With a lot of homes for sale on the market and interest rates still fairly low, it’s a buyer’s market out there. Perhaps you know someone who has recently purchased a home and are at a quandary as to what to give them for a housewarming gift aside from the old clichéd plant. Here are a few helpful ideas.
Gift Cards to the Hardware Store
Some people do not like gift cards because they forget to use them, but in this case, it is a great idea. There is always something you need to get from the hardware store, even if the home is new. Light bulbs, cleaning supplies, storage supplies, gardening and yard supplies, or perhaps that fire pit they’ve always wanted – those are just a few things that come to mind.
Gift Cards to Target, Wal-mart, J.C. Penney’s
Gift cards to these types of stores are nice because they, too, carry things like light bulbs, storage supplies, cleaning supplies and the like. They also have curtains and blinds, kitchen and bath towels, bed linens and other items your friends might want for their home.
Tools in a Toolbox
If you’d rather give them something tangible, and your friends have been apartment dwellers up until now, providing them with a toolbox complete with the most used tools would be a nice gift, and maybe even something they haven’t even considered. To that end, if they have been apartment dwellers and are moving into their first home, they probably will not have many of the necessities that homeowners need. Think about all the little things that you use in your home that might be useful for your friends, combine them in a pretty basket or other fitting container and give that as a gift. It will not only be a fitting gift, but one your friends will cherish.
Alarms
More than likely, your friends’ home will come equipped with smoke alarms. If it doesn’t, then they need to get them installed right away and smoke alarms would be a great gift. Otherwise, people tend to forget about alarms for carbon monoxide poisoning, even when they are moving from one house to another. One alarm that has truly been magnificent for us has been the water alarm. We’ve had our share of times when our basement has flooded for one reason or another and our plumber recommended that we get a water alarm to prevent too much damage. It is an alarm that you place on the floor next to whatever may runneth over with water – your water heater, water tank, sump pump, drainage area, where ever water may overflow, and when water touches the alarm, a piercing sound emits. Ours is in the basement, in a closed storage room, and it is audible upstairs.
Phone numbers/Guide
If you happen to live in the area your friends are moving to, make them a personalized phone book and guide. In the phone book, you can collect numbers for them of the local pizza place, the place where you get your hair cut, the pediatrician you use, the place that services your car, and any other place you think would be of use to them. You can also collect menus of restaurants that deliver or provide take-out.
Your Help
Finally, your help is also a winning gift. Whether it is helping them unpack their belongings, providing a meal or babysitting while they unpack, there is definitely something to be said for having friends who are nice enough to help out in a stressful situation such as a move.
Hopefully, you’ve found some creative and fun ideas for housewarming gifts. Maybe these have even spurred your imagination to create a gift more suitable for your friends. Remember that the joy is not only in giving the gift, but knowing that you picked something that your friend is really happy with.