Getting your home ready for a party takes more than just setting out a few plastic cups and some snacks. If you're hosting a party in your new or current home, get your home party ready in a flash with these tips.
Outdoor parties
In the spring and summer, backyards become party-central for graduations, weddings, and cookouts. Make sure that your backyard is in top shape and ready for a party before your guests arrive.
- Fix your lawn - The first thing your guests will notice at your outdoor party will be the lawn. Take the necessary steps to make sure your lawn is lush and green.
- Prune your shrubs - Don't become a homeowner that neglects their shrubs. When they become overgrown, it can make your home look disheveled. If they're too overgrown, your home could border on abandoned.
- Add color with plants and flowers - Placing a few colorful flower pots around your patio can transform your backyard in an instant. And if they're potted plants, you can move them around time and time again with little effort.
- Clean your walkways - If you have a stone path leading to your front yard or around to your backyard, take some time to clean it. You can use a power washer (safely) or with a sturdy push-broom and soapy water, scrub the stones and bring them back to life.
- Create mood lighting - Lighting can make your backyard seem like a magical retreat. Votive candles add soft light, and torches filled with citronella around the seating areas will act as double duty.
Indoor parties
Hosting a party in your home can become stressful pretty quickly. You'll need to plan a menu, decide on activities, finalize decorations-- it can become overwhelming! Try these tips to easily tackle your next party at home.
- Music - Set the mood with music at the right volume. The right volume is 20 to 25 percent lower than normal conversation volume. Carry the stereo remote with you during the party and you can adjust it as the night goes on if you can't hear the person you're talking to.
- Scent - Smell is important in a home, but be wary of which scents you choose. Peppermint and orange scents increased overall enjoyment ratings in a study by Scientific American. Light a candle for an hour in the afternoon before the party and blow it out allowing the wax to cool. Twenty minutes before the guests arrive, relight the candle and allow it to burn the rest of the night.
- Temperature - As soon as your guests arrive, they will warm up your space. Cool your home down ahead of time and try to get and keep the thermostat around 70 degrees F. Remember that cooking, a fireplace and the number of guests you have will also play a factor in keeping the venue comfortable.
Larger parties
Preparing your home for a dinner party or a kids' birthday party can be difficult. But, think about planning a party on a larger scale - say you decide to host an entire wedding reception or graduation party, what do you need to know for a larger scale party at home? While not always simple or inexpensive, it's entirely possible to pull off a larger party in your home. Keep these things in mind when planning.
- Space - You need enough space to accommodate guests, waiters, cars, tables, etc. It can be easy to mistake overcrowded for cozy when planning a large party at home. Use this general rule of thumb: six to 10 square feet of floor space per guest.
- Vendors - You'll need to rent everything. Tables, chairs, linens, portable bathrooms -- you'll need to rent it all.
- Permits - Check with your city or town hall to find out if you need a special permit, about noise ordinances and parking. You don't want cops crashing your party.
- Bathrooms - Assume three bathroom trips per guest. Most septic tanks can't handle that so you'll need at least one bathroom per 35 guests. Don't worry, you won't have a yard filled with plastic "boxes." Many portable bathroom vendors offer different styles to choose from.
However you plan on celebrating in your home, make sure it's party ready for your guests with these tips.