Fun housewarming gifts for new homeowners
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At the beginning of the pandemic when people were stuck inside and longing for more space, home sales soared: In 2020, total home sales saw their highest level since 2006 with a total sales volume of 5.64 million units. Sales in 2021 slowed down a bit from their 2020 highs, but that doesn’t mean demand dwindled altogether. According to a report from the National Association of Realtors, the median price of a home in October 2021 was $353,900, a 13.1 percent jump from October 2020.
Even if you aren’t one of the millions of new homeowners, odds are that you know someone who did buy a house or condo recently — and you might be looking to get them a gift to celebrate the monumental purchase. Whether you want to give them something fun or practical, we rounded up some of the best housewarming gifts at various price points for every type of homeowner.
SKIP AHEAD Useful housewarming gifts | Unique housewarming gifts | Fun housewarming gifts
The best housewarming gifts for new homeowners
When it comes to housewarming gifts, it’s hard to go wrong with stores like West Elm, Pottery Barn and Crate + Barrel, known for their registries. Major retailers like Amazon, Target and Bed Bath & Beyond also carry everything from kitchenware and home accents to tech and small appliances. Below, we highlighted some standout gifts based on previous coverage, keeping in mind Shopping readers’ favorite retailers.
Useful housewarming gifts
Lodge 6-Quart Cast Iron Enamel Dutch Oven
In our guide to Dutch ovens, Stefano Veila, a chef with decades of experience, said that the enameled cast iron Dutch ovens from Lodge are his favorite. According to the brand, they’re water- and rust-resistant, can work on any stovetop and are designed for even heating.
Lodge 6qt Cast Iron Enamel Dutch Oven
Lodge 6qt Cast Iron Enamel Dutch Oven $79.99 at Target
Lodge 6qt Cast Iron Enamel Dutch Oven $75.99 at Walmart
Lodge 6qt Cast Iron Enamel Dutch Oven $79.00 at Home Depot
Our Place Always Pan
If you can’t decide what type of cookware to gift, the Always Pan is a great solution — after Shopping writer Kala Herh invested in one, she said she threw out all her other pans. The popular Always Pan is designed to replace eight kitchen essentials: the fry pan, saute pan, steamer, skillet, saucier, saucepan, non-stick pan and spoon rest. It also comes in several standout colors, including Spice (a shade of pink), Heat (a deep red) and Blue Salt.
Our Place Always Pan
Our Place Always Pan $145.00 at Our Place
Philips Hue White & Color Ambiance A19 LED Starter Kit
Smart bulbs are a thoughtful and practical housewarming gift: With a set of smart lights, you can control everything about your lights — from the power to the brightness — with both voice commands and your phone. These Philips Hue Smart Lights have more than 16 million color hues to choose from and are compatible with any Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit or Google Assistant device. According to the brand, they typically last 23 years and fit in most light fixtures.
Philips Hue White & Color Ambiance A19 LED Starter Kit
Philips Hue White & Color Ambiance A19 LED Starter Kit $189.99 at Best Buy
Amazon Echo Show 15
The Amazon Echo Show 15 is the latest release in the Echo lineup. Unlike Amazon’s other smart devices, this one can be mounted to the wall as well as propped up on the counter. It uses Amazon’s AZ2 Neutral Edge processor, which offers a new visual ID feature that scans your face whenever you walk by and displays your screen with calendar events, reminders and more, according to the brand.
Amazon Echo Show 15
Amazon Echo Show 15 $249.99 at Amazon
Amazon Echo Show 15 $249.99 at Best Buy
Amazon Echo Show 15 $249.99 at B&H Photo
Aura Mason Luxe
The Aura Mason Luxe is one of our favorite digital photo frames. One of the brand’s latest releases, the 9.7-inch frame can display both photos and videos in either landscape or portrait mode and offers unlimited storage. Users can upload photos and videos from anywhere with the Aura app, so you can share access with family members all over the world.
Aura Mason Luxe
Personalized Keurig K-Mini Plus
If you’re shopping for a housewarming gift for a coffee lover, Keurig recently came out with personalized brewers that you can customize with monograms, names, patterns and more. The K-Mini Plus model is less than 5 inches wide for smaller spaces and can brew cups of coffee from 6 ounces to 12 ounces. It comes with a pod storage space for up to nine K-Cup pods and a Strong Brew function for more intense coffee brews, according to the brand.
Personalized Keurig K-Mini Plus
Personalized Keurig K-Mini Plus $129.99 at Keurig
West Elm Silky Tencel Sheet Set
Most people will appreciate a housewarming gift that helps them get a better night’s rest. If you know they haven’t invested in their bedding, this sheet set might be a good gift option. I personally upgraded to these West Elm Tencel sheets after I bought my condo and I’m a big fan of how silky smooth they are. The fabric is designed to be moisture-wicking and expel heat, which is also great for hot sleepers.
West Elm Silky Tencel Sheet Set
West Elm Silky Tencel Sheet Set $150.00 at West Elm
Unique housewarming gifts
Custom Welcome Mat
Help them make their new house a home with a personalized welcome mat proudly displaying their last name. Right now, you can choose from three sizes: 18 inches by 18 inches, 30 inches by 18 inches or 36 inches by 24 inches.
Custom Welcome Mat
Custom Welcome Mat $14.99 at Etsy
Shutterfly Signature Gallery Address Label
With a new home comes a new address, and these custom labels can make it easier for them to add that new address to envelopes. You can customize the label with their last name, address (of course) and the colors of your choosing.
Shutterfly Signature Gallery Address Label
Shutterfly Signature Gallery Address Label $4.99 at Shutterfly
Custom Map Serving Tray
Whether they love to host or just need something to complement their dining room table, this custom map tray is a great housewarming gift that can honor a special place in their life, whether it’s the place they met, the place they got married or the location of their new home. Each mango wood serving tray shows three square miles around whichever address you choose to feature.
Custom Map Serving Tray
Custom Map Serving Tray $65.00 at Uncommon Goods
Truff Hot Sauce Variety Pack
When you move from one place to another, you are often forced to leave behind staple condiments that are already open and risk spilling everywhere. This variety pack from artisanal condiment brand TRUFF includes three of its most popular truffle-infused hot sauces: The Original, HOTTER and White TRUFF. The hot sauces come in a sleek matte black box adorned with white foil letters.
TRUFF Hot Sauce Variety Pack
TRUFF Hot Sauce Variety Pack $65.00 at Amazon
TRUFF Hot Sauce Variety Pack $70.00 at Bloomingdales
TRUFF Hot Sauce Variety Pack $69.99 at TRUFF
Russ & Daughters New York Brunch
Before they unpack their kitchen, they’re going to need to rely on takeout and meals with minimal prep. If you want to help them out those first few weeks in the new house, surprise them with this lavish brunch delivery from Russ & Daughters that feeds up to six people, complete with 1 pound of smoked salmon, six bagels, 1 pound of cream cheese, a chocolate babka, 1 pound of coffee, a tote bag and a ceramic mug. It comes with free shipping and ships nationwide.
Russ & Daughters New York Brunch
Russ & Daughters New York Brunch $189.00 at Goldbelly
Blueland The Clean Essentials
If your friends or loved ones care about the environment, an eco-friendly cleaning set might be a good housewarming gift. According to experts we previously spoke to about eco-friendly cleaning products, there are two programs that the EPA runs to certify these products: Safer Choice and Design for the Environment. One of the most popular brands certified by Safer Choice is Blueland, which previously made an appearance on Shark Tank. The popular Clean Essentials set comes with four reusable bottles for hand soap, multi-surface cleaner, bathroom cleaner and glass + mirror cleaner and tablets for each.
Blueland The Clean Essentials
Blueland The Clean Essentials $39.00 at Blueland
Pothos Plant
Even if they’re not the most adept at keeping plants alive, they should be able to handle a low-maintenance indoor plant. Jean Berg, general manager of Philips Interior Plants & Displays, previously recommended the Pothos and noted that it can grow in virtually any indoor environment with medium to bright indirect light.
Pothos Plant
Pothos Plant $41.00 at The Sill
Fun housewarming gifts
Williams Sonoma Encore Bar Tool Set
This bar tool set has many of the essentials for making a cocktail — it comes with a strainer, a bottle opener, ice tongs, a stirring spoon, a double-sided jigger and a stand to neatly store everything. All of the tools are dishwasher-safe, too, so after they treat themselves or guests to drinks, clean-up is a breeze.
Williams Sonoma Encore Bar Tools Set
Williams Sonoma Encore Bar Tools Set $114.95 at Williams Sonoma
Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker
In our guide to the best ice cream makers, experts told us that an at-home ice cream machine can simplify the process. This one from Cuisinart can make ice cream, yogurt, sorbet and sherbet at the turn of a dial, and you can mix in and store your favorite toppings with the three condiment dispensers.
Cuisinart Mix It In Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker
Cuisinart Mix It In Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker $129.99 at Bed Bath and Beyond
Cuisinart Mix It In Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker $129.95 at Walmart
ROYAL CRAFT WOOD Luxury Bathtub Caddy
If they have a bathtub and enjoy unwinding in it, help them create a spa-like experience with a bath tray. This one is crafted from bamboo wood and is designed to hold a wine glass, book, tablet, candle and more. It’s fully adjustable, and the brand says it should fit in almost any bathtub.
ROYAL CRAFT WOOD Luxury Bathtub Caddy
ROYAL CRAFT WOOD Luxury Bathtub Caddy $44.97 at Amazon
ROYAL CRAFT WOOD Luxury Bathtub Caddy $49.97 at Wayfair
Ticket To Ride
One of our favorite board games for adults, Ticket to Ride is a fun game that requires players to build train routes across the country. A great option for families and couples alike, it can be played with anywhere from two to five players, and Lincoln Damerst, the director of media at BoardGameGeek, previously noted that it’s “super easy to digest.”
Ticket to Ride
Anker Nebula Projector
If the new homeowners you’re shopping for love to watch TV or stream movies, they might appreciate a projector. Amid quarantine, Select writer Hanna Horvath invested in an Anker Nebula Projector and it essentially replaced her TV. “This projector produces some of the highest quality images I’ve ever seen, and its speaker is omnidirectional, so it sounds like I have a surround-sound speaker setup in my room,” she said, also noting that it works well in bright light and has popular streaming apps pre-installed.
Anker Nebula Apollo Projector
BAUBLEBAR The Alpha Throw
A throw blanket can tie a living room together and make the space feel cozier and more welcoming. And this smiley face-patterned one from BAUBLEBAR can be customized with the first initials of each of their first names, giving it a subtle personalized touch.
BAUBLEBAR The Alpha Throw
BAUBLEBAR The Alpha Throw $78.00 at Bauble Bar
AeroGarden Harvest Elite
Not only will this indoor garden kit add some vibrant greenery to their home, but it will also provide them with fresh herbs or vegetables, depending on what they choose to grow. In our guide to indoor gardening kits, gardener Julie Bawden-Davis told us that AeroGarden has “the most advanced technology, especially in the area of lighting and hydroponics.”
AeroGarden Harvest Elite
AeroGarden Harvest Elite $129.95 at AeroGarden
CTFT Cheese Board and Knife Set
If they like to host, a charcuterie set could be a fun housewarming gift they’ll use often. Select writer Mili Godio uses this one from CTFT and appreciates that it has a hidden drawer where you can store the included charcuterie accessories. The bamboo board comes with four small cheese knives, two pieces of chalk and two slate labels you can use to identify your cheeses.
CTFT Cheese Board and Knife Set
CTFT Cheese Board and Knife Set $53.99 at Amazon
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