Housewarming gifts?

[fireheart]

So I'm going to have an interesting situation occurring very soon, concerning my boyfriend, his family and a friend of mine.

Current housing situation:

Friend: Lives with a group of guys in a sharehouse. I have not met her housemates, but she liked it because she was close to work and back in the metro area!

Boyfriend + family (sans sister): Living in a beautiful old house with a $360 per-week rent.

Boyfriend's sister: Living in independent care a couple of towns over. (She has an intellectual disability)

The situation is going to change to this:

Boyfriend: Staying in the house he's in now.

Boyfriend's family: Moving into a new house in the same town as his sister. Sister will continue to live in the independent living setup.

Friend: Moving in with boyfriend and a soon-to-be-determined third housemate (not me).

We've established that I do not make enough to support myself financially, my boyfriend cannot support two people financially yet and I also would prefer to have the support of family, friends and colleagues when I go on my teaching placement next year near home. My boyfriend and I have also talked over the whole living arrangement at this stage to ensure that we're both comfortable with it. I'll continue my visits up there and possibly make arrangements to get work up there as well.

So now begs the important question....what the hell do I get them for housewarming gifts?! Does anyone have any suggestions?! So far all I can think of is candles.

[Kittish]

Kitchen and hand towels might be good, and/or potholders if you know they cook fairly often.

[MaggieTheCat]

I know it sounds boring, but a gift card to Bed Bath & Beyond, Amazon, Target, etc. is usually welcome. That way they can get something they need and not end up with a lot of duplicate items (either because they already had whatever you got them, or multiple people get them the same item as a housewarming gift.)

[AccountingDrone]

I will second the gift card - it is a bit impersonal but it does let them get exactly what they need.

Although I did once get someone a . It was part of a private joke between us - I had a house sort of infested with squirrels that would sit on the roof over the back door and drop acorns on people, and they just loved bombing him every time he came over. So when he bought his first house, I got him a squirrel bell for people to ring instead of the normal boring buzzer.

[auntiem]

Since it is fall, I would say a crock pot. Nothing makes a house seem like a home more than a stew going most of the day on Sunday.
Otherwise - do you know what his folks are taking with them (toaster, all the towels, throws)? If they are leaving him without something specific then I would "replace" that item.

[fireheart]

Since it is fall, I would say a crock pot. Nothing makes a house seem like a home more than a stew going most of the day on Sunday.
Otherwise - do you know what his folks are taking with them (toaster, all the towels, throws)? If they are leaving him without something specific then I would "replace" that item.

It's spring over here (Aussie flips the seasons around).

As far as I know, they are taking most of the furniture. His housemate is contributing a fridge and he's getting a couch and a tv cheap from his aunt. His parents are leaving behind a tv rack.

I am going to find out what his housemate is going to bring along with her, but otherwise it will be a massive run to ikea and purchasing apple corers (I'm already purchasing one for work as the play group keeps stealing it)

[TheSHAD0W]

Is there a Cracker Barrel restaurant anywhere near you? Not only is their food good, but their gift shop has some interesting things, and they usually have a clearance section in the corner where everything is 50% off, or better.

[Aethian]

Is there a Cracker Barrel restaurant anywhere near you? Not only is their food good, but their gift shop has some interesting things, and they usually have a clearance section in the corner where everything is 50% off, or better.

Cracker Barrel isn't in Australia as far as I know. But I agree with the food.

[KatherineB]

I have found that a great housewarming present is what I call the 'Where the F**** is it?' box. It's a box made of bits and pieces you can never find when you want it. I buy a cheap plastic tub (or several of different sizes) and go through a $2 shop/hardware shop, filling it with useful things you can never find when you need them. For instance:

* Batteries
* Light globes
* Sticky tape/masking tape
* Pens
* Small flashlight
* Safety pins
* Handful of tap washers
* Multi-use tool

They can then personalise it with things that suit their particular house. You can usually put the collection together for less than $50 and it seems quite popular. If you're feeling arty, you can even decorate it.

[Sapphire Silk]

Practical gifts are best for a new home.

A gift card is a great idea, but if that's too impersonal try the basics:

1. Cleaning supplies. When I bought my house, one of my friends gave me ammonia, bleach, vinegar, wipes, scrub brushes, and other cleaning stuff so I could get the place spiffed up nice as soon as I moved in. She also gave me a new broom, dust broom, and dust pan. They were all most welcome.

2. Dishtowels and dishrages, and dish soap, a drying rack (if no dishwaster).

3. Bath towels, washclothes, hand clothes. Bath rug. Shower liner, shower mat.

4. Swiffer.

5. Curtains or other window treatments.

6. Kitchen utensils for cooking (I still have most of mine from when I moved out of my parents house).

[fireheart]

I have found that a great housewarming present is what I call the 'Where the F**** is it?' box. It's a box made of bits and pieces you can never find when you want it. I buy a cheap plastic tub (or several of different sizes) and go through a $2 shop/hardware shop, filling it with useful things you can never find when you need them. For instance:

* Batteries
* Light globes
* Sticky tape/masking tape
* Pens
* Small flashlight
* Safety pins
* Handful of tap washers
* Multi-use tool

They can then personalise it with things that suit their particular house. You can usually put the collection together for less than $50 and it seems quite popular. If you're feeling arty, you can even decorate it.

I might try this one. Currently I can never find:

-Scissors
-The house phone (we are not getting one, however my partner is getting a discount through work for the internet)
-Bath towels
-Pens!

By multi-use tool, do you mean swiss army knife?

Practical gifts are best for a new home.

A gift card is a great idea, but if that's too impersonal try the basics:

1. Cleaning supplies. When I bought my house, one of my friends gave me ammonia, bleach, vinegar, wipes, scrub brushes, and other cleaning stuff so I could get the place spiffed up nice as soon as I moved in. She also gave me a new broom, dust broom, and dust pan. They were all most welcome.

I was tossing up getting them each an IKEA card and letting them solve it, but this is better

3. Bath towels, washclothes, hand clothes. Bath rug. Shower liner, shower mat.

Was going to be another possibility on my list.

4. Swiffer.

Is that the thing that looks like a broom without bristles that gets swept over the floor?

5. Curtains or other window treatments.

House already has these.

6. Kitchen utensils for cooking (I still have most of mine from when I moved out of my parents house).

Friend is a chef and has most of these, but I'll check with her.

[KatherineB]

I might try this one. Currently I can never find:

-Scissors
-The house phone (we are not getting one, however my partner is getting a discount through work for the internet)
-Bath towels
-Pens!

By multi-use tool, do you mean swiss army knife?

Either that or one of those things that has all different sized wrenches/spanner heads, or hex/allen keys, or something like this:

http://www.bunnings.com.au/trojan-multi-tool_p5520099

Whatever you fancy, really!

[Seshat]

Although I did once get someone a .

I LOVE this sort of doorbell.

It can be rung loudly enough to do the job; it doesn't hurt anyone's hands to knock on the door, it never runs out of batteries.....

[fireheart]

Thanks for the advice guys!

Ultimately I went with the "where the fuck is it" box, now with bonus blackout pack!

Basically, the blackout pack is a bunch of tea lights, a torch, tea light holders and matches. Originally it was going to be taper candles until I realised that taper candles do not keep well when unused for long periods, whereas tea lights don't have that problem as such. Also finding candlesticks was expensive!

As for what else is in the box, there are pens, scissors (ironically I had to buy another pair of scissors to cut open the pack I bought elsewhere), several different kinds of tape and batteries.