What sort of gifts do you normally give as housewarming gifts? And how much would you typically spend? I tend to opt for practicality over anything else, so the sorts of things I tend to get people include mugs and some coffee and tea or Diy tools like hammers and screwdrivers, especially if it's a young couple moving into their first home. I've also given sets of spices and herbs before too.
I like to give practical things such as towels, floor rugs, bed covers, etc. Pillows are also on the list, as well as spice racks or other highly useful things. I also like to consult with my friends as to what is on top of their list. What they desperately need, so as to avoid buying things that they already might have.
Last year I was invited to a house warming as a sponsor. What I gave as a gift was an elegant wall clock which is not that cheap. And being a sponsor, I brought along coins that I threw inside the house for the traditional coin shower. The guests were scrambling for the coins. It was lots of fun. The house owner was surprised to learn that I had a total of $100 for those coins in the bag. It was a lot, yeah.
If it is a family member that is having a house warming party, we'd always get them their favorite food like a favorite dish to break bread in the new home together. If a friend a house warming gift would be something of their favorite too to enjoy together to break bread together too for welcoming happy tidings in the home or a welcoming statue to guard the home or good luck statue that you can find at places likeLog In.
I'm always cautious in deciding on a house warming gift. People have very different tastes, so I don't want to get a decor element or something like that, because I'm afraid they won't like it. If I give towels, I always choose a neutral color when I find them on sale. If I know they need kitchen stuff, I like to make up a gift basket. You can wrap some of the gifts in kitchen towels, making the gift wrapping part of the gift, which is cute and saves money. Like Venus said, spice racks (the ones complete with bottles full of spices) are usually nice as well. Not everyone thinks about the fact that they will need a nice variety of spices once they move in, so it comes in handy.
Depends on how long the people throwing a housewarming party have lived on their own. If it's their first house/apartment, it's practical to present them with someone for the house - a silverware or dish set, nice towels, or a fancy bedroom set with high-count sheets and pillowcases. However, if the individuals have been on their own for a while, I just bring over a bottle or two of wine. No one can have too much wine.
When I moved into my first house a friend of mine gave me a set of patio glasses. They were perfect since we had just gotten married and it wasn't something we would already have. I still use those same patio glasses 17 years later. I thought it was such a great gift that whenever I go to a housewarming party, that's what I buy. I have gotten many great compliments as it's a useful and thoughtful gift.
It can be very hard, unless you know the people concerned very well. Like with everything else, it would normally be people that you do know reasonably well, so you could find sneaky ways of finding out, whether through friends and family or by asking them directly but on the sly, if it makes sense. Plus from just hanging around their house, you're able to gauge it and see what they could do with. For me, house plants are also a good one, but of course some people don't like plants.
I think kitchen appliances like plates or blenders or oven toasters are welcome, since they are practical gifts and they are gifts that everyone can use. They are also not that expensive, but not that cheap either that you will come across as a cheapskate.
I would say things for your house. I would get small stuff, like kitchenware, Tupperware stuff like that. I was actually very upset because when I moved in with my fiancé, we called a few friends over for a housewarming and nobody gave us anything. So to be honest, I'm not inclined to give anybody anything at this point. A friend that didn't even go when we called him invited us for a tea bar at his house that he moved in with his girlfriend, but I don't feel like going and getting him anything to be honest... If I did go I would probably give Tupperware.
For me I just get them a nice bottle of wine or an expensive alcoholic beverage most of the time but sometimes I'll also get flowers or something similar. It's not a very popular custom here so I'm not too pressured to buy anything too unique or extravagant and I could just buy something simple to show some support. Sometimes if I know there will be an event I'll bring by a homemade dish to contribute to the feast or if not I'll just buy something special from a restaurant.
It would depend how well I know the person and their taste. I would probably give them kitchen supplies that they do not have or nice flowers and plants to put in their house or grow in the garden. If I buy decoration stuff I would never know if they really like it. Other than that I could imagine giving them a 50 or 100 $ gift card so they can get what they really like.
I also like to give practical gifts, as I think that this is the best way to make sure that things don't go to waste. I also like the thought of giving people things such as gift vouchers, because then they will be able to spend the money on something that they really need, rather than something that you are guessing that they might like.
We always give practical gifts. Kitchenwares are always good gifts like plates, mugs, utensils and even small appliances like oven toasters and coffee makers. I find that the family who receives these gifts are always thankful when you give them these. Other useful gifts are rugs, towels, bedsheets, pillow covers and comforters. You can buy these at discounted prices as well during sales season. It's also nice to give decorative pieces like figurines and paintings. Not big ones but just small ones although you'd need to know the taste of the person you're giving it to. You can also give them picture frames as these are always useful. If you're feeling a little generous, electric fans and air coolers can be nice gifts as well, if you live in a tropical country. Shoe racks and cabinets can be great gifts too.
As per tradition, the housewarming gifts are usually appliances, more of the small ones like electric fan, rice cooker or microwave oven. But sometimes it is okay to give food as a gift, food that is added to the dining table like a special dish. That happens to the lower class of the society. And house warming is not complete without the shower of coins. Bringing coins for the purpose can also be considered a good gift.
I normally give money or a gift voucher. Many a time there are situations when duplicate gifts are loaded at a housewarming or even as wedding gifts. I got 3 pressure cookers for my wedding.
I hae never understood this, but I guess it is just one of those things that you get used to. I always think of the helicopter scenario for these ones, where if you helicoptered me in to a place knowing nothing, it would be hard to explain giving someone to someone else who moved into a home.
