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When you move to a new Brandywine Home, it’s a good idea to take some time out for celebration. You’ve just made a life-altering decision for yourself and your family. What better way to celebrate it than by throwing a housewarming party? This is a good way to get to know your neighbors and to get together with friends and family whom you haven’t met in a while (probably because you’ve been so busy with the process of buying the home).

A lot of people tend to skip this because they think it will be too much work. You just spent all this time choosing and buying a home, and you’ve also had to put a lot of energy into moving. Do you really want to take the trouble of cooking and decorating just so you can have some guests over? Here are a few reasons why you might want to have a housewarming party and effortless, elegant ways to host one:

1. Meet Your Neighbors on Your Own Turf.
Not everyone is very sociable. You might feel a little weird about just approaching your neighbors when you see them on the street or in common areas. But if you invite them over to your home, you get to control the environment. You’ll be in a place that makes you feel safe and comfortable—a place where you can be yourself. This way, they’ll get to know the real you.

2. Throw a Party a Month After You Move In.
Often, people feel like they have to throw a housewarming party on the very day they move in. But you don’t really have to do this. You can throw a party a week after you move in or even a month. Take your time with unpacking everything, get comfortable and then invite your friends and family over.

3. Cook Your Favorite Dishes.
Everyone has a certain cooking repertoire. You must know what you’re best at making, whether it’s a dish of pasta, chicken or just plain old burgers and fries. It’s generally a good idea not to try something new on the day of the party. If you’re still not sure what to make, check out the housewarming party recipes at the Food Network or Martha Stewart.

4. Order.
Still feeling lazy about cooking for a housewarming party? Why not explore the restaurants and coffee shops in your area and order enough to feed everyone you invite? A couple of different types of sandwiches, a large salad and some pastries should be enough to satisfy everyone. Make a few margarita pitchers as well and you’re good to go. What’s housewarming without alcohol anyway!

5. Pot Luck.
According to Newlywed Survival, it’s even ok to have each of your guests bring something for the party, because everyone understands that you’ve been very busy moving and may not have had the time to cook for a bunch of people. In order to make sure that you get an equal amount of food and drink, you might want to ask your guests what they’re planning to bring. This way you won’t end up with a lot to eat but nothing to drink or vice versa.

6. Decorate.
It’s always nice to decorate a little bit for your housewarming party. Remember those birthday parties you used to have when you were a kid? You’d put up streamers and balloons and give everyone a party hat. Think of your housewarming party as a grown-up version of that. If you’re doing a daytime back yard party, accessorize it with a nice table cloth, real plates and cutlery, cloth napkins (or colorful paper ones) and bunches of flowers. If your party is going to be indoors and will continue into the evening, put scarves of different colors over your table lamps to create mood lighting. You can even light candles and stick them in empty wine bottles to create a picturesque look.

7. Have a Good Time.
Don’t get so caught up in decorating and preparing food that you forget to have a good time. The whole idea is to spend some quality time with friends and family. Walk around and ask your guests what they have been up to instead of merely forcing more food and drink on them. They’ll appreciate the fact that you’re actually interested in their lives rather than just their appetites!

Are you looking for a new home in Orange County, Long Beach or the Los Angeles metro area? Brandywine Homes is opening six new communities this year offering a combined 265 single-family homes and townhomes. Click here for more information.