Simple But Often Overlooked Things When Having an Apartment-Warming Party
The hors d’oeuvres and drinks are all set out, the stereo system is loaded with your newly burned CD, and your guests are arriving. As the guests pile in, you begin to hear the same questions over and over again and a neighbor knocks on your door to ask you to keep the noise down. Then there comes the moment where you realize a few essential things you overlooked in the excitement of planning the party that would have made it run a little smoother. Look over this short list to make sure you are fully prepared to have a successful apartment-warming party. 
Make sure to check with your neighbors – or better yet, invite them over! If you want to start off on the right foot at your new dwelling place, it is essential to inform those around you that you are planning a housewarming party and that it may be a little loud. If they have a problem with this or seem on the fence, this will help you tailor your party to keep noise at a minimum. Perhaps choose a softer genre of music and keep the volume down or perhaps ix-naying the group videogames, as these have a tendency to get people fired up.
Clean and make your apartment “party ready” – How embarrassing for people to come over to find dirt on your floors and dirty dishes on the coffee table? Make sure you take the time to clean and prepare your apartment for guests! Something that I have found annoying at apartment parties is a lack of seating arrangements. Granted, an apartment is generally smaller so you won’t find two couches, a lazy boy, and an extended dining room table. If you find yourself limited in seating space, make sure to have another central gathering place people can stand and mingle (counter space with hors d’oeuvres and drinks is a great spot for this).
Don’t forget to give a tour – Even if you moved into a small, one bedroom apartment, it is courteous and essential to give a short tour of the new place. This gives you a chance to answer the questions people may ask you (such as “Where’s the bathroom?”) and show off any unique features you particularly like in your new apartment.
Remember and share – If you’re anything like me, you love reminiscing through photo albums/scrapbooks and laughing about old memories. Moving into a new place is an exciting event in one’s life and celebrating this with others often creates great memories. In order to remember things more clearly or be included in things you may have missed while in conversation, have disposable cameras (or a digital camera) available for your guests to take photographs of the party and things they find interesting. A guest book or signing poster is also a wonderful keepsake memory from your first party at your new apartment.
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