Need some advice to satify new neighbours?

[aarenace]

Hi. We just moved to our new home and I am planning to arrange a house warming party. Any tips to make it entertaining and to please new neighbors?

Depends on what you mean by 'entertaining' and 'please the neighbours'!

Do you mean you are considering the noise of the party and how the neighbours may object- or do you mean you want tips' a la Pippa' on party planning and food? And how to keep the neighbours if they are guests, happy?

If you mean the noise factor then I'd say that you have to warn them in advance you are having a party and take note of the law about excessive noise after 12am.

Are you attached or a detached house?

Invite them-then they can't complain. Be warned though, if I am your neighbour I will come and be the last to leave!

1. Set areas of the house which you will use for the party.

1. Decide a theme about what to wear, what to eat, music, etc. In your case it should be the most important part.

1. Invite your neighbours before they get angry. Simply place a small note at their door step informing about the new home party.

I hate it when new neighbours want a house warming party and invite you because "then you can't complain". If I have people over for a "party" I'm considerate enough not to play music loud/after midnight.

People think it gives you a right to disturb others, how do you know neighbours (any of them) don't a) work shifts b) have young children/young children staying that day/friends/parents staying c)haven't got other exhausting goings on in their life and would like peace and quiet.

There are so many bars/spaces available for gatherings, and there is definately no need to be loud after midnight, 1am at a push. I am in my twenties btw!

I think that by inviting neighbours it's a cop-out for considerate behaviour.
what if they hate parties?
what if they have had a run of sleepless nights or are ill and need sleep?

No party should disturb neighbours so they can't sleep once you and they are no longer students.

When we had our daughters birthday party we struck up a deal with the local pub - we sent all the neighbours a letter saying we would be having this party outside and given the age group ( teenagers) they're may be more noise than we'd like - but that the local pub would knock 10% off their food and drinks bill if they spent the evening in there ! We finished the party at closing time and everyone seemed happy !

One of our neighbours had a party and they came round and knocked on all the neighbours doors and spoke to them in person to say that they were having a party and that it would be noisy - but to reassure us that it was a one-off and they wouldn't be having regular parties. They haven't had regular parties and I was fine with it knowing in advance it would happen and roughly when it would end.

Invite your neighbours

Give lots of notice

Don't have too loud music. Use lots of smaller speakers than one big boom box.

Have a set time when the music stops, and keep to it. Let the nieghbours know what this time is.

Start the party earlier. If you start at 7 then people will be happier to leave before midnight.

I don't get house warming parties with boom boxes or extra loud base etc, I like to have some conservation with people and do not want to shout over music to do so.

I would give them a definate finish time as I find most people can deal with noise if they know when it will stop,, it's the not knowing how long you are going to have to put up with it which causes most resentment.

I've been to a couple of silent disco (like this www.flyingsound.co.uk/ - sorry not yet work out how to do clever links). Works quite well as you can take of your headphones to chat. It would obviously only be worth it if you have lots of people that want to dance. Still follow the advice above about having a finish time. A lot of noise is generated by leaving - cars, waving off doors slaming etc.

Give them your phone number or tell them to knock on the door if it disturbs them - explain you hope the noise won't travel over and you'll do your best to keep it down but you don't yet know how much it carries.

Agree about definite finish time and inviting them.

Don't let people congregate in the garden having a chat. No matter how reasonable the noise seems to them, to the people next door who are trying to sleep/ watch TV it is extremely annoying.