Do people bring house warming gifts anymore?

[Kahana-ri]

We've always given a Home Depot or Lowes gift card. A new home could always use a new hose, trash can, paint, etc. The gift card has always been so well received and greatly appreciated.

 

[*JoGo*]

I've decided to have a housewarming party and invite you guys! Gifts are not expected, but appreciated -after all, I know what gifts you said you'd bring. Thank you cards will be sent, but I will not ask you to write your name on an envelope for me- the least I can do is write an address after you've bought me a gift! There will be vegetarian and gluten free food items... Lettuce. We are eating lettuce. For the meat eaters, there will be bacon!

 

[Iri920]

I went to a housewarming party a few weeks ago and filled a jar with things like dish soap, magic erasers, white dish towels, and other things to use around the house. The homeowner loved it and said it would come in really handy. I got the idea from this website. http://www.julieblanner.com/2011/08/housewarming-gift.html

 

[honeydiane1953]

One thing that really irked my Mom(deceased) was when a couple has lived together for a few years then gets married and expects gifts. She said if they had already "set up" housekeeping they should have things. Folks used to have a wedding THEN move in together.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Since it is the first home they have owned together, if I knew they celebrated Christmas, I would get a dated Christmas ornament that says something about "our first house." I would add it to a basket of "useful" items like the cleaning supplies someone mentioned above or some wine and cheeses (tie the ornament on the bow, etc--so that there is a lasting memento but otherwise things are easily used and needed.

 

[Ceila]

One thing that really irked my Mom(deceased) was when a couple has lived together for a few years then gets married and expects gifts. She said if they had already "set up" housekeeping they should have things. Folks used to have a wedding THEN move in together.

What does that have to do with the OP's question? The couple just bought their first house and the OP is wondering what she could give them as a housewarming gift. There was no mention of them expecting gifts, and the OP referred to them as already married (not that it should matter, anyway).

 

[Bren's Mom]

I think 'new neighbor' welcoming gifts are different from 'housewarming' which might not be someone in your neighborhood, that's more friends and family.

But anyway, if I were invited to a housewarming and truly had no clue what the recipient liked I'd get a Lowes or Home Depot gift card. Because when you own a house you ALWAYS need something from there. If I knew them better I might get some kitchen towels, or guest bath towels. Candle or other accessory item. A gc from a favorite decorating type store (I love Home Goods, my sister loves Pottery Barn, that sort of thing). Entertaining-type food is always good, like gourmet dip mixes. Alcohol is you're sure they drink. (We have like 47 bottles of red wine we've been given, neither of us drinks red wine so it's 'aging' LOL.)

For new neighbors I bring a plate of brownies or cookies, a menu for our local, yummiest pizza delivery place, and a card with our names (first and last), address, phone # and kids names/ages.

 

[hops&dreams]

My favorite gift to give a new homeowner is a Door Knocker with their last name engraved on it. I normally get them at Things Remembered for under $50. Or, if it's near Christmas time, I'll give them a "first Christmas in our home" type-ornament. We have ours, and our friends had a calligrapher print our street address on it very pretty. (just the 123 Main Street part.)

Another one would be a welcome mat - If they're geeky, you can get them one from thinkgeek.com (they have some clever ones "There's no place like 128.0.0.1")

The most useful stuff we got when we bought our house were tools - Stuff we didn't need in an apt, but needed when we had a house. DH had a lot of tools before we got the house, but as a homeowner, you need even MORE. Shovels, rakes, fertilizer spreader, weed wacker, gardening stuff (trowel, pots, weed-takey-out-y thing, spikey thing that breaks up clumps of dirt - as you can see, I'm very garden-y!) Snow shovels, ladders, step stools. Then there's the entertaining stuff - patio set, cornhole boards, swing set/swings for DD. (house had a swingset, we had to get new swings and DH had to make a new ladder for the slide).

MIL was a dream when we moved in... That Christmas, she gave us gardening tools, a better snow shovel, and a gift card to a home improvement store. That gift card was PERFECT!!!!!!! It seemed that first month, all of our extra money was going toward getting something else at the HOpe Depot (closest to our house), Menards (2nd closest), or Lowes (closest to DH's work - he ran over during lunch!). There was always something we needed to get another thing checked off our "to do" list - wanted to clean the gutters, needed a ladder. Wanted to clean out the flower beds, needed spade, shovel (I now know the difference!), and wheelbarrow. Wanted to wash the car - Needed a hose!!!

When neighbors move in on our block/cul-du-sac, I normally bring over some kind of food. Sometimes it's a dinner, but usually, it's a dessert. Last neighbors, I brought a pie. They came down a week later to ask for the recipe.

 

[scbelleatheart]

I have 3 birdfeeders and no poop on my cars. Just lots of happy birds.

I give birdfeeders and hummingbird feeders

I said that in jest! Bird feeders are not the culprit. Trees are!

 

[pixiewings71]

We usually give a bottle of wine and maybe some glasses and chocolates. Always well received.

 

[beaucoup]

My neighbors bird feeders caused us to get mice per the exterminator. My new cats got rid of the mice ........ And they are working on getting rid of the birds.