If you notice a new face in your neighborhood, a housewarming gift can go a long way toward making your new neighbor(s) feel welcome! Giving a small gift is a great opportunity to introduce yourself and strike up a conversation. These gift ideas are also great for friends or family whom you know are moving. Even if there isn’t a housewarming party to attend, gifting a new homeowner with something to help them feel settled in is a thoughtful gesture.

Welcome with Food

When you’re moving and first getting settled in a new home, eating a good meal can help power you through all the boxes you have to unpack. However, finding all the cookware and kitchen utensils necessary to make a meal can feel overwhelming. Providing a new homeowner with something to snack on, like freshly baked goods or a freezable meal, will relieve some of the mental load for the new homeowners. Worried about allergies? Try a gift card to a meal or grocery delivery service!

Providing something to drink is also a kind choice. A selection of your favorite coffee, tea, or hot chocolate is a great choice—the latter, especially, if you think your new neighbors might have children. If you’re already familiar with the new homeowner, a bottle of wine is a great way to help your friends relax after a day of rearranging furniture.

Welcome with Your Favorites

If you notice that your neighbors are a little more settled in their new home, invite them to yours for a board game night! Gifting an edition of a game you played together is a great way to build memories in a new neighborhood. Candles are another thoughtful present to homeowners who have already unpacked. A fresh scent can invite welcoming energy to their new home. Worried about kids and candles? Try a candle warmer, which will help disperse a candle’s smell without an open flame.

More Housewarming Ideas

If food or other housewarming gifts still don’t feel right, but you want a way to introduce yourself, try a gift card to a local coffee shop. Providing a drink recommendation is a great opportunity to help someone get acquainted with their new hometown and still provides you with a chance to be neighborly.

Similarly, a gift card to a local home improvement store will be much appreciated by any new homeowner who runs out of nails, lightbulbs, or other odds and ends. If a gift card feels too impersonal for your taste, try gathering a gift basket of home improvement essentials with a flashlight, batteries, tape, scissors, and any other “nice-to-have” supplies that you can come up with.

Housewarming Gifts to Avoid

While gift-giving, in theory, is thoughtful, some gifts for new homeowners are best avoided. Always keep in mind that any gift that adds tasks to your new neighbor’s to-do list is probably not the right choice. This includes gifts that need assembling or a subscription they might have to eventually cancel.

Avoiding home décor items is also a good strategy. You never know what someone has space for—let alone their design preferences. While plants can be a nice touch, not everyone knows how to care for them, and not all plants are pet or child friendly.