The Hostingcore Trend Isn't for the Faint of Heart (or Deeply Introverted)

If there’s one lie every homebuyer tells themselves—and their Realtor—it’s this: “I need a big kitchen and an open floor plan for entertaining.” Over the past decade-plus covering all things home, it’s a complaint that designers, real estate agents and contractors have all brought up in interviews, citing that nobody throws dinner parties and get-togethers nearly as often as they imagine they will.

But maybe 2025 will be different, particularly after a year of belt-tightening, as rising menu prices (thanks, inflation) have inspired people to dine out less. Why go out to the club, when you can bring the club to you? Couple that with people’s desire to renovate rather than move (given the still-high mortgage rates nationwide), and it makes sense that the dinner party—and at-home parties in general—are making a comeback.

In fact, when Taskrabbit analyzed all of the requests for home services over the past year, they deemed “hostingcore” a growing trend. It’s not just a desire to host, Taskrabbit says—it’s a whole aesthetic, where every design decision centers around creating a warm, welcoming environment for everyone who crosses your doorway. They back this up by citing some of the major rises in requests they’ve seen over the past year: “Ask for help installing home bars” is up 46 percent, mini fridges is up 26 percent—with nine times as many requests mentioning “mocktail” as the year before, BTW—and overall, party-related tasks are up 40 percent. But that’s not all: Searches for help setting up sleeper sofas had risen a whopping 113 percent year over year.

It’s not about how frequently you host; it’s about being ready, should the moment arise.

Consideration is at the core of this, well, core. If you’re refreshing a room, you look at it from the aspect of making others feel at ease, “from making sure there’s somewhere for a last-minute guest to sleep to keeping the fridge stocked,” Taskrabbit shared in its analysis. You probably own all of Ina Garten’s cookbooks, with everything from runners to chargers on hand for every holiday (even President’s Day) and you’d ten-out-of-ten prefer a floral arranging class to a spin class any day of the week. For you, it’s not about how frequently you host; it’s about being ready, should the moment arise. You find comfort in having a space that feels welcoming; ready to celebrate life’s moments, no matter how big or small.

That’s a beautiful thing! That’s something I strive for in my day-to-day life. And yet, as someone who just hosted a Hello Kitty/glitter slime birthday party for 15 five- and six-year-olds and their parents at home, I can say: Hostingcore, as appealing as it is, isn’t for the faint of heart—or deeply introverted. When I tallied the amount I spent on food, decorations and prep, it easily went well over what it’d cost to host a slime party at the local craft store (albeit they had a 10-kid max, and after seeing how chaotic things get with small children and slime, perhaps for good reason).

That’s not to mention how much thought goes into planning the cadence of the day, designing invites, collecting RSVPs—and, if you’re introverted like me, wondering what the most polite way is to get people to leave when the fun and games have wrapped, and you’d really like to just collapse on the couch.