Tips for the Perfect Housewarming Party

When the stress of your move is finally over, you can finally begin to enjoy your new home!  There’s no better way to get off to a good start than hosting a housewarming party.  Moving is a big accomplishment, you deserve to celebrate!

A housewarming party is the perfect opportunity to bring together new and old friends.  If you moved locally, those that are close to you will be excited to see your new house.  It’s a good chance to make new friends in the neighborhood.  A party is also a great way to thank the people who helped you through your move from your realtor, to the friend that helped you pack, to the neighbor who baby-sat your kids.

Recipes

To keep it simple and casual, put together a spread of finger foods and h’orderves.  This allows your guests to explore your new home as they snack.  Set up 3-4 small food stations around the house to keep your guests from congregating in one area.  Below are some easy and delicious recipes.  If you want an even simpler option, frozen and pre-made appetizers have gone gourmet at grocers like Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods.

Spinich, ricotta, & pesto mini pizzas
Antipasto platter
Sliders with chipotle mayo
Bourbon meatballs
Apple & brie puff pastries

Party Games

They may seem cheesy, but including an original party game or two into the mix can help break the ice and set your party apart.  Here’s some links to a few ideas:

The “Key in and win” game is pretty simple and original, just be sure to collect all the keys when you’re done!

People love trivia!  The “New town trivia” game can create some friendly competition.

Unpacking

You’re likely going to want to wait a few weeks or months after the move to host a party so you have time to settle in.  You can finish organizing your new home much quicker if you hire your movers for unpacking services.

Inspiration

Half the fun of party planning is the creative details!  We put together this Pinterest board to help inspire your housewarming plans.

Housewarming Pinterest Board

Changing Address Checklist

Change of Address Checklist

There are so many details to take care of when you’re moving.  One of those details is managing address changes for your mailings and services.  Below is a comprehensive change of address checklist to help you make sure you didn’t miss anyone.  Another tip: check out Updater.com.  This website offers an easy form for you to fill out, print out, and bring to your post office.

1. Friends & family  (Here are some cute ecards to help!)

2. Government & Public Offices  (For downloadable PDFs and direct links to change-of-address forms for important government agencies, click here.)

  • Post Office
  • Income Tax / IRS
  • Social Security
  • Vehicle Registration / Driving License
  • Re-register to vote
  • Family Support
  • Veteran Affairs
  • Pension Benefits
  • Unemployment Insurance
  • U.S. Customs and Immigration Services
  • Do Not Mail and Do Not Call National Programs

3. Utilities & Services

  • Telephone (Land line & mobile)
  • Television / Cable
  • Internet provider
  • Electric
  • Gas
  • Fuel
  • Water
  • Water Delivery / Treatment
  • Garbage
  • Sewer

4. Finances

  • Banks
  • Loan Institutions (Car, student, mortgage, home equity, personal loans, and more)
  • Credit Card Companies
  • Paypal
  • Insurance Agencies (Auto, home, medical, dental, disability, life)
  • Charge Accounts
  • Pension Plans
  • Accountant / Tax Consultant
  • Investment brokers (your IRA, financial adviser, or other investment managers)
  • Credit reporting agencies

5. Institutions & Providers

  • Employer
  • Your children’s schools
  • Daycare providers
  • Church
  • Attorney
  • Physicians / Doctors / Eye doctors / Veterinarian
  • Professional Memberships / Licensing Boards
  • Civic organizations
  • Kid’s activities
  • PTA, neighborhood association, other community groups
  • Health clubs
  • Social or country clubs
  • Alumni groups

6. Home Services

  • Pool Services
  • Lawn / Garden Services
  • Housecleaning Services
  • Pest control company
  • Delivery services

7. Periodicals

  • Newspapers
  • Magazines
  • Online delivery subscriptions & shipping addresses (i.e. Amazon.com, Netflix, Ebay)
  • Book and Music Clubs

Be sure to check out the Moving Tips & Resources section of our website for other ways to ensure a smooth moving experience!

When is the Delivery Date for My Interstate Move?

Wheaton Moving Partner Olympia Moving and StorageCoordinating the timing of deliveries for interstate moves is often the trickiest part of the relocation process.  Many moving newbies often imagine the truck and crew driving directly from their origin home to their new home.

When your moving consultant gives you the estimate for your interstate move, the delivery date will always be listed as a delivery spread.  The truck will arrive at your destination address between these dates.  Delivery spreads can range from 1 to 14 days for interstate moves.  This is standard practice across the industry.

Your moving company cannot guarantee a delivery date because there are almost always multiple customers’ shipments on each truck.   Moving would be much more expensive for both the customer and the moving company if a driver was bringing just one customer’s things from Virginia to California.  If a driver also picks up a customer going from Virginia to Arizona and another from Arkansas to New Mexico, the move is much more cost effective for everyone.

However, the timeline of moving can be unpredictable.  Between the day you book your move and your delivery day, the vanline could add more customers to your drivers’ itinerary, or the pick up or drop off of another customer’s items could take more time than expected.  Therefore, it is very difficult to know the exact day of the driver’s arrival in advance.

There are many factors that affect the length of your delivery spread, the most common being:

  • The distance between your old and new addresses (the more the miles, the longer the spread)
  • The time of year (delivery spreads tend to be longer and more unpredictable in the busy summer months)
  • The weight of your shipment (the more things you’re moving, the shorter the spread)

The driver will call you 1-2 days in advance to let you know the exact date of your delivery.  Meanwhile, your moving coordinator will do their best to keep you updated on the delivery date.   However, even the coordinator often does not know the exact day of delivery, even after the crew has picked everything up from your former home.

The best way to control your delivery date is by changing the date you can control:  the loading date.  If you change the loading date, the dates of the delivery spread will also change correspondingly.  However, it is not advised to change your loading date after you book your move.

It is also a good idea to remain flexible during the delivery spread dates so you are free to accept the delivery on any of those days.  If there are any days in the delivery spread that you will be unavailable to meet the movers for whatever reason, always make a back up plan at the time of booking for someone else to meet the truck on those days.

Click here to read more tips for interstate moving.