House Warming Gift Ideas

Moving from city to city is a natural part of modern life, especially for younger people or professionals who find themselves moving for work. This is an exciting time centered around putting a new life together somewhere unfamiliar and setting up a new home starting with an empty house or apartment. Of course, all the fun parts of moving go to the people who are actually moving away. For parents watching their young-adult children take flight or friends parting as life separates your paths, this can be a bitter-sweet experience.

While you wish them well, all too often you find yourself thinking of your missing friend, child, or relative often and one of the best things to do is to send them a house-warming gift. The process of thoughtfully choosing the gift, sending it to their new address, and imagining their delight at opening your care package can help create closure and brighten their probably stressful moving experience. But the question is… what to send?

House-warming gifts from a distance are different from when someone throws a housewarming party for themselves. You may not feel that a bottle of wine, flowers, or a small glass sculpture are appropriate. But we have a few ideas that will both be fun to send and enjoyable for your missing someone to open while they’re still surrounded by half-unpacked boxes.

1) Throw Blanket in Their Favorite Colors

The key to sending the perfect house-warming gift is to imagine yourself in the same experience. Boxes everywhere, nothing properly unpacked, and probably not enough furniture. At the same time, you also don’t want to be redundant by sending them a toaster or toilet brush if they already have one. Therefore, our first suggestion is a beautifully soft throw blanket in their favorite colors, possibly with a matching pillow. You can never have too many throw blankets and it might just make their first few nights more comfortable until the bedding can be unpacked and washed.

2) Cupcakes in Jars

Eating in a new home can be tricky and often involves a lot of pizza or take-out while the kitchen is still mostly packed up and under-stocked. But one thing it’s nearly impossible to get delivered with your pizza or Chinese food is fresh delicious cupcakes. If you want to help your distant friend or relative with that killer baked-goods craving while their pans are still packed, their favorite flavor of Cupcakes in a Jar can be the perfect gift to arrive on their newly welcome-matted doorstep. They are even packed with a spoon and napkin to ensure that even if the recipient hasn’t found their silverware yet, they can dig into delectable fresh cupcakes while thinking of you.

3) USB Movie Mix-Tape

Of course, not all housewarming gifts need to be bought. If you have a great collection of digital media, remember that your friend is probably dying of boredom if they don’t have cable or WiFi set up in the new place yet. But they do probably have at least one USB-ready device. Load up a large-capacity USB drive with all their favorite movies and music and send it with a care package in the decades-old tradition of mix-tapes. No doubt, your friend or relative will greatly appreciate your thought and the entertainment your gift provides.

4) Sturdy Potted Plant

Finally, don’t forget how mood-lifting something as simple as a potted plant can be. If your friend has moved out to their new place alone, an empty home or apartment can be pretty lonely. While sending them a puppy might be a bit much, another living thing can be a silent comforting companion. Snake plants are great stand-up leafy options or you can send them everything they need for a succulent terrarium kit instead. Both are easy to take care of and lovely to look at.