Your friend just got a new apartment or house and invited you to their housewarming party. Your grandmother would give you a few very formal ideas about what you should bring to a housewarming, and nowadays, your friend might not even snub you if you neglect to get a gift. But if you want to go above and beyond to make a good impression, what should you bring?
The answer will depend on how old your friend is, their personality, and how well you know them. Here are a few recommendations for housewarming gifts on different budgets and how to know when each is most appropriate!
Traditional Housewarming Gifts and Beyond
1. Get festive with flowers.
Flowers are reliable traditional housewarming gifts – or apartment-warming! You can’t go wrong if you bring a bouquet from your favorite florist. This gift is appropriate for all ages and personalities and can be customized to fit your friend. If you’re close, you likely know their flower preferences and can purchase one you know they’ll love. And if you don’t know them well enough to choose their favorite blossom, all flowers make a great gift.
2. Create a cozy ambiance with candles.
Another trusty standby: Candles are a timeless housewarming present that helps make any house feel like a home. Friends of all ages and personalities can appreciate fresh linen’s refreshing scent or cedarwood’s cozy aroma. You can pick a neutral candle that appeals to most people if you’re unsure what your friend likes, such as a simple sea salt or vanilla scent. Or, if you know them better, you can pick an off-beat scent they love.
3. Pamper them with premium food and drinks.
Here’s where a good knowledge of your friend’s preferences will be useful. A gourmet food platter or a nice bottle of wine is an excellent gift for a housewarming party, but only if you know your friend well enough to pick something they’ll love. You’ll also need to be able to answer a few questions. Are they old enough to drink? Do they prefer wine, whisky, or beer? Do they like to drink? Do they have any food allergies? Any particular preferences? If you know the answers to these questions, proceed. Bringing their favorite brand of high-quality Brie or a bottle of single malt whisky can help your friend relax after moving into a new home. If you aren’t confident about their likes and dislikes, consider a food delivery gift card with flowers!
4. Highlight their humor with funny housewarming gifts.
If you know your friend well enough to tickle their funny bone, a humorous touch to your housewarming gift can brighten up their face and their new space. While your choice will depend entirely on the inside jokes you share and their sense of humor, a few funny housewarming gift ideas might include a junk drawer starter kit, a How to Fix Everything for Dummies book, or a bathroom guest book.
5. Be their bestie on a budget with a DIY housewarming basket.
Perhaps you’re more of a DIYer or are trying to welcome your friend into their new home on a budget. One option is a housewarming gift basket, which can be tailored to fit your friend’s age, tastes, and, most importantly, your budget.
For instance, a DIY housewarming gift basket with all the home essentials is a beautiful way to welcome them into their new home. You can create one that includes cleaning supplies, tools, a set of measuring cups for the kitchen, or even toilet paper. You could also put all the ingredients for a batch of cookies in a mason jar, infuse olive oil with their favorite scent, paint a picture of their new home, or customize a welcome mat for their new home. Housewarming basket ideas are only limited by your imagination!
6. Bring gifts for top-notch at-home entertaining.
What better way to enjoy a new home than with friends and family? If your friend is a keen host – and you’re going to a party at their home, so there’s a good chance – consider bringing them gifts that’ll step up their entertainment game! You could gift them a new board game to play with friends, though if you don’t know their game inclinations, a fun and easy party game or card game is a great start. If they’re more of the crunchy strategizer type, a gift card to their favorite game shop or a subscription to Jackbox could enable them to pick out something they prefer.
Find a Reason to Celebrate with ApartmentSearch
If your friend’s recent relocation has you itching to move, look no further than ApartmentSearch. Explore apartment communities near you that have everything you’re looking for. ApartmentSearch’s advanced filters can help you find the new space of your dreams. From a cozy studio to a pet-friendly palace, you can narrow your search to exactly what you need.
But do you have a housewarming party if you’re renting? Of course, you can! Start searching for your next apartment today so that you can start planning your own apartment housewarming party.
