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We’ll be the first to admit it: Finding the perfect housewarming gifts is no easy feat. While popping by their place with a bottle of wine is a welcome gesture, we know you can do better. Should you err on the side of practicality, say with something that will be immediately useful to them and help them with any projects they take on? Or do you opt for decorative — a little picture frame or greenery to cozy up the space? Consider the new homeowner you’re buying for, but either is a solid bet to help them move in since wishlist fixes and decorating are often among the last things to get done.
With that in mind, we’ve gathered a selection of housewarming gifts in both veins. Whether the newly propertied friend or family member you’re buying for is a plant lover, a DIYer, or a newlywed, you should find something for them here. Our list features a mix of fun, sentimental, and practical finds, including pet-friendly plants, gift cards to make meal prep one less thing for them to worry about while they settle in, and unique finds that make their home truly their own.
Click and Grow’s indoor herb garden is a clever gift that gives your recipient the right tools to grow fresh herbs and veggies year-round. It comes with a supply of basil pods and can grow up to three plants at once.
The system is self-watering and features lights that automatically turn on and off, so it takes some of the fussing and guesswork out of gardening.
It’s also a win for the space-conscious recipient. “I particularly appreciate the size and sleekness of this indoor garden, featuring a clean white exterior and a reasonable 5-by-12-inch size that doesn’t occupy too much table space in a tiny apartment,” shares our contributing editor Zarah Kavarana in her review.
For treating the home cook to something super nice, we love gifting one of Minted’s stylish aprons. Also available in kids’ sizes, these aprons even have the option to add a personalized embossed tag for free. Complete the gift with a nice pair of oven mitts, too.
They’ve probably been using old take-out containers as food storage for far too long. Enter: Anyday Microwave Cookware. This set includes two frosted glass bowls and locking glass lids.
Everything can go in the microwave to heat up or cook food as needed. Both bowls in the Starter Set are a happy medium size for storing dinner leftovers and transporting them to work for lunch the next day.
Banish the bloodsuckers from their backyard with this grapefruit-size gadget. it creates a scent-free, 15-foot barrier against mosquitoes. And it can run for 6-7 hours on a charge and comes with a cartridge that lasts for 12 hours.
“It’s an easy-to-operate device that’s rechargeable, easy to refill, and wonderfully effective at repelling mosquitoes,” writes our senior electronics editor, Brandon Carte, in his review.
Add a layer of cozy to their living room with this lightweight knit throw. “Its simple seed stitch is stretchy, lightly nubby, and way more pet-friendly than a chunky-knit blanket,” says Yates in our review of the best throw blankets. It’s available in a range of colors to match their new home aesthetic.
New home calls for new slippers. This pair is made of breathable cotton, so your recipient can keep their toes covered and dry. It’s available in tons of colors to match their new home’s look. They’re also, blessedly, machine-washable.
“It’s so comfy and really helps with supporting my feet when I’m wearing them around the house,” shared one reviewer on Amazon. “I also love that I can throw them in the washing machine.”
This set of doorknobs from Anthropologie makes a thoughtful housewarming gift. Each knob is made from mother-of-pearl and brass to give cabinets, drawers, or wherever they decide to place it a vintage look.
“I am in love with these knobs!” raves a reviewer online. “They transform my kitchen cabinets. I get so many compliments on them. Total eye candy.”
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For the Long-Distance Bestie
Nuttysparks Should Have Moved Closer Scented Soy Candle
If your friend bought a home across the country without considering you, this gift will let them know how you really feel about their move. It’s available in multiple scents and comes in three sizes.
Said one reviewer on Etsy: “I bought this for my BFF because she just moved into her first apartment. She absolutely loved it and thought the label was hilarious. I bought the sage and lavender scent and she said it smelled like a hug.”
This pet-friendly plant is easy to care for, given it doesn’t require a lot of light. For plant lovers and especially not-so-green thumbs, it makes a nice gift.
I sent this to a close friend who recently moved, and she loves it. She mentioned it arrived intact with minor soil spillage and is easy to maintain.
You know that feeling when you find something so perfect and versatile for someone’s new place that you just want to buy one for yourself? That’s how we feel about this entertaining serving tray. It’s stylish enough to impress but also super useful for serving up snacks or keeping things tidy — making it a housewarming gift that just keeps on giving.
This is a another housewarming gift that’ll put dinner on the table in a timely manner — or at least with minimal fuss. The Instant Pot Duo 6-Quart Programmable Pressure Cooker is beloved by thousands of reviewers.
This slow cooker also works as a pressure cooker, rice cooker, yogurt maker, and steamer. All of these presets can be programmed with just the push of a button, which sets the time and temp automatically. Its lid clamps on for a tight (and safe) seal.
Make their (move-in) day by getting them the essential oil diffuser that they’ve seen in every chic home goods store. The Vitruvi Stone Diffuser is a petite 5 inches tall and holds 90 milliliters of water.
It has a 4- or 8-hour run time and an LED light band at its base that they can turn on or off whether they want additional ambience. We recommend also getting them the Pacific oil blend for a thoughtful gift combo.
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For the Homeowner Determined to Leave No Stains
Bissell Little Green Multi-Purpose Portable Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner
Keep the carpets and rugs in their new place looking pristine with this popular cleaner. The Little Green Portable Carpet Cleaner is a small, 17-inch-wide device that makes it easy to shampoo and remove stains from carpeted stairs and fabric upholstery. Its cleaning nozzle moistens, shampoos, and dries the area in just minutes.
“The affordable price point and compact size of Bissell’s Little Green carpet cleaner gives it two thumbs up in my book,” shared Katherine Pittman in her review.
Instead of giving sweets on top of more sweets to the new homeowners, try a gift credit to Daily Harvest. It’s one of our favorite meal-subscription services because the frozen, single-portion meals are all healthy, delicious, and easy to prepare in the microwave, stovetop, or blender. And the variety is impressive.
The brand’s harvest bowls, flatbreads, and smoothies are also convenient for busy people or new parents who have no time to cook.
Whether you want to commemorate their new state of residence or give a shout-out to the one they’re from, these kitchen towels from Uncommon Goods are fun tributes.
They showcase colorful illustrations accompanied by a poem touting the state and what makes it special.
This collection of hard-to-kill plants from Bloomscape — including a sansevieria, hoya, and ZZ plant — helps to liven up a windowsill or office space in their new pad with a bit of color. And, so as not to clash with their decor or paint scheme, you can choose between three different colors for their included planters.
Help brighten up their brand-new kitchen with this cutting board. We’re fans of Material’s reBoards because they’re cute, colorful, BPA-free, and made entirely of kitchen plastic scraps and renewable sugarcane. They can take a rough chopping, too — we use ours almost nightly, and it doesn’t look warped and worn.
Give them this olive oil in the hopes that they’ll break it out for the next party they invite you to. It’s made in the Peloponnese region of southern Greece, and, as we say in our review of Kosterina’s Olive Oil, it’s almost drinkably good.
It’s great for bread dipping or for tossing in a salad — even for drizzling atop vanilla ice cream. Don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it.
This Kardashian-level electric kettle is the best housewarming gift for the gadget lover who prefers tea over coffee. “The next-generation Stagg EKG Pro brings a full suite of features to tinker with (like chime loudness, hold-temp length, altitude adjustment, etc.), all from a beautiful high-resolution screen,” says our senior service editor, Melanie Yates in her review.
Using the knob on its base, they can toggle through numerous brew settings on its full-color screen. When not in use, this same screen stays on to display the time, either analog- or digital-style. (It can even play a secret video game.)
While dropping off a bottle of wine is a little bit blah as a housewarming gift, getting them a Vinebox is a very different story. This advent calendar-style tasting sampler contains 12 glass tubes that all hold a generous pour.
Certified sommeliers selected the reds, whites, and rosés in this box, so you know your giftee is getting the top-shelf stuff.
Allison Robicelli is a writer, author and media personality based in Baltimore, Maryland. After years in the food industry, she hung up her chef’s whites in favor of a laptop where she now writes about food and other things, with bylines in the Washinton Post, Taste of Home, and more. In her spare time she collects 1970s polka LPs and porcelain fish.
Elisabeth Narine is the Associate Editor, Reviews at Best Products, where she spends her time interviewing experts and scouring the internet for the best gift ideas for every occasion. Her work can also be found on BuzzFeed and Forbes Vetted. She uses her love of shopping, pop culture, and cooking to help guide her search for the perfect gift.