Photos gifts, a toilet paper cake, and a fire extinguisher are just some of the really unique Housewarming Gift Ideas new homeowners will love. Find more ideas in this post too.
For more gifts, check out all of our gift guides.
We had a housewarming party a few months after we moved into our new home. We had a backyard BBQ, bought some beer, and just wanted our old friends and new neighbors to come hang out. We didn’t want them to bring any housewarming gifts. Their presence was our presents, ya know?
But, people were so kind and bought us very nice and thoughtful gifts anyway. And, now, when I am invited to someone’s new place, I try my best to bring a thoughtful housewarming gift, regardless of if they’re having a party.
If you’re the same way, this post will help you. It’s filled with the best gifts for a new homeowner that are really unique and special. But, if all else fails, a bottle of wine and wine glasses to start to stock the bar works too.
For more gift ideas, be sure to check out our full Holiday Gift Guide. It’s broken down by category, and there’s more than just gifts for the holidays there.
10+ Unique Housewarming Gift Ideas
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Welcome Mat
When we moved into our home, we moved our old doormat with us. We had grown attached to it.
We actually moved two with us, but we had four options for doormat placements in our new home. So, we used a leftover carpet sample that the builders used to wipe their feet, and put that where a third and fourth doormat would go. A doormat (or two) would be have been a great housewarming gift idea.
There are a ton of doormat options online. Try and find one that fits your recipient’s humor (if they have one) or just go with a simple hello.
Fire Extinguisher
I had a long conversation once with a friend who told me a fire extinguisher was the perfect housewarming gift idea. I never thought about purchasing one in my life. When I lived at home, I assumed my parents had that covered. And when I lived in apartments, they came standard.
Not in this house. Not even though we had it built brand new.
We got a throw blanket, water bottles, and a gift card for pizza from the builder. All thoughtful ideas, but a fire extinguisher would have been a great gift, especially for someone who just purchased their first home.
Homemade Cutting Board
Pete made a cutting board from scrap wood when his dad bought a vacation house. If you have some leftover wood from another project, this is a great way to reuse it.
Plus, cutting boards are so popular right now since everyone is using those or a cheese board to make a charcuterie board. It’s a great addition to a new kitchen. So, what you actually could do is make a cutting board, fill it with charcuterie, bring it to the housewarming party, and then leave it as a gift.
What you could do instead of making one is purchase a cutting board engraved with your friend’s last name or address. Then, when the charcuterie is done, the host will realize its a gift for them and not a tray to return to you.
New Home Christmas Ornament
We get a new Christmas ornament every year to signify what’s going on in our lives. So of course, we had to have a new home Christmas ornament the year we bought our house.
That’s something your friends might not think about buying for themselves, especially if they’re not moving during the winter, so that’s a really cute idea. Plus, you can get their names on it, adding a super cute personal touch to your gift.
Storage Bins
Holy moly. I can’t even begin to count the number of fabric storage bins we have in this house. We have four in the laundry room, three in the linen closet, I have four in my office, we have one in our bathroom … there are a lot in our home because we could always use just a little bit more storage space and organization.
They’re also pretty non-committal storage containers when you’ve just moved into a home. You don’t know exactly where you are going to put things, so it’s easy to fill these bins and move them to another room if you’ve changed your mind. But no one really has a lot of storage bins, so gifting them is a great idea.
They come in different sizes and different colors, so you might want to mix and match a few packages (like solid pink with pink flamingos, for example) to give them a pop of fun.
Gift Cards
When we moved in, it was so much work to unpack everything and set up the house. The last thing I wanted to do was cook after an entire day of unpacking. That’s why it was so nice that our builder got us a gift card for pizza.
If you’re going to a housewarming party and you’re looking for some housewarming gifts, gift cards for fast food joints or local restaurants would be perfect. If you want to make them feel more personal, you could pair them with handwritten cards from you and your family.
If you’re getting a gift for someone who is moving to a town where you don’t live, find a restaurant online that is near their home and see if you can get a gift card from there. That would be really sweet.
Custom Return Address Stamp
I love gifting address stamps when people get engaged because it just makes the wedding planning process so much easier. Instead of having to print or hand write return addresses on save the dates, wedding invitations, and thank you cards, an address stamp works perfectly.
So I’m a huge fan of giving a personalized address stamp as a housewarming gift too.
Essential Oil Diffuser
An essential oil diffuser, like the Ceramic and Bamboo Diffuser above, is a really nice gift idea that people don’t really think about buying themselves. Depending on the oil blend you use, you can add tranquility or pep into your home.
Even if your gift recipient doesn’t know anything about essential oil blends, that’s fine. Essential oils help your home to smell nice, and that’s reason enough to gift one.
Homemade Photo Coasters
If your friend has posted photos of his or her new home on social media prior to the housewarming party, you can use those to make homemade photo coasters. I’ve made a set of coasters as a gift a variety of times and honestly, handmade housewarming gifts are always well received.
If your friend hasn’t posted any photos, you can take some during the party and then make the photo coasters after the party. Pair them with some fun coffee mugs to make the perfect present.
Personalized Wall Decor Sign
When we moved into our house, all the walls were brand new. So I didn’t want to hang anything on our walls at all. If your friends are a little less nervous about holes in the wall, personalized wall decor signs are the perfect housewarming gift idea.
If you specifically want this one with the family name and state, you can order it here. If you just want to browse, you can find a bunch of personalize wall decor signs online. Side note: Unless you’re shopping for your best friend or a close family member, though, I would avoid home decor. You don’t want them to feel obligated to hang something that just doesn’t mesh with their style.
Just keep in mind that personalized gifts take longer to arrive than something that’s generic and you can pick up in store on the morning of the party. So this one takes a little foresight on your part.
Board Games
We love having game night at home. And when you have a new home, you definitely want to have things to do at home. Board games are perfect.
You can purchase your favorite and then write a note saying you’ll come over for game night with snacks when your friend is settled. If you don’t have a game in mind, check out our list of Board Games For Families and pick something off there.
DIY Housewarming Toilet Paper Roll Cake
If you’re more into DIY housewarming gift ideas, this DIY Housewarming Toilet Paper Roll Cake is perfect. It’s filled with a ton of essentials that your friend will actually need in his or her new house.
And toilet paper. Lots of toilet paper. But other than that, you can really fill it with anything household related, which actually turns into a really frugal gift if you’re a couponer with a stockpile.
This is a really good housewarming gift if you’re someone who is helping your friend move. See, usually people pack their bathrooms and forget to leave things like body wash and toothpaste somewhere accessible. So now, when bedtime rolls around, they’re digging through stacked boxes in the garage, trying to find contact solution. Having it all in this gift just makes those first few nights in a new space a little easier.
House Portrait Art
My parents moved from our home in New York a few years ago, and every so often, I have a friend who drives by and sends me a photo of the house. It gives me such nostalgia … and a bit of sadness that I can’t see the house every day.
How fun would it be if you could?
Minted makes House Portrait Art. You upload your photo and a custom line drawing will be created from it. You can also choose to add text, so you can add the address. It will be a touching way for a family to remember their last residence or their new home.
Purchase Housewarming Gifts Online:
These aren’t all the fun housewarming gifts online. We had to omit some, like the Housewarming Cookies above. For more ideas, check out the following online stores:
Be sure to check a store’s cart minimum to qualify for free shipping. Also, consider instore or curbside pickup to avoid shipping charges.
What other housewarming gift ideas do you have? Be sure to leave them for us in the comments.