Advertisement

Buying your first home is a big deal, and if you’ve got a friend who’s just done it, you want to make sure you’re as eager as they are to celebrate! Despite the excitement, homeownership comes with stress—the stress of closing, packing, moving and unpacking—so anything you can give to help alleviate that is an awesome idea. Here are some great housewarming gifts that celebrate this big accomplishment while helping them enjoy it to the fullest.

  1. A Personalized Doormat—Surprise the new homeowners with a personalized doormat to greet guests. This housewarming staple lets everyone know that they’re at the right house while also adding a pop of style and personality to the front porch. And, let’s be honest, the porch is definitely the last place we think of decorating when we first move in.
  2. A Basket of Cleaning Supplies—As wasteful as it is, a lot of us would rather toss out those half-used bottles of cleaning supplies and start anew when moving into a new home. But more than that, we look at the move as an opportunity to replace all our gross mops, cloths and cleaning gloves with fresh sets. Enter the DIY cleaning supplies gift basket! You might even consider throwing in some toilet paper, candles, paper towels and laundry detergent for good measure!
  3. Personalized Address Labels—Your recipient will be totally delighted to receive their very own personalized address labels. These really come in handy when moving because they can be used to update friends and family on the new address, especially when stuck onto envelopes containing invites to the housewarming party!
  4. A Gift Card to a Nearby Bar or Restaurant—If the new homeowners have relocated from afar (even if afar is just across town), make sure they feel like immediate locals with a gift card to the hottest bar, restaurant or coffee shop in the ‘hood. Ask around to find the best of the best and then choose something you know the recipient will love.
  5. Kitchen Organization Essentials—A new home often comes with all sorts of resolutions, one of them being to finally organize the kitchen—and all its many junk drawers—and to keep it that way forever. To encourage your home-owning pal to keep things neat and orderly long past the move-in honeymoon phase, equip them with items that help keep the kitchen totally organized. Think: lazy Susans, drawer organizers, canisters and pantry risers (or, for an easier option, a gift card to The Container Store).
  6. A Personalized Wall Hanging—Don’t be surprised if the walls in your recipient’s first home stay blank for a while. It takes years to accumulate pieces of wall-worthy art, and with all the new furniture, rugs and paint, it can be hard to remember to invest in quality décor. Giving the gift of a personalized home sign will warm the place up while adding a personalized flair to any room in the house.
  7. A Handmade Wreath—Nothing is quite as thoughtful and sweet as something you made yourself. Head on over to the craft store and grab some faux greenery, flowers and twigs, because it’s easier than you might think to make your own wreath. Add in a decorative initial or some other personalized element to ensure that it feels tailored to your recipient.
  8. A Complete Toolbox—Going from renting to owning means more freedom, but it also means no landlord. To ensure that they’re set up for success in homeownership, give them a beginner’s toolbox containing essentials required for everyday household snafus. Be sure it contains a hammer, screwdrivers, tape measure, pliers and a level. If they’re slightly more advanced on the handiness scale, a drill is a must-have for new homeowners.
  9. A ‘Home Essentials’ Gift Basket—One of the best parts about moving to a new place is starting fresh, but it also means you need to stock up on lots of basics to get off on the right foot. Take the guesswork out of supplying the utility closet by surprising them with a gift basket filled with batteries, light bulbs, tape, a fly swatter, a flashlight, a power strip and basically anything else you can think of that might come in handy.
  10. A Kitchen Utensils Gift Basket—We love gift baskets. Can you tell? Another awesome way to bundle is to throw in some high-quality kitchen utensils into a canister or vase to create a super-cute, super-practical kitchen utensil gift basket. A set of spoons, a spatula and tongs are all you need to get the first-timer acquainted with the kitchen, but there are tons of ways you can go to tailor it to their experience level and sense of style.
  11. Coasters—Coasters are a sign that you’re a grown-up and that you actually care about your furniture, so they’re perfect for anyone transitioning from crash pad to permanent residence. They’re also ideal for anyone who plans to entertain a lot or who has set up an extensive home bar.
  12. A Wine Gift Basket—Got a home-owning wine aficionado on your list? Create a clever house-themed wine gift basket featuring a bottle of celebratory champagne (of course) plus designated bottles for all the most important household firsts—the first leak, the first visitor, the first dinner party and the first night sleeping there. Add in a couple of nice, new wine glasses and you’ve got yourself a top-notch present.

c3 12 Practical Gifts to Give First-Time Homeowners

Bonus: A Pineapple

Love to keep things traditional? Don’t forget the housewarming pineapple! According to legend, imperial travelers to the Caribbean found that islanders who had fruit hung at the front door were welcoming to strangers. This spiky, tropical fruit has since been seen as a universal symbol of hospitality. Pair a pineapple with any of the above gifts for an awesome way to set the new owner up for success.

Categorized in: