The contracts are exchanged and they’re happily eating takeout on the floor – time to search for the perfect housewarming gift! Whether your mates have downsized to a new apartment or they’re moving into their first home, a unique housewarming gift can ease the transition. In these pages, you’ll find original and thoughtful housewarming gift ideas that will guarantee you a return invite.
How to buy the best-ever housewarming gifts
Once the boxes have been unpacked, the fun of decorating begins. Little accents for the coffee table, home accessories and plants-you-can’t-kill are the finishing touches every new home needs. If you know someone who’s just moved into a new abode, there’s no doubt they’ll appreciate a housewarming gift that matches their decor. But finding practical housewarming gifts can be a challenge if you’re not familiar with their design aesthetic. Plus, you’ll want to buy a present that works within your budget. Our handy guide below should give you some ideas.
Consider the colour scheme
Have they gone for an all-white look? If so, a housewarming gift in a neutral colour pallet is the way to go. We love sweet-smelling white candles, a white ceramic vase or a personalised photo frame made out of beech wood. If they’ve added one or two colours to their decor, then consider a set of matching bath towels, a set of placemats or some colourful cutlery.
Consider their style
For a minimalist interior, an understated housewarming gift is best. A nordic-inspired candlestick or a simple black & white framed print are our picks. For homes with floral or patterned accents, you can’t go wrong with a potted flower or a set of cushion covers. And for country-inspired homes, we love rustic personalised cheese boards (with a selection of their favourite cheeses!), little ceramic ornaments and anything linen.
Consider their interests
If you know the new homeowner or renter loves to cook, a cast iron skillet or a personalised wooden spoon make practical housewarming gifts. If they’re into wine, a pair of monogrammed wine glasses plus a bottle of their favourite vino or a personalised bottle opener are winning ideas. And if they’re homebodies at heart, a cosy woolen throw makes a lovely housewarming gift.
Australian housewarming gifts
We’ve searched the country for the best, small creative Australian businesses and bought them (and their wonderful products) under one roof for you to enjoy and discover. Check out our Australiana Gifts department for unique housewarming gifts with an Aussie twist. We love the ‘personalised kookaburra family portrait’ print or the ‘big things Australia’ tea towel. If you’re giftee is Sydney-based, you might like to browse our Sydney Gifts department, and for Melbournites, our Melbourne Gifts collection includes a fabulous ‘Melbourne tram’ tea towel and a cool ‘destination candle’ that you can personalised with the homeowner’s suburb.
Personalised housewarming gifts
If you’ve shopped from Hardtofind before, you’ll know that we love a gift that can be customised. In these pages, you’ll find bespoke housewarming gift ideas to suit all tastes. Our best-selling personalised ‘first home coordinates' print or a personalised ‘first home’ serving board are brilliant housewarming gift ideas, and a personalised ‘dinner deciding’ dice is a cute and clever housewarming present for a uni student rental.
Top 10 best housewarming gifts as voted by the Hardtofind team!
We called in the experts for this one and asked the Hardtofind team for their favourite housewarming gift ideas. Some chose more practical housewarming gifts, like tea towels and oven mitts, and others went for unique housewarming gifts such as family puzzles (why not?!) and funny personalised doormats. Check out our top 10 list below:
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A beautiful tea towel to match the decor. We’re loving the Sarah Silverton range especially.
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A ‘punny’ oven mitt. Check out the one from The Design Gift Shop.
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A fun puzzle for the fam - 1,000 pieces for hours of fun.
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A personalised doormat to welcome friends and family
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Some lovely home fragrance - we particularly love a reed diffuser.
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Personalised stationery, especially useful little note cards that can be personalised with the giftee’s initials and/or address.
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Some gorgeous, eco cleaning products
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A leather flyswat (seriously, these make the best gifts!!)
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A set of silicone wine glasses for outdoor entertaining. We love the colourful options by seller, Porter Green.
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A housewarming gift basket from our Hampers department.
Creating your own housewarming gift basket
A lovely housewarming gift idea is to create your own hamper of goodies for the new homeowner. A mix of useful and delightful products is the aim here. A gorgeous candle, a coffee table book and a set of crushed linen napkins work well, as does a set of wine glasses, a personalised tapas board and a few gourmet treats thrown in for good measure. A picnic-style basket that can be kept and reused is a nice touch, or bundle everything up in an oversized tea towel and tie with a knot - we love a gift in a gift!
We hope this list of housewarming gift ideas has inspired you to find something original and unique. At Hardtofind, you'll find a range of impressive ideas at varied price points to celebrate that special person moving into a new home. And best of all, when you shop with us, you’re supporting a small creative Aussie business. And we reckon that deserves a big pat on the back.
