HouseWarming Party Ideas – to celebrate your new home!

Introduction

Every house where love abides
And friendship is a guest,
Is surely home, and home sweet home
For there the heart can rest.
~Henry Van Dyke

You have moved into your new house, or renovated your existing residence. What next?! Moving into a new home ranks amongst the most exciting events in life. It’s definitely an occasion to celebrate. After all the stress and hard work that goes behind moving into a new place and making it a home, you definitely need some compliments! So, go ahead welcome new neighbors, relatives and old friends to show your new home. Host a housewarming party…

How to organize a Housewarming

You can choose from keeping it sophisticated and elegant or casual depending on whether the guest list includes many of your relatives as well, or if it only a couple of friends coming over.

• Your invitations should have very good driving directions to your new home as many of your guests would be visiting your new home for the very first time.



• No one will expect a fully furnished and decorated house for this party. A few of your boxes might still be lying unpacked; a few windows might still be without curtains… all that is fine. But do try to keep the house sparkling clean for the party.
• Set up a table in a corner with assorted beverages including beer, wine, soda/cold drinks, fresh lime, tea/coffee and water. Keep glasses, stirrers, napkins, sugar and salt so that bar is well-laid for self-help.
• On another table, lay some delicious finger foods with dips, fruits, salads with plates, cutlery and napkins so that the guests can enjoy their stay and conversations more, with all the munching.
• Take out time to meet and greet each and every guest of yours.
• Take your guests in groups for a tour of your new house hinting on what spaces you intend to use for what. Listen carefully, if someone has a suggestion, coz’ you never know when you might get an excellent furnishing idea from a guest.
• Another way would be to hang or place some handwritten/printed notes in each section/room with a Name and Purpose for the space. Share an interesting story/detail associated with it also, if you want.
• Thank all the people who helped you through the shifting/renovating phases.
• Keep a Guestbook close to your main door and request your guests to leave their remarks and suggestions for your new home.

Dress up the House

• Flowers chosen in combination such as lilies and daisies or carnations and roses would be a great way to make the place blissful.
• Scented candles in various colours and shapes, kept at different places in the house, help create a wonderful ambiance.
• Keep the seating arrangement strategic so as to highlight the best locations of your house for eg. verandah, balcony, fireplace, etc.
• Make sure the tables are laid out neatly and have a floral centerpiece.
• Adjust lighting to create the perfect mood for party.
• Don’t forget your music playlist.

Dressing Up for Housewarming

If it is an elaborate event that you are planning with many relatives, the dress has to be ethnic (sari/lehnga/long dresses for the hostess and kurta/suit, or even a nice formal shirt with matching trousers n cufflinks for the host.

For a casual get-together with friends, a casual dress with nice earrings and rings for Her and jeans/capris with a nice T-shirt and dressy watch for Him are recommended.

Drinks and Food for Housewarming

Keep it simple. As you are just getting oriented with your new home, this is not a good time to exercise cooking skills. You’re going to be so busy greeting everyone and giving tours, a sit-down meal will be a bit difficult to manage unless you are planning to hire a caterer or order food for home-delivery.

If just a few friends and neighbours are coming over, then this is an ideal situation for casual, finger foods. Alternatively, it can be a pizza and pasta party also, where you order from Dominos or Pizza Hut.

Have a stack of disposable paper plates and glasses, so that no one has to clean and scrub the dishes after the party.

To kick off the celebration at your housewarming party, pop open a bottle of champagne and invite everyone to join you in a toast to your future parties together in the new house.

Housewarming Games

For a Housewarming party, games are not a must as everyone will be occupied exploring and discussing the new house. However, certain games might help your guests mingle with each other better while exploring the new house. Given here are unique housewarming game ideas that are sure to be loved by all your guests.

Treasure Hunt
Rotating Tour Guide
Collage of Dream Homes

More Games >>

Gift Ideas for Housewarming parties

Guests can choose from a wide-range of gifts to choose just the right one for their host(s).
A few housewarming gift ideas are:

• A laundry bag.
• Wind Chimes.
• Household accessories, like bed spreads, cushion covers, table covers, showpieces, etc.
• A fresh bouquet of flowers in a beautiful vase would serve two purposes: 1) an instant decoration for the housewarming party itself and 2) a vase to be used for years to come.
• A set of towels
• Plastic laundry basket filled with toiletries and cleaning agents would make a nice utility gift.

Click here for some more wonderful gift ideas to choose from!

It is always a good idea to give your guests a nice gift to take back from your party.
But since you must be quite tired and must’ve already spent a lot on your new home, you can keep a nice basket filled with good chocolates along with a note thanking your guests for coming, near your main entrance, so that the guests can help themselves when they are leaving.

Music / Songs for HouseWarming party

Music is the soul of the party. So have a good collection of songs appropriate to the theme, mood and age group of the guests. You can choose from romantic Ghazals to hard rock. Good music can completely change the tone of your party.

Indian Bollywood Music

• Top Indo-Rock Fusion tracks by Indian Ocean like Kandisa, Bandeh, Ma Rewa
• Music by Anoushka Shankar, Ravi Shankar
• Lounge Music like City Lounge (best lounge and chill out music)

Western Music

• Our House – Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
• Brand New House – Bobby Darin
• There’s Always Room At Our House – Guy Mitchell
• Our House – Madness
• What Is A Home Without Love? – Earl Scruggs

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