Housewarming gift: 18 ideas that hit the mark

Give something practical, something edible, or something they choose themselves. The classic mistake is to give decorations: new homeowners already have their own plans for how it should look, and a vase in the wrong style ends up in a cupboard.

Typical price range is 300–800 kroner alone, 1,000–2,000 if several chip in.

• A toolbox or a good drill. First-time buyers quickly discover that pictures don’t hang themselves.
• Proper kitchen towels and pot holders. Boring, used daily, never bought by people themselves.
• Fire extinguishers and smoke alarms. Unpoetic, but one of the few things people forget in the moving chaos.
• Storage baskets. New homes always have one room too few.
• A good kitchen knife. The one thing people rarely treat themselves to.
• Light bulbs in the right colour. Sounds silly, but saves the first evening.

• Dinner on the first night. Delivered to the door, while the kitchen is still in boxes. The most appreciated gift on the list.
• A box of basics. Coffee, salt, oil, washing-up liquid – everything you realise you’re missing at eleven o’clock at night.
• Good olive oil or proper coffee. The things they don’t buy themselves.
• A bottle to toast with. The classic, and still good.
• Something homemade. Jam, bread, a pot for the freezer.

• A sturdy potted plant. Not one that dies from being looked at – people who’ve just moved in have enough to think about.
• Herbs for the kitchen window. Makes a new kitchen feel lived-in in five minutes.
• Something for the balcony or garden. If they’ve got one for the first time, that’s often where the joy lies.

This is often the smartest choice. In the weeks after moving, the list of needs changes daily, and what they’re missing in week three no one knew on moving day.

• Gift cards where they choose the store themselves. Covers everything from interiors to hardware to food.
• A contribution to something specific. “This is for the sofa” turns an amount into a gift.
• A promise of work hours. Painting, assembly, moving load. Worth more than most objects.
• Babysitting while they renovate. For families with young children, this is the best gift there is.

If you’re invited to someone’s home for dinner or a housewarming, we’re talking host gift – and it should be small. Flowers, wine, chocolate or something edible, in the range of £15–40.

The most common mistake is giving too much. A big gift in this setting creates discomfort rather than joy, because the host feels indebted.

1. 1

   Congratulations on your new home! Hope you have many lovely evenings here.

2. 2

   To the new house – may it be filled with mess, laughter and far too many guests.

3. 3

   Congratulations on moving in! Let me know when you need someone to carry something heavy.

4. 4

   New home, new start. So lovely for you both. Congratulations!

5. 5

   Hope you find the coffee maker first. Congratulations on your new home!

If the recipient is the type who buys everything themselves, gift for the person who has everything is written just for that. If you’re going in together, explain joint gift how you organise it – and how to wrap a gift card if the gift is to be presented at the party.