Meet The Neighbours: How To Throw The Perfect Housewarming
There are few moments in life more exciting than having the keys to your new home in your hand, turning them in the door and stepping through the threshold of your brand new home for the first time. Once the furniture is moved in, you’ve explored your new area and popped the celebratory champagne, many minds will turn to opening the door to friends and family.
Housewarming parties are ideal for showing off your new home to your nearest and dearest, but they’re also a great opportunity to engage in your new community and get to know your neighbours a little better. Throughout the years, we have seen an increasing number of news stories highlighting that British people no longer know their neighbours, with many considering them strangers – so much so that last year a former Downing Street advisor launched a campaign, ‘Nextdoor’, to tackle this.
Whether you decide to throw one big party with family, friends and neighbours all together or host a completely separate party just for neighbours to relax and mingle, we’ve pulled together our top tips for throwing the perfect housewarming:
Spring Clean
It’s the right time of year the annual spruce up of your home, and throwing a housewarming is the perfect excuse to don your marigolds and do a spring clean – the last thing you want to be worrying about when your guests arrive is dust or stains!
Save The Date
The next thing to think of is how you’re going to invite your new neighbour guests – are you going to send out paper invites, or knock on doors and invite people in person? We’d recommend a combination of both – your new neighbours will feel far more comfortable coming to your housewarming when they have met you first, however briefly, and a paper invite will help them to remember the details.
Set The Mood
Nothing sets the scene for your party better than candles – they give a warm and inviting glow for an evening party, and welcoming aroma for your arriving guests no matter what time of day. Check out our blog on matching a signature scent to your home style for inspiration.
Choose Your Menu
‘A party without cake is just a meeting!’ This famous phrase from Julia Child perfectly sums up the need for good food to get a party started. Be sure to stagger your party food; lay out nibbles such as nuts, crisps and crudités before your guests arrive, and aim to buy canapés that cook at the same temperature to make life easier. Of course, if you’d like to try making your own, check put these great recipes for sausage roll twists, Spanish tapas skewers or hot and spicy wings.
Fridge Logistics
As well as keeping your party nibbles fresh until serving, remember that you will need plenty of fridge space reserved for drinks for thirsty guests! If you’re struggling for room to keep all of your wine, beer and soft drinks cool, a simple coolbox should help, or you could even DIY with a bucket full of iced cubes and water just outside in the garden.
Mingle to the Max
Remember that some of your neighbours may be meeting each other for the first time as well as meeting you! With this in mind, make sure to take time to talk to each guest and learn more about their own home and story, and try to introduce guests who may have something in common. Soon you’ll have a thriving community of new friends!
If you’re thinking about throwing a housewarming, these tips should make sure the party runs smoothly – enabling you to have more time to spend with your guests. We’d love to see photos of you meeting your new Miller neighbours, send your housewarming photos to us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for a re-post!