Date Posted: 2012-07-12 08:07:54
Site Posted: Myproperty.ph
For people who are living alone or those who don’t need much space at the moment, living in an apartment or condo for rent is a great option. On the other hand, while this is a great arrangement because of its perks, one of its downsides is that the small area and living in close proximity to neighbors might make entertaining guests quite tricky.
Don’t despair, though, as there are ways around these issues; all you need is a bit of neighborly consideration and a lot of resourcefulness. Here are some suggestions on how to handle having a lot of people in your unit, as well as how to deal with the rest of the people living in the building.
The landlord and the neighbors:
· Days before your party, make sure that you inform your landlord and neighbors about it so they won’t be surprised by the sudden onslaught of guests and the noise. This doesn’t give you the license to party like there’s no tomorrow, though, so be considerate of your noise levels and how long you plan on making the party last.
· Talk to the landlord about parking options. If the condo or apartment has a lot of extra parking spaces, ask if you can use them during the party. Chances are they’ll come with a fee if he agrees to let your guests park there, so find out how much you’ll have to pay to use them for a few hours.
· Aside from the landlord, be sure to let security personnel know that you’re having guests over so your guests can come in without having to endure a full body search or a background check. If you can, make a list of the people who are coming and give them to the guards so they’ll know who to expect.
The guests:
· If the condo or apartment complex doesn’t have too many available parking slots, ask your guests to park along the street, but make sure that they do it properly; you don’t want to keep being called down because your guests’ vehicles are obstructing traffic. Better yet, ask guests to carpool so there are fewer parking issues to deal with.
· Rearrange your furniture to open up more floor space for mingling. Push your furniture up against the wall so guests can still sit on them, but put things like coffee tables and foot rests somewhere else. If you’re expecting a lot of people, be sure to put away breakables like vases and figurines; even in a roomful of adults, accidents can happen, so it’s better to be safe. Another note: red wine and white carpet don’t mix, so remember to roll up carpets and rugs and tuck them away in the meantime.
· In a small apartment or condo unit, it’s hard to have a sit-down dinner for 20 people, so opt for finger food. This way, people don’t feel forced to sit at a table to eat while hitting each other’s elbows; they can grab food once in a while and drift somewhere else to eat.
· If there are children coming over, pick a room in the house where they can stay, such as your bedroom. Having an area that’s strictly for the little ones will ensure that they’ll have as much fun as their parents, and will also ensure that they’ll have a place to crash should they get tired as the party winds down.
To make things easier for the building’s residents, try having your gatherings during lunch time; this will ensure that your party (and the noise that comes with it) will not continue well into the wee hours of the morning, and will promise you neighbors a good night’s sleep. Also, entertaining only a small group of guests at a time instead of inviting them all over on a single day will guarantee that you won’t have to deal with having a mosh pit in your unit.
Jillian Cariola, Writer
(cover image by Ania Healy)
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