Housewarming gift- what did I end up getting?

[kimblebee]

My daughter and her boyfriend just moved into their new apartment today. They have lived together before, first with five other people out in B.C, and for the last six months they lived at home with his parents. This apartment will be just the two of them.

She is 19, 20 in October and he is 22 or 23 in September. They’ve been together for four years and are a great match. He’s a great kid and I’ll be thrilled if he joins the family at some point.

They are set for furniture, and have all the pots and pans and small kitchen stuff they need. They’re both artsy so I don’t want to pick a vase or picture that might not be in their taste. I saw a lot of suggestions for wine glasses and cheese cutting sets and that’s just not them. Funny coasters would be appreciated but I want to do more than that.

Im thinking of just sending an Amazon gift card so they can pick out something they want, I just don’t want it to be seen as impersonal.

Despite both of them being the age of majority, they’re still kids lol. They do both work full time, and my daughter is going to school when it reopens to be a nail tech for a few years. Then, she’ll get serious about choosing a career. Her boyfriend is a chef in a kitchen with a good reputation.

so, having said that, any ideas for a gift or am I just better off sending a gift card and letting them pick what they know they need? I don’t care what they use it for, the only stipulation is that’s it’s not for $50 of junk food lol

 

[tarheelmjfan]

It would depend on your budget, but I would consider high quality cookware, cutlery or sheets. Many people waste money on continually replacing those items, because they purchase low quality to save money. For a cheaper option, you could buy a "Welcome to Our Home" mat that reflects their personality & include a GC that fits within your budget.

 

[ronandannette]

My daughter and her boyfriend just moved into their new apartment today. They have lived together before, first with five other people out in B.C, and for the last six months they lived at home with his parents. This apartment will be just the two of them.

She is 19, 20 in October and he is 22 or 23 in September. They’ve been together for four years and are a great match. He’s a great kid and I’ll be thrilled if he joins the family at some point.

They are set for furniture, and have all the pots and pans and small kitchen stuff they need. They’re both artsy so I don’t want to pick a vase or picture that might not be in their taste. I saw a lot of suggestions for wine glasses and cheese cutting sets and that’s just not them. Funny coasters would be appreciated but I want to do more than that.

Im thinking of just sending an Amazon gift card so they can pick out something they want, I just don’t want it to be seen as impersonal.

Despite both of them being the age of majority, they’re still kids lol. They do both work full time, and my daughter is going to school when it reopens to be a nail tech for a few years. Then, she’ll get serious about choosing a career. Her boyfriend is a chef in a kitchen with a good reputation.

so, having said that, any ideas for a gift or am I just better off sending a gift card and letting them pick what they know they need? I don’t care what they use it for, the only stipulation is that’s it’s not for $50 of junk food lol

Kids today? Unless you know of a specific thing they really, really want, just go with a gift card. That's what most of them have been accustomed to getting since they were old enough to shop for themselves.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

We usually give a gift card with a nice, handwritten note. Generally choose Target over Amazon, just because something always breaks during a move, so the Target card allows the couple to run to the nearest store to pick out a replacement/upgrade they like. If stores haven't opened up yet where they are, then Amazon might be better.

 

[cvjw]

I just give my young adult sons cash. Then they can use it on whatever they want/need.

 

[leebee]

DD is setting up her own place, too. We were at Target yesterday, looking for kitchen utensils (STBXH kept most of their stuff) and the walls are pretty bare. I'd think about ordering something online, or giving them a gift card to Amazon.

If I were purchasing something, I'd look for some higher-end kitchen knives. These are reasonably expensive, and if he's a cook, he'll probably appreciate having some decent knives at home. Depending on your budget, you could get anything from a decent chef's knife or carving knife, all the way up to a great knife set in a block.

 

[mousefan73]

I already know what I’m getting my kids as their first housewarming gift when they finally get a place of their own. I’m gonna make a gift basket out of a cleaning bucket filled with cleaning supplies with a loving note that says “you’re on your own now, enjoy love Mom “

 

[unrequited23]

Perhaps something sentimental like an "Our First Place" engraved ornament or something practical like a plunger for each bathroom and pipe snake. Since the BF is a chef, I would let him choose his own kitchen equipment.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I would probably get something fun like a blender or a popcorn popper. Or maybe a Bluetooth speaker like a small Bose. (Around $130 at Target.) Something they could have for a while.

 

[wildride]

I usually give a Yankee candle with an Amazon GC attached.

I have 2 chefs in the family gave them this -
They both loved it & use it often.

 

[OrangeBirdGirl]

I like the idea of a gift basket of cleaning supplies, maybe also thrown in some common medicines. When they lived with all the other people, I'm assuming not one person was responsible for buying everything they probably each bought as needed. Cleaning supplies are something that they may not think of everything that is needed. And the medicine thing, nothing sucks more then feeling like crap and having to run out to get what you need.

 

[Searc]

We usually give a gift card with a nice, handwritten note. Generally choose Target over Amazon, just because something always breaks during a move, so the Target card allows the couple to run to the nearest store to pick out a replacement/upgrade they like. If stores haven't opened up yet where they are, then Amazon might be better.

Dumb question, do they have Target in Canada? @kimblebee @ronandannette

 

[Searc]

DD is setting up her own place, too. We were at Target yesterday, looking for kitchen utensils (STBXH kept most of their stuff) and the walls are pretty bare. I'd think about ordering something online, or giving them a gift card to Amazon.

If I were purchasing something, I'd look for some higher-end kitchen knives. These are reasonably expensive, and if he's a cook, he'll probably appreciate having some decent knives at home. Depending on your budget, you could get anything from a decent chef's knife or carving knife, all the way up to a great knife set in a block.

Didn't your daughter just get married?

 

[kimblebee]

Dumb question, do they have Target in Canada? @kimblebee @ronandannette

We used to but they failed big time. I think people were expecting US Target prices, and were disappointed when that’s not what we got.

 

[tcufrog]

When you first move into a place there's always small random things you need such as trash cans that add up. I would get them something small and sentimental such as an ornament and then a gift card that they can use to buy all of those random things.

 

[CdnCarrie]

I would maybe do an Ikea gift card with a basket of fun little stuff from the dollar store - cute oven mitts, teatowels, bag clips.

Is she here in the Peg or still out in Alberta? That would make a difference as I wouldn't try and send a physical gift out of province. Too much in shipping.
Or just go with a good knife or two. Or a cute fun serving dish that people don't buy themselves from a nice kitchen store.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

My go-to housewarming gift when we were younger and people were buying their firsts homes was the bucket filled with cleaning supplies. That’s not practical if you plan to ship the gift though, so in that case I would give a gift card. The places we end up spending the most money after buying a new house are Amazon and Home Depot.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

So long as your daughter and her boyfriend enjoy getting a gift-card an Amazon one is a perfect choice as it allows them a wide variety of things to choose from from all different price points an no concerns about getting them a duplicate kind of item.

Nothing impersonal about giving someone something they like to get

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Honestly cash or gift cards. Everyone has their own tastes and likes and want to decorate how they’d like. We just bought our first home together and almost everyone gave us gift cards. Lowe’s, Home Depot, Amazon, target. It really came in handy and we loved it.

For the few gifts we did receive we got alcohol or wine and a whole drink mixer set. We also got a lot of serving dishes from one of my aunts because she overheard me say I needed them. It was great for us.

I remember when I was younger a lot of people would give candles as housewarming gifts. Some people are picky about scents. Also when you’re young and buying your first home you need dishes, pots, sheets, etc. and then everyone shows up with a candle. Just something I avoid giving due to what I would see a lot.

 

[Kitty 34]

They're young; they're moving in together; they will probably appreciate cash or gift cards the most. Then they can choose and decorate as they please.