Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Housewarming Gift Ideas

People move all the time and for various reasons.  Whether a new family has just moved into your neighborhood, or one of your best friends just bought a new house, it's always great to have a few good housewarming gift ideas in your back pocket.

Next time someone close to you buys a house, stand out from the “standard bottle-of-wine” crowd with one of these useful gifts. They’ll guarantee you barbecue invites for life.

1.  Address Stamp


With e-mail and social media it seems that snail mail has gone the way of the dodo bird.  But eventually people have to send something through the post office, whether it's a package or special invitations.  Order them up an address stamp to make their correspondence stylish and personal.  You can find a ton of great stamp styles on Etsy that will suit just about every style.

2. Hardware Store Gift Card


No matter how many times you've moved, there's always something else you need when you start unpacking because every house is different.  Tuck a gift card to a good local hardware store into a bucket with some home essentials like WD-40, duct tape, superglue, picture hanging kits, and extension cords.  

3.  Favorite Things


This gift comes across as really personal and usually doesn't cost very much money.  Gift them with one of your favorite things that you use around the house, like a special cleaner, a handy device, or a great tool.  Be sure to explain why you love it and where to get more if they find that they love it, too.

4.  Season's Greetings


A bag of tulip bulbs in the fall, a snow shovel in the winter, a pot and some seeds in the spring, or some BBQ tools for the summer.  A seasonal gift allows them to start using your gift immediately to make their home their own.

5.  Help With Dinner, Dessert and a Movie


Swing by with a Papa Murphy's pizza and a jar of cookie ingredients.  Give some popcorn and a Redbox gift card.  Stock a picnic basket with a fun lunch.  Pack all the essentials for cocktails on the deck.  Use your imagination and make the gift suit the people you're giving it too.  They will be so happy to have that night off from unpacking!

Source:  Michelle Schwake for Stafford Family Realtors

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