Host a Housewarming Party on a Budget

Great news for future new home owners: it’s the perfect home buying season! Bad news for future new home owners: you’re about to spend a lot of money on a new home. While most prospective home buyers are expecting to spend quite a bit, it can still be a bit of a shock. So what about the other important things that cost money post-home buying? Like… a house warming party? You’ve got to show off your new digs! Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered with tips for each of the major party moments, from the invites to food and decorations.

1. Invites

Skip the fancy invites and use an easy time and cost saving option like Facebook or Email. It takes almost no time at all to create a Facebook event and invite friends. If you want something slightly more personal, there are tons of free evite sites that allow you to send personalized email invitations to friends and family. A couple options include evite.com and punchbowl.com.

While creating a guest list, remember to keep it limited. The more people you invite, the more money you’ll have to spend on food and drinks. You’ll also need to consider how many people can comfortably fit in your new space.

2. Decorations

Decorating for a party is always the best part! However, there really is no need to decorate for a housewarming party. Guests are there to see the house, so decorations would only take away from that.

If you do want to decorate a bit, start with the dollar store. They have super cute and very affordable party decorations, servings sets, and games. Another decorating hack would be to host your party around the holidays. Holiday decorations automatically add a new feel to a house!

3. Food & Drink

Now this is the expensive part! But, have no fear, we’re here to make it cheap, but classy. First of all, be sure to host your party at an “off” time. If it’s around lunch or dinner, people will expect those meals. If it’s in the afternoon or evening, finger foods are just fine. Set out some inexpensive snacks, chips and salsa, small hors devours, etc.

Another option is to host a dessert party. It’s just like it sounds: all desserts! Bake some cupcakes, cookies, and other sweet treats. Everyone loves desserts! Another option is finding a theme and creating a build your own bar. For example, get some giant bags of popcorn (hello Rural King!), a variety of candy and toppings, and have people make their own fancy popcorn treats.

As far as drinks go, you should definitely offer water and soda. Beer, wine, and mixed drinks are optional, but typically appreciated. There are a few budget friendly ways to serve all of your faves. First, go with the cheap stuff. Grab some inexpensive, but still delicious, wine (we recommend Aldi) and a couple cases of beer.

If you want mixed drinks, consider one large batch of a signature mixed drink like sangria. There’s always the option to tell guests its BYOB as well. Or, one last options, would be to turn it into a house warming and “stock the bar” party. With this option, you not only get off cheap when it comes to drinks, but you get to stock your new bar as well!

P.S. if you're wanting to throw a bomb housewarming party, but haven't been able to find your perfect new home, get ahold of us! Our mortgage team and may be able to get you pre-approved and hook you up with some pretty sweet financing options.