Do you always worry about what to give as a housewarming gift when a friend or loved one moves into a new home or apartment? Then this post is just for you, we will talk about all kinds of thoughtful and practical housewarming gifts for you to choose from the next time you need one.
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The best practical housewarming gifts:
Best for coffee lovers: French Press
“Bring the cafe experience home and brew just like a barista.”
Best for those just starting: Spice Rack
“Utilize in any area of the house to store, sort, and easily access and organize items.”
Best for anyone: Throw Blanket
“Cozy up anywhere in a silky, soft, and warm throw blanket.”
Best for those who love cooking: Knife Block
“No more worrying if your knife will fit in a slot. Mix and match kitchen knife block sets store all your knives.”
Best for organized people: Towel/Wine Rack
“Make the most of unused wall space and gain vertical storage.”
Best for breakfast lovers: Breakfast Sandwich Maker
“This breakfast sandwich maker cooks your custom sandwich in just 5 minutes.”
Best for apartment dwellers: Personalized Catch-All Tray
“A catch all tray will collect important trifles in one place and keep things organized.”
Best cheap but feels expensive: Monogrammed Bath Towels
“Enjoy the same quality towels found in luxury hotels with an added personal touch.”
Best for those starting from scratch: Utensil Crock with Utensils
“This curated 7-piece set of walnut, stainless and nylon tools plus our ceramic crock is sure to become a well-used and well-loved part of any kitchen.”
French Press
A French Press coffee maker is an affordable and amazing housewarming gift. Even if they already have a traditional coffee maker, a French Press can make a delicious cup of coffee, and it works like a charm with boiling water if there happens to be a power outage.
You can find a great French Press for less than $20.
Spice Rack
Now that they have a new place to cook, why not gift them with a spice rack to prepare tasty dishes with in their new kitchen? There are different spice rack types to choose from like those that hang on the wall, or those that sit on the counter.
You can find a great spice rack with the spices included in the $20 to $50 price range.
Electric Throw Blanket
Give the gift of comfort with a plush, luxurious electric throw blanket so that they can cozy up on the couch in their new home and watch TV. If you don’t happen to know the color scheme of their new home choose a blanket in a neutral color like gray or beige. Don’t worry about it too much though, you can always find a place for a throw blanket.
You can get a great electric blanket for less than 30$.
Knife Block
A wooden knife block with a built-in sharpener is a practical way to keep all of the knives he will need for cooking in his new home safely stored in one place.
This knife block will look amazing in any kitchen and the built-in sharpener means the knives will always be perfectly sharpened when he needs one.
Towel/Wine Rack
Help the happy couple make their new home both beautiful and functional with a nice towel holder/wine rack. They can put it n the kitchen to hold their favorite bottles of wine or hang it in the bathroom for a place to hold towels.
These vertical storage spaces can help to reduce clutter and look beautiful in whatever room they are placed in.
Breakfast Sandwich Maker
Instead of them hitting the fast food place or coffee shop every morning, why not give the gift of a hot breakfast sandwich at home? Add your favorite bread, pre-cooked breakfast meat, eggs, and your favorite fresh toppings put them in the sandwich maker, and have a hot breakfast sandwich in minutes.
This breakfast sandwich maker is a great practical addition to anyone’s kitchen, and they come in a variety of colors so you can find the perfect color to match the kitchen.
Personalized Catch-All Tray
Give your apartment dwelling friends a personalized wood or leather catch-all tray. These trays are great to have by the bed, or near the entry door of their apartment.
It offers a small organized space to drop keys, and other every day small items they need to grab before heading out the door.
Catch-All Trays can be used by the bed to hold jewelry, lip gloss, and other small bedside items.
Monogrammed Bath Towels
Spruce up their new bathroom with a nice set of monogrammed bath towels. They have to have towels for showers and hand washing, and it is always nice to be able to display some beautiful monogrammed bath towels.
Monogrammed Bath Towels are a practical and beautiful housewarming gift for them to display in their new apartment.
Utensil Crock with Utensils
They can’t cook without utensils, so an attractive countertop utensil crock with utensils makes a great practical gift for those moving into their first apartment. Make sure that you choose wooden or plastic utensils so that they don’t scratch the non-stick coating off of their pans.
Utensils you might include are wooden and plastic spoons both slotted and full, a spatula, a whisk, and a set of tongs. This one comes as a set, it’ll go with any decor.
Robot Vacuum
If you have a higher budget for a gift, a robot vacuum is gift that will be seriously appreciated.
When we got a robot vacuum, it was the greatest feeling ever to set it, leave the house and come back to a crumb free haven.
The Shark Vacuum is voice controlled and pairs with Alexa.
Nice Inexpensive Housewarming Gifts
Sometimes you may feel like you can’t afford to give a nice housewarming gift because it just isn’t in your budget right now. Here are some great inexpensive housewarming gifts that don’t look or feel “cheap” at all that the recipients will love to get.
Fridge Refresher
This reusable fridge refresher is so adorable and looks much more fun than a box of baking soda in the fridge door.
It’s easy and inexpensive to refill because you just add baking soda.
Kitchen Dish Towel Set
Everyone needs a set of dish towels in the kitchen. Even they already have a set, a spare is never a bad thing.
They can end stained or torn easily. These super absorbent waffle weave dish towels make a great gift for any home owner.
Cookbook
The great thing about getting someone a cookbook as a gift is that you can personalize it to their tastes. Are they vegan? Keto? Paleo? Love easy recipes? There’s a cookbook for that!
Personalized Cutting Board
A personalized cutting board takes your housewarming gift to the next level. Beautiful, practical and engraved with their name.
You can get one for a good price here.
Housewarming Gift Basket
A gift basket of snacks to devour after moving day is something any one moving would love! If you’ve ever moved you understand what it’s like to be standing in your new kitchen at 9:00pm with no food in sight.
You can make your own snack gift basket and personalize it for the person receiving it. Grab a basket from the Dollar Store and fill it with their favorite snacks!
Toolkit
A really practical gift for a new homeowner is a set of tools they can use around the house. It’s a gift that will get used for sure.
That amazing moment when you realized you have the right tool to fix the problem… priceless.
Funny Doormat
Everyone needs a doormat and there are a ton of funny or cute options on Etsy. Whether they have a dog, would like something personal or seem like they’re more of a traditional type- you’ll be able to find one on Etsy.
This one says “Live. Laugh. Leave.”
Waffle Maker
Waffle makers are a classic housewarming gift and why wouldn’t they be? Everyone has fond memories of crispy, golden waffles swimming in syrup and whip cream.
Give them the gift of beautiful memories for years to come.
Housewarming Gifts for Couples
When a couple moves into a new home or apartment together it is the beginning of a new chapter for them and their lives together. Here a few ideas of housewarming gifts that you might consider giving the happy couple.
Portable Tabletop Fireplace
This is a gift that likely no one else will think to give as a housewarming gift for couples. Portable tabletop fireplaces can be used indoors or outdoors and they can completely change the ambiance of the space.
There are also some models available that will put off heat just as if you were sitting by a real fireplace. This unique housewarming gift is sure to get a lot of use.
Personalized Home Map
Give a personalized gift that the couple will treasure forever. You can get a personalized map of the happy couple’s new address along with their names, address, and move-in date.
This is a unique gift that they can hang on the walls to decorate their new dwelling. You can find a variety of sellers for these beautiful custom maps on Etsy.
What is a good housewarming gift for women?
Whether it is her first apartment out of college or a new home after a major life change you might consider some of the amazing housewarming gifts just for women.
Electric Wine Opener
They can forget fussing with broken corks and corkscrews when you give them an electric wine opener with a rechargeable base. Electric wine openers take all of the guesswork out of opening a bottle of wine and they can open 30 to 50 bottles on a single charge.
An electric wine opener and a bottle of their favorite wine will make a really good housewarming gift for women.
Essential Oil Diffuser and Humidifier
Help them make their home smell like home with an essential oil diffuser and humidifier. An essential oil diffuser can be used in any room of the house to diffuse their favorite essential oil scent and a little moisture into the air as well.
These are great for helping to get relaxed enough for sleep, boosting energy, and to head off cold symptoms too depending on what scent of oil they use.
Decorative Vase
Help the special lady in your life brighten up her new digs with a nice decorative vase that she can display her favorite flowers in. A vase of flowers, real or silk, can help to brighten up, soften, and personalize any room in the home.
Bonus points if you also give her a bouquet of her favorite flowers to use in the vase for the first time.
How much should you spend on a housewarming gift?
It can be difficult to know how much you should spend on a housewarming gift. Surveys from 2020 showed that most housewarming gifts purchased were in the $25 to $50 range. You can find a lot of nice, unique, and practical gifts in this price range. If the gift that you wanted to give or that was asked for is significantly higher, consider going in as a group on the gift.
Is alcohol a good housewarming gift?
Yes, alcohol is a good housewarming gift, provided the new homeowners are drinkers. If they are not, then you probably want to skip the booze. There is no specific type of alcohol that makes a good housewarming gift. A nice bottle of wine or champagne, or a nice bottle of harder spirits like whiskey, vodka, or tequila all make good housewarming gifts. If the person you are gifting prefers beer over liquor you might consider a six-pack of a local craft beer.
Should you bring a gift to a housewarming party?
If you have been invited to a housewarming party it is customary to bring a gift, even if the homeowner has told you on the invitation or in person not to bring a gift. You should still plan to arrive with some type of gift in hand.
You will feel awkward if you show up empty-handed and everyone else arrives with a gift. Housewarming gifts don’t have to be expensive, but they should be thoughtful or practical.
Housewarming Gift Basket
A housewarming gift basket is a great way to give someone a few of the items that they may need or want for their new home. They are also very simple to put together and the items that you could include are endless whether it is for a woman, or a man, a couple, or someone getting their very first apartment.
Some items you might include in a housewarming gift basket are a scented candle, dish towels, or pot holders, small household tools, or a nicely scented hand soap. You could also include a bottle of wine with a corkscrew, and some nice cookies, teas, or snacks.
RELATED: Most Popular Candles {with the strongest scents}
Traditional Housewarming Gifts
Did you know that some housewarming gifts have been given for centuries to bless the new homeowners and bring them good fortune, health, and wealth? Some examples of traditional housewarming gifts include:
A loaf of freshly baked bread so the household will never know hunger.
Salt, so that life may always have flavor.
A candle so that the home will always be full of light.
A broom to sweep away evil and bad luck.
Wine so that they will never know thirst.
Sugar, so that you always have sweetness in your life.
Olive oil so that all who reside in the home have health and well-being.
A coin, so that the home may be blessed with prosperity.
A houseplant, so that the home will always be blessed with life.
Wood, meaning that the home will always have strength, stability, harmony, and peace.
If you want to give a traditional housewarming gift, a basket or box filled with all or some of these items, with a note describing what each item means would be a great choice.
Practical Housewarming Gifts for Apartments
Moving into a new apartment often comes with unexpected new expenses, so it is always nice to receive a practical housewarming gift that can be used for years to come.
Moving into a new home or apartment is such an exciting time in life, and it is nice to be able to help them commemorate the occasion with a housewarming gift. Whether you are looking for a housewarming gift for a man, woman, or couple there are lots of wonderful options to choose from as you can see from the ideas suggested above.
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