The 10 Rules of Throwing a Housewarming Party

Christa Baxter
Sep 28, 2016
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Guests arriving for housewarming party

Follow these 10 simple rules to organize and host the perfect housewarming party for your friends and family.

#1: Timeline

Give yourself enough time to unpack and set your new home up before sending out invitations.

#2: Invitations

Depending on how formal or casual you want your housewarming to be, send out invitations (paper or digital are both great options) a week to two before the party.

#3: Speaking of invitations…

You will obviously invite your friends and family, but consider inviting your neighbors to stop by as well. It’s the perfect opportunity to get to know your neighbors and break the ice.

#4: Decorations

Keep your decorations simple. After all, your guests will be there to “ooh” and “ahh” at your new home, and decorations are just a plus.

#5: Food

Get creative here. Turn your party into a barbeque or dessert bar—or go with a classic snack sampler. Tailor your party’s food to fit your budget and taste buds.

#6: Drinks

Be considerate of your guests’ drinking needs. If you have guests who don’t drink alcohol, be sure to have non-alcoholic options available besides water.

#7: Gifts

Don’t, under any circumstances, ask friends to bring gifts to your housewarming party. Graciously accept gifts, but never expect them.

#8: Tours

A housewarming is the time to show off your new home, so be prepared to take friends on tours throughout the evening. Your friends don’t expect everything to be perfect, but prepping your home for a tour is recommended.

#9: Directions & Parking

Remind your guests of where they can park a day or two before the party. Also include directions to your new home over text message for easy GPS input.

#10: Thank you notes

You can hand out party favors to thank your friends for attending, but if any of your guests bring a housewarming gift, then go the extra mile and send out a thoughtful thank you note after the party.

Christa Baxter
Written by
Christa Baxter
Christa Baxter has worked as an editor for more than eight years and specialized in moving content for the last three. She leads the Move.org content team in producing whip-smart moving tips and recs. After relocating four times in the last calendar year, she’s got strong opinions about moving best practices. (Just don’t ever pull a Marie Kondo and suggest she whittle down her personal library.) She earned a BA and MA in English with a minor in editing.