We can’t get enough of socialising with our friends and family. Sometimes there’s nothing we like more than a good old-fashioned chin-wag with our loved ones. However, in recent years, we’ve tended to opt against heading away from our home comforts. In 2001, reports showed that just over half of the UK’s adults would prefer friends come over to their house to socialise rather than head to a pub or restaurant. By 2017, this figure had substantially risen to 75%. And with two pubs on average closing each day in Britain, the rise of home entertainment, audio visual systems, as well as home theater is clearly having an effect.
What’s so exciting about having people round though?
The price to pay
A lot of us welcome our friends into our homes because it saves on spending money elsewhere. The average cost of a three-course meal in the UK last year stood at £28.59, excluding drinks and gratuity. That means that, with the price of drinks hiked up in most restaurants, you could easily pay over £50 per head on your dinner date — and that’s not factoring in other expenses, such as taxis!
As well as all of this, your fridge and freezer can be stacked high with your favourite goods at a lower cost. Now that sounds better, doesn’t it?
It can be much more convenient
When you bump into an old friend, the same words always come out of our mouths: ‘let’s arrange something’. Organising a get-together can often be hard work and fall at the wayside. That’s where home parties come in handy. Unlike many bars, kids are allowed! This means less hassle in needing to find a babysitter if you have little ones as you can just bring them in tow. Great, eh?
If you’re planning a house gathering, it’s not a huge deal who hosts the affair. That way you continue your social circle without needing to spend too much.
You’ll get some praise!
Gaining the plaudits from our peers can be a real ego booster, no matter how much we deny it. Hosting a good party or gathering can hold you in high esteem within your family our social circle. After all, we all remember who used to hold the best house parties at school, don’t we?
With this in mind, what’s the best way to host a gathering?
Place for a BBQ
Everyone who buys their own home dreams of a place for a BBQ. If you visit any supermarket when the sun is shining, you’ll be met with a limited selection of sausages and burgers and empty beers, wines and spirits shelves. Those summer months and lighter late nights give us the perfect opportunity to bask in the fresh air and wine and dine outside. With so many barbecues to choose from, it’s simple — and cheap — to pull out the barbecue and cook a feast on the coals (or gas).
A great seating area
For the summer months, you’ll dream of having a great seating area where you can relax. While we love our lawns, we need a seated area to offer to our guests, especially if food is on the menu.
Often, we’ll opt to deck out an area of our garden – choose composite decking boards as a perfect, low-maintenance option. This allows you to have a designated area for guests to congregate, eat and drink and best of all, it doesn’t take much to clean up afterwards!
Considered a hot tub?
A new phenomenon for home owners. The hot tub is fast becoming a garden favourite in the UK. Despite the dramatic change in weather over the winter, hot tubs can actually be suitable for all-year-round entertaining. In Newcastle, sales were 600% higher in the first four months of 2018 than the whole of the previous year. With prices vastly varying depending on the model and size, the idea of relaxing in the comfort of your personal garden spa is clearly one that appeals.
What about a home bar?
Many have thought about adding a home bar to their garden. This addition is becoming increasingly more sought after in the UK to those who have enough spare space. While these can be professionally built huts, some are using their imagination and recycling materials to create a one-off garden bar out of caravans and summerhouses. Imagine being your own landlord and not needing to deal with kicking out time?
If you’re limited with space outside, you could always buy cheap optics for your kitchen to create the perfect pub atmosphere. After all, we all like to show off our gadgets, don’t we? An impressive alcohol selection will look all the better in a well-presented manner.
Got a dining room?
When the rain decides to fall, you’ll need to make room for a dining table. Some people prefer to eat their dinner in front of the television, and that’s fine. However, a nice dining table can come in extremely handy if you are entertaining guests. Whether it’s for a ‘Come Dine with Me’-effect, sit-down meal, or just to place your buffet snacks and drinks on while people chat away, a table could be a great purchase. Make sure you place it in a space that still allows you to freely navigate around it and doesn’t clutter your room.
