Gifting for Housewarming
Table of Contents
Purpose
Someone we care about is moving! This is a huge time for people. It is a time of logistical stress, varying degrees of change, and potentially grief of what one is leaving, despite excitement for where one is heading. Depending on the move and your relationship, there are various thoughtful ways to provide a practical, useful, and touching gift.
My family has moved a lot in my life. Since college (15 years) I have lived in 12 different places, including 3 states, and 4 cities. I don’t say I’m an expert in much, but I’m confident I have more experience in moving around from rentals, to houses, to rentals, to houses than a lot of folks. When it comes to gifting, it’s something I’m pretty passionate about, and would love to share ideas on!
Gift Ideas
Kits
These are particularly useful for people moving somewhere for their first time, whether it’s a rental property or a home ownership. Everyone thinks they know what they need to live somewhere, but in reality, surprises pop up. One of the gift kits I still, to this very day, carry around some ~20 years later, is a mini sewing kit. It has saved my butt many-a-times.
You can buy things like this kit on Etsy, or you can put together your own, customizing it by location and move type. Some ideas:
Research their new location and buy them must-haves for acclimating. Maybe they’re moving somewhere cold after living somewhere warm, or the other way around, and need new attire to adjust.
For brand new homeowners, think of things that are staples in a household but are maybe not considered. Like the kit linked above, simple tools like hanging materials, hammers, and tape measurers are very helpful. But this might also be things like:
a membership to a local big-box store
a guide to their new neighborhood, which could be put together in most basic software or my favorite, Canva
items useful for entertaining, like funny napkins, coasters, or trays
coupons you might be hoarding (let’s be real - I’m specifically thinking of Bed Bath and Beyond coupons :)).
a guide to owning a home you make up based on your experiences (great other use for Canva!)
For first time out-on-their-own-ers, think of stuff that you wish you had early on in your time out on your own. In particular, kitchens, I feel, are difficult to stock as a young-adult. If there’s a kitchen item you use all of the time and think would be useful for your friend, see about adding that to your kit! Could be as small and simple as a garlic press (must-have, really…). Maybe it’s a set of your favorite, go-to recipes (great other use for Canva!)
For people moving out of town, consider getting them things to remember their current town by. For example, a staple food or piece of art. We lived in Pittsburgh for a number of years, and brought back with us a little sculpture of the city’s skyline. It’s nice to have something to trigger fond memories.
Use part of the gift as the main wrapping. This could be a pail (every homeowner needs a pail, even if they think they don’t!) or a storage container of some other sort. Get creative with the delivery just as much as you did the gift.
Gift Cards
While some people might feel gift cards aren’t “thoughtful”, I strongly disagree. By putting some thought into which kind of gift card to get, you’re really helping your friends. Trust me. Not only are they versatile, they’re easy to pack and move. They can be used to introduce your friend to their new home and they can help your friend transform their rental or house into something that is truly theirs.
Home improvement stores, of their convenience and choice! Ask them! Or Google their new address and find the one that is closest to them. We all know when you’re mid-project, the closest one typically wins out.
Must-go-to Places, like tourist attractions or top restaurants. This is especially helpful if they’re moving to a completely new area. It lets them try new things without having to fork over the cash when likely they just went through an expensive move. It also prompts them to get out of their house!
Memberships, like museums. When we moved to Pittsburgh, someone covered our first year at Phipp’s Conservatory, and we fell in love. It gave us something to do, we got to enjoy the experiences for an entire year, and it was something we did each year we were there, keeping the gift alive.
Take Out, like McDonalds (just hold on!), Chipotle / Moe’s, or whatever other places your friend likes. Fact is, if they’re moving, they might be driving long distances (in which cases, McDonalds have typically clean and nice bathrooms!) or they’re going to be very busy packing and unpacking. They won’t want to go out to a fancy restaurant, but they’re also not going to have their kitchen tools to eat a full on dinner at home. Take out is clutch during this transitionary period.
Local Grocery Stores, because groceries are expensive and when someone moves, they might have purged. I’ve found moving to be a great time to throw away my expired flour, for example, which then I inevitably have to re-buy when I get where I’m going.
Household Goods Stores, like Bed Bath and Beyond, Target, Walmart, or maybe a local place. Every move I donate something and then have to re-buy it later. Or I find it’s a great time to refresh items that might be worn, like towels, bedding, or book shelves.
Bird Houses
“Home Tweet Home”, ammiright?
Part of existing in this world is embracing the ecosystem we’re in. Bird houses aren’t for everyone depending on where they’re moving off to, but I think they’re a clever housewarming.
It’s a reminder they’ll see. We have a bird house from my husband’s grandfather, and every time we see birds fly in and out, it reminds us of him.
They’re low maintenance. We put ours up and just let nature take over. No need to do anything other than hang. The birds do the rest!
It’s meta! Borderline a pun! A home for them, a home for their outdoor pets.
They can be custom. Their’s a birdhouse for all personalities and home types. Get creative. Or even more fun, try and make one yourself!
Add a little extra flair by adding in things birds like to use to make their nests, like sticks, fluff, etc. How far you go on this will depend on how packed your friends are.
Final Thoughts
I always recommend accompanying a gift with a thoughtful note. For example, if 22 year-old me was gifted a garlic press, I would be less than enthused. But if the more-experienced person gifting it to me explained how life-changing it truly is, I’d be more excited. Don’t assume they’ll appreciate everything immediately!
Typically for gifting, unless you know the person really well, I recommend staying away from heavily scented or perfumed items (i.e. candles).
Don’t forget to add a little humor to things. Not everything has to be so serious, and if it’s a particularly sad or stressful move, your friend will appreciate a good laugh.
Consider the packing of your gift. Maybe pack it up nice, neat, and safely (especially if it’s art!!!) so that your friend can open it, ooh and ahh, but then pack it back up for easy storage during the move. Another possibility is to have the gift shipped directly to their new address or give them something small, wallet sized.
And as always, be sure to consider your friend’s personality and likes heavily.
