If you've recently moved in to our humble Bothell abode, you've probably got a lot on your plate. But once things settle down, one of the best ways to integrate yourself into the community and "break in" your new apartment is by throwing a housewarming party.
After all, what good is your beautiful new Bailey Farm Apartment if you don't show it off to your friends and your new neighbors? (Hint: Your neighbors are invaluable resources for getting to know the building, community, and surrounding area. And they love wine.)
ApartmentGuides.com offered up some helpful tips for throwing a successful housewarming party. Here are some of our favorites:
Tip #1: Don’t do it right after you move in.
Getting your apartment in show-off shape takes time. You want your place to be organized, decorated nicely and above all else, clean. Although your friends will be dying to see your apartment right away, give yourself two or three weeks to unpack, settle in and get the place in tip-top shape.
Tip #2: Figure out how many people your apartment can comfortably hold.
If you live in a studio or a one-bedroom apartment, chances are you don’t have a ton of extra space. In this case, a small party will be much more fun for everyone, so limit your guest list to your closest friends only. On the other hand, if you’ve got plenty of extra space? Go nuts. Just make sure you’ve got lots of seating and remember to keep the noise level under contr
Tip #3: Use Facebook to invite people.
Yes, written invitations are super classy. But do you really want to go through the trouble of having them printed, mailing them out and waiting on responses? That takes time, not to mention money, and you can accomplish the same thing through Facebook’s event feature. Just create the event, be specific about the time and place, and invite the friends you want to be there. Don’t be afraid to lean on that one person who annoyingly responds “maybe” – you need to know how many people are coming, so get an accurate head count however you can.
Tip #4: Keep the refreshments simple.
Will your housewarming party include dinner for your guests? It doesn’t have to – if you start the party at 8 p.m., for instance, your guests will have eaten dinner before they arrive – but if you want to serve a meal, keep it simple. Grilling out is always a winner, and supplying burgers or hot dogs for a small group of people won’t be too hard on your wallet. If you’re not serving dinner, a simple spread of chips and dip, cookies or small hors d’oeuvres will do the trick.
Tip #5: Have an activity in mind.
At most parties, conversation is king. Let your guests mingle, chat and catch up with each other, and that’ll be great entertainment for the evening. But if the conversation starts to wane, have a group activity in mind as a backup plan. If your friends enjoy board games or parlor games such as Charades, you could have a tournament. If you’d rather play a new game, just Google “housewarming party games” and you’ll find all sorts of ways to entertain your guests. But remember: Don’t force people to play a game if they’re already having a good time. If your guests are entertained simply by each other’s company, your party will be an effortless success.
Click here to read the full article on ApartmentGuide.com!
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