From birthday parties to holiday celebrations, a lot goes into planning and hosting a party. Between finding a cake, creating goody bags, and researching entertainers, there’s one step you could easily overlook: preparing your house, so it’s party-ready. From making sure your HVAC system is working correctly to upgrading your home’s energy efficiency, doing these regular maintenance tasks can prevent disaster, not just during the party but in the long run, too.
Walk around and create your list.
As a homeowner, you probably already have some idea of what needs to be done in your home. Still, it can be helpful to take a walk through the house and make notes of these tasks. After all, how many of us can genuinely trust our memories? As you do this, try to see your house as a visitor might. What stands out? For instance, maybe the air conditioner doesn’t seem to be cooling the home as well as it should be. You should call an HVAC professional to discuss repairing and replacing your HVAC system well before the big day. Is your kid’s party happening in the cooler months? It might be your furnace or other heating systems that are on the fritz. As a bonus, you’ll likely find that replacing or repairing an older system offers lower energy bills in the future, leaving more funds free for the party.
Determine how important each task is.
Suppose you’re hosting an outdoor kid birthday party in Long Island just before the weather takes a turn towards winter. In that case, it will be less critical for you to make repairs indoors. Instead, you might focus on the birthday party venue: your yard. When balloons decorate the property and a clown or princess is waiting to celebrate the birthday kid, what issues could cause a problem or detract from the fun? A purely cosmetic change inside won’t be quite as crucial as an outdoor update that could keep the party from being the best it can be.
Identify any opportunities to delegate.
As you set out to make these adjustments, consider taking some of the weight off your shoulders by involving friends, family members, or professionals in the work. Upgrading your HVAC system? Call in a qualified technician and avoid the added detriments of trying to DIY your repair. Need to decorate before your child’s party begins? Enlist your partner’s labor to get the job done while you work through the other tasks that must be completed ASAP.
Be okay with imperfection.
While you’re planning a party, you can’t expect to have every aspect run ideally, despite your best efforts. The same principle applies to any home maintenance you complete in preparation for the big day. Chances are, you’ll have more tasks at hand than you can reasonably complete in this timeframe, even with help. Moreover, those tasks you can work through might not be done as well or as thoroughly as you’d like them to be. Remember that this is okay and to be expected. Try as you might, few things go seamlessly, and a home party is no exception.
No matter the occasion, you want a party to be as close to perfect as humanly possible. So when you’re hosting such an affair at home, it’s all the more important to take precautions ahead of time—including any home maintenance tasks—to ensure the event goes off without a hitch. For some people, this may mean replacing your air conditioning with a newer model. For others, it might be as simple as upgrading your picnic table. In any case, you can create the party of your dreams (or of your child’s imaginings).
