If you know someone who just moved, whether into their first apartment or a new home, chances are you’ll want to get them a housewarming gift. But how do you pick a present they’ll actually use? The best housewarming gifts are thoughtful, practical and a little bit surprising. (If a gift is too obvious, someone else might buy it. If it’s too unconventional, your giftee might not need it at all.)
Your goal is to find a present that meaningfully improves the new homeowner’s life. But they can’t already own it and it has to fit in their space, both physically and aesthetically.
To help you find the perfect housewarming gift, we’ve found the best essentials, luxuries and custom gifts for any new homeowner. Whether yours loves cooking, hosting, nesting or curling up on the couch, there’s a gift idea here that’s sure to upgrade their life and suit your budget.
Help them get to know their new area with a personalized puzzle. Input their address, and the 400-piece puzzle will feature a map of their new hometown. Their home will appear at the center of the puzzle, signified with a house-shaped puzzle piece.
Nice olive oil makes a big difference in the kitchen, and this Brightland gift set comes with four fancy olive oils any home cook will want to try. The oils are infused with chili, garlic, lemon and basil — and each bottle was designed by a different artist.
Make at-home movie nights feel more special with this gourmet popcorn sampler from Williams Sonoma. The gift set includes two types of popcorn, high-smoke-point cooking oil and two different seasonings, which come together on the stovetop to make a tasty snack.
This Monstera Deliciosa is big but not burdensome — a great gift for those with or without green thumbs. The plant just needs indirect light and water every one to two weeks, and it comes with a pretty planter you can handpick from a range of styles and colors.
Fancy salt makes a great gift for any home cook. And this unique gift set — which includes a Himalayan salt rock, a salt grater and a wooden stand — is something your giftee can proudly display in their kitchen without sacrificing too much counter space.
A candle is a classic housewarming gift, and this one from Homesick was made for the occasion. The candle smells like jasmine, musk and lime and burns for 60 to 80 hours, according to the brand. Consider adding a second candle designed to help them explore their new town.
A return address stamp is a practical gift your new homeowner can use every time they send a card. You can personalize the stamp with their name and address and customize the typography and design.
This editor-loved towel warmer will make any bathroom feel more luxurious. While many towel warmers are wall-mounted, this one is freestanding, so it just needs to be plugged in. It heats to one temperature, holds two bath towels and has four automatic time settings.
Invite them to cozy up in their new home with a resort-inspired robe from Pottery Barn. The waffle-weave robe is lined with plush terry cloth, and it comes in four sizes and colors. You can even pay extra to outfit the robe with a custom monogram.
This wine rack from Anthropologie is striking, practical and small enough to store with ease. Made of hand-carved acacia wood, the rack holds four bottles of wine. It stands at 20 inches tall and 6 inches wide and deep — an easy addition to a kitchen or home bar.
Playing cards are essential for game nights and house parties, and this Printworks set looks cooler than a classic deck. The cards are sleek enough to serve as decor, but they’re also versatile enough to suit a range of aesthetic preferences.
Every home needs a good sound system, and this flickering Bluetooth speaker is especially sleek. Designed to mimic a bonfire, the rechargeable speaker doubles as mood lighting, lasting seven hours when the light is on and 30 hours when it’s off.
This doormat will make a welcome addition to any entryway. Woven from coco fibers and backed with PVC, the mat is designed to withstand wear and tear. It’s also stylish but understated — fit to dress up a front porch without dominating it.
How cute are these penguin-shaped dryer balls? Wool dryer balls are a useful way to upgrade laundry day. They soften clothes, prevent static and reduce drying —?and your giftee can use them again and again.
Treat the new homeowner to a bottle of their favorite wine, customized with a label celebrating their new home. Handpick the wine, the message, the packaging and the price point. The custom bottle will double as a memento they can enjoy long after it’s empty.
No coffee table is complete without a coffee table book, and "The Dinner Party" is a perfect pick for avid hosts. Filled with sleek photography, easy recipes and handy entertaining ideas, the book is a striking piece of decor and a genuinely interesting read.
This Teakhaus cutting board is a great gift for those who love to cook (or host!). Made of teak and lined with a canal for catching juice and crumbs, the cutting board is handy for prepping food. But it’s also pretty enough to serve as a charcuterie board when hosting guests.
This simmer pot kit is a unique alternative to a candle. When you pour the kit in water and simmer it on the stove, it fills a home with fresh fragrance. The jar contains enough ingredients for three to five simmer sessions, each lasting up to six hours.
Commemorate their new home with a personalized ornament they can hang during the holidays or display year-round. The ornament includes an antique key, a metal tag with a custom address and a satin, velvet or leather cord of your choice.
If you want to splurge on a housewarming gift, there’s no better choice than Le Creuset. This enameled cast-iron Dutch oven is one of the best we've tested. It’s available in dozens of colors and several different sizes (which range in price).
These merino wool coasters are super absorbent, so they'll soak up condensation without feeling wet. Bonus: They'll also save the homeowner's new coffee table.
This unique reed diffuser doubles as a vase of flowers, making it a perfect housewarming gift. The set includes a vase, fragrance oil, diffusing reeds and a bouquet of dried flowers, which come together to fill the air with notes of lavender and eucalyptus.
This mortar and pestle is a useful gift that’s pretty enough to display on kitchen countertops. Made of olive wood, the mortar and pestle is great for grinding herbs and spices. And it promises to patina over time, becoming even more beautiful with age.
This chunky cotton blanket is great for year-round use — it's breathable enough for summer yet cozy enough for winter. The soft blanket comes in several pretty colors, so it’s easy to pair with any decor style.
Every amateur mixologist needs a bar tool set, and this one comes in two sleek colors. The set includes a bottle opener, spoon, jigger, strainer, muddler and ice scoop plus a matching ice bucket that doubles as storage, keeping all the tools in one place.
This indoor herb garden kit is perfect for cooks, gardeners and fans of fresh herbs. The gift set includes pots, seeds and supplies for growing basil, cilantro, parsley, sage and thyme. The herbs can live in a windowsill or anywhere that offers full sun.
Oven mitts are essential for any home cook. These are made of cotton and silicone, they're lined with cozy terry cloth and they're heat-protective up to 650 degrees Fahrenheit. They come in five colors, and they’re conveniently machine-washable.
Silk bedding is the pinnacle of luxury, and this silk pillowcase falls within the perfect price range for a housewarming gift. Though the pillowcase is made of 100% silk, it’s conveniently machine-washable. It also comes in a range of pretty colors.
These dishcloths aren’t just practical; they’ll look great next to the kitchen sink too. The set includes four waffle-weave cloths plus a handy cotton bag to store them in.
This Perfect Morning gift basket comes with a mini waffle maker, a spatula, pancake mix and syrup — everything your giftee needs to enjoy their first breakfast at home. You can add a custom message to the spatula and handpick a card to accompany your gift.
