Themes

• Themes for housewarming parties are always optional (even if you are having your party close to Halloween). However, themes can help tie everything together, including thank-you gifts, invitations, games and food choices. Depending on the time of year, consider a luau, barbecue, masquerade or simply celebrate your new house with a group of close friends and family.
  
  

Invitations

• Invitations can be tricky. Not only are there so many designs to choose from, but when do you send them out, and will a simple phone call do? It all depends. According to Party411.com, the more formal the party, the more notice is needed. If you are having the event catered, ask the caterer when she will need a definite head count. Make sure to give your guests plenty of time to RSVP. Also, if you are inviting out-of-town guests, give them enough notice to make travel arrangements.
  
  If your family and friends are local and you're doing the cooking yourself, two weeks' notice should do the trick.
  
  On the invitations, consider if you want your guests to bring gifts. Party411.com suggests instead of writing "no gifts, please," to elegantly phrase it as "you presence is the only gift we desire."
  
  

Dinner Versus Hors d'oeuvres

• Depending on the amount of people coming to your house for your housewarming party, you may want to keep it simple, suggests Reasontoparty.com. "Everyone will be walking around your new house; you don't want the mess!"
  
  Some great finger foods suggested are tea sandwiches, fruit and veggie trays and stuffed mushrooms. You may also want to have bowls of pretzels, chips and other munchies available.
  
  If you would like to offer dinner, keep that simple, too. Have a crock pot of meatballs, a pre-baked lasagna or a catered meal. This way, you can enjoy your party as much as your guests.
  
  Remember to keep plates and napkins near every food item to avoid messes and so your guests aren't walking around your kitchen wide-eyed and searching.
  
  

Games

• Baby and wedding showers have typical games associated with them; however, there do not seem to be stereotypical games associated with housewarming parties. Whether your guests all know each other or not, once the food is put away and everyone's cup is topped off, divide into teams and play competitive teams by family versus friends or males versus females. Some great games include Cranium, Apples to Apples, Outburst, Pictionary and Scategories.
  
  Another option is to include a request on the invitation for everyone to bring their favorite game and go from there. Games will help forge a bond between you, your neighbors, your family and your friends. By the time everyone is ready to go home, they'll be asking when the next game night is!