends around on a tour of your home is simply awkward and not conducive to a fun party.

Please take your nastiness to another thread.

[Anonymous]

If I was invited to a housewarming party, I would (of course!) want a tour of the new place.
Isn't that the main reason for holding one?

If you rent, then yes you can still hold a proper housewarming. It isn't just for homeowners.
It may be tricky if you live in very close quarters to your neighbors.
If that is the case, let them know you are planning a get-together & even extend an invite to them as well!

Even if you request no gifts, do not be surprised at all if you still receive them.
That is part of the fun! Who wouldn't want to purchase something nice for your new place?!

And no, you don't have to plan any games or activities like people do for showers, but since it will be primarily your close friends than don't be surprised if someone busts out the Scrabble tiles!!