Many people are using the upheaval of the last several months to rethink their living situation. People are moving out of cities, back home, or are even taking advantage of the opportunity to purchase a home for the first time.
If you have a friend or family member that has recently purchased a house for sale, there are many ways you can celebrate their accomplishment. Unfortunately, visiting for an in-person house tour and celebration might not be possible right now. COVID-19 has and continues to throw many of our plans for 2020 out the window.
However, just because in-house visits aren’t possible doesn’t mean that this kind of life milestone should go unremarked and uncelebrated. Going for a brief, socially distanced visit and bringing a meaningful gift is a great way to mark their accomplishment.
Our Favourite Housewarming Gifts
As experienced Windsor real estate agents, we’ve seen all sorts of housewarming gifts in our time on this job, and have some pretty good ideas for what works, and what will get thrown out at the first opportunity.
Here are some suggestions for great gifts to bring to friends or family who just moved into a new home.
1. A Magazine Subscription
Nothing makes a person feel more settled in a new home than when they get mail there for the first time. Instead of letting the first mail in their new home be a bill, buy them a magazine subscription to a fun or educational publication.
Sure, many people read the news online these days, but that only makes a printed magazine feel that much more indulgent. Most magazines cost less than $1 per month when you buy an annual subscription, which is much cheaper than buying them at the pharmacy or grocery store, even if you only do it a few times a year.
2. Metal Straws
Everyone should be using reusable straws instead of single-use plastic, but it can be hard to make the switch when you have a 500-pack of plastic Ikea straws burning a hole in your cabinet. Most disposables like that don’t survive moves away, so take the opportunity to help your loved ones start fresh with a beautiful set of glass or metal straws.
For an even greater gift, purchase a pack with a few different sizes, plus a small cleaning brush to ensure their new, environmentally friendly straws aren’t collecting unwanted debris on the inside.
3. A Kitchen Scale
Once you make the switch to using a kitchen scale, you can never go back. For less than $50, you can purchase a digital scale that’s widely considered one of the best and easiest to use on the market. It’s a great gift for anyone who loves to bake, and makes measuring light ingredients like flour, sugar, and grated cheese a breeze.
4. A Wi-Fi Extender
Moving into a larger house can make it difficult for homeowners to access fast and reliable Wi-Fi in every corner of their home. If they only have one router, it can limit the availability and speed of their Wi-Fi as they move throughout the house.
A Wi-Fi extender amplifies the existing Wi-Fi signal, then rebroadcasts it so it’s easy to access in all corners of the house. This is an especially great gift for people who are working remotely, and is exactly the type of gift that most people wouldn’t think to buy for themselves.
5. A Houseplant
The next time you’re tempted to gift a bouquet of flowers for a special occasion, opt for a house plant instead. It’s much more environmentally friendly and adds a boost of colour and texture to any living space.
However, it isn’t just the beauty of house plant that’s worth celebrating. Did you know that some houseplants have also been shown to remove airborne toxins, boosting the air quality of a home? One NASA study found that common house plants like snake plants, Gerbera daisies, Chinese evergreens, and spider plants use their leaves, roots, and soil to clean the ambient air of pollutants like cigarette smoke, organic solvents, and more.
6. A Set of Tools
A new set of tools can help your loved ones settle into their home, and make the transition into homeownership much easier. You can purchase and assemble the components of your toolset separately, or opt for a toolset from a brand like Stanley or Mastercraft. If you don’t know where to start, the salespeople at your local hardware store can help you find the best tools to buy.
7. A Beautiful Soap Dispenser
Everyone is spending more and more of their time washing their hands lately. A beautiful soap dispenser goes a long way towards keeping your loved ones protected, while ensuring that they can use whatever soap they prefer. Opt for a dispenser with a traditional spout, one that dispenses a cloud of foamed soap, or even one that uses a touchless infrared sensor to release soap automatically.
8. A Cast-Iron Skillet
A cast-iron skillet is an essential building block for any kitchen. If your loved ones don’t have one already, gift them a skillet in the most common 12-inch size. Lodge makes some of the most inexpensive and widely available cast iron skillets on the market today, so they’re a great choice if you want to order online.
If they already have a cast-iron skillet that they love using, expand their selection with a pair of tiny 3.5” skillets that are perfect for cooking eggs, or opt for a useful casserole dish, pizza pan, or pie plate molded from solid cast iron.
9. A Beautiful Cutting Board
Everyone should have a beautiful cutting board that would be equally at home on their kitchen counter, or on a dinner table. Make sure the one you choose to gift can withstand heavy use, and can be refinished with natural oil or food-grade wax to restore its shine once it’s gotten dull.
- An Outdoor Heater
Many people are worried that this winter will mark a drop in social activities, as cold weather pushes us inside our homes, unable to gather in groups outdoors. A great way to fight against this is with an outdoor heater, which allows people to socialize outdoors comfortably. You can read more tips for buying the best available outdoor heater here.
Tired of always being the one gifting housewarming gifts? If you’ve been thinking about investing in a new home, get in touch with our team of Windsor real estate agents today. We’d love to help make your dreams of a new home a reality.
