A home is first and foremost a place for you and your family, but it should also be an inviting and comfortable space for your friends and guests. If you’re in the market for a home, you may want to consider not only how well it will fulfill your family’s everyday needs but also how suitable it is for everything from small get-togethers to large parties. Here are five important features that make a home great for entertaining.

1. A welcoming entryway

First impressions matter. Your entryway provides just that as well as an important space for your guests to transition from outdoors to in (and vice versa) and for you to welcome them and bid them farewell. A nice-size entryway that allows for a bench or seating and a coat rack and includes a roomy coat closet is ideal.

2. Space for multiple seating areas

You may want all your guests together for intimate gatherings, but for anything larger, you need multiple spaces for guests to roam, mingle and spread out. Rooms that accommodate multiple pieces or sets of furniture will fulfill this need.

3. Flexible dining areas

A party is nothing without food, and you’ve got to have a place to serve and enjoy it. Dining rooms, kitchens, outdoor decks and patios and other spaces can all fit the bill. The ideal home for entertaining may have multiple such areas adjacent to each other. Built-in features, including breakfast bars, wet or dry bars and banquets, enhance the function of these spaces.

4. Good flow

Nearly just as important as your home’s spaces is the ease with which people can move between them. Homes with open layouts, multiple entrances to public rooms and even several staircases make it easy for guests to mingle, grab refreshments and otherwise move about as they please.

5. A powder room

Also known as a half bath, a powder room is a convenient feature that allows guests to freshen up or answer the call of nature without wandering too far from the party and into private areas of the home. As half baths are separate from a home’s primary bathrooms, they are easier to keep clean and free of personal articles and allow more freedom with décor. A good powder room is discreetly located in a hallway near the home’s entertaining spaces.

If you have the budget and the knowhow to bring together features like these in your home, you may truly become the host with the most in your social circle.