At the peak of summer, it can be hard to find the perfect spot for all your friends to gather. What if there was a place where you chose your own playlist, created your very own cocktails and didn’t have to talk over the chatter of other revellers? This place can exist, much closer to home than you may already imagine. Hosting your own summer BBQ, at home, can be a great alternative to meeting your friends in an overcrowded beer garden. And although the BBQ itself is always crucially important, there’s a number of further key factors that still need to be taken into consideration.
Audio and visual technology specialists AVonics recently conducted a survey into the common dislikes we share on nights out. With crowds, temperature and music volume all high on people’s lists of annoyances, there are a few common gripes that you may wish to be aware of before beginning to plan your great summer soiree.
Make sure there’s space for everyone
Anyone who’s watched Project X will know that house parties can get out of hand very quickly. You might not be a rebellious teen reveller, but news between family members and friends travels fast. Sooner or later your original guest list turns into 5 families, 2 dogs, countless children and half of your co-workers too.
Overcrowding is found to be the number one issue on nights out, so make sure that your night doesn’t fall foul of this problem. This isn’t just something that your elders complain about, just under half of the survey respondents chose this answer and every age group rated it as their biggest peeve.
The right temperature
Somewhat surprisingly, room temperature provided a big problem for many survey respondents aged between 18 and 24. Over 20% of them noted this as an annoyance, making it the second biggest issue in their age category.
Since you can’t always rely on the British weather to co-operate, your BBQ could fall victim to this issue. Make sure that you’ve got adequate patio heaters for those that insist on venturing outside and plenty of open windows if the sun does decide to make a welcome appearance.
Don’t upset the neighbours
We often think that inviting the neighbours gives us a free pass when it comes to noise and family members taking up all the parking available on the street. Make sure your neighbours are aware of the BBQ and take them into consideration. If they have young children, host the gathering earlier on in the day and be respectful.
Volume control
It’s not just the neighbours that may find your choice of music a little distasteful, your guests might not be too keen on your record collection either. To avoid such issues, find out exactly what your guests would like to hear on the playlist and get them to add their own songs. You could even set up an online playlist for guest to contribute towards in the week leading up to your event, ensuring that everyone gets their favourite song played.
However, just make sure it isn’t too loud. 13% of survey respondents find inappropriate music levels a general party annoyance, and the 35-44 age category were twice as likely as other age groups to make this remark.
Taking these simple steps into consideration, you’re now ready to satisfy your guests with a great, memorable summer party within the comfort of your own home.