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Give all your wind chimes to me! I don't care if my neighbors have no appreciation for music.
You people must really love your family.
And just like you don't care about your neighbors, I guess you don't care that your family might not want to have to cook & clean up after you for a whole week, while sacrificing their privacy and enjoyment of their brand-new home.
They put pretty river rocks of various sizes in the bottom, pretty multi-coloured aquarium plants arranged in the rocks to float upwards and a lily pad (from the dollar store) floating on top. I bought a small round plant stand on wheels at the dollar store to put it on so I can move it around for cleaning underneath.
These need to be fed and that water changed weekly or the live fish will die and smother in its own waste. I personally would never gift a live animal to someone. The fish that people place in those jars and vases are living in the bare minimum - just enough to keep them alive. My Thai Fighting fish has his own aquarium with a filter and live plants, he is kept warm in the winter, and has plenty of space to swim and move around.
I usually wait until I see the house and spend time with them in it.
First visit, I bring wine or a house plant......something I would take as a hostess gift.
Most people in new houses, will show you around the house, and talk about what else they want to do to the house. Also, as you spend time you will notice what might be useful or they will talk further about what they need for the house or how they want to decorate it if they aren't finished.
I look also at things they have that they brought from wherever they lived before that don't match their new home, have seen better days, or they specifically say is on their list to replace. Towels, sheets, blankets on the sofa, place mats, blankets on the bed, lamps
If I'm there long enough to get out to a store, I do. Depending on the relationship, like someone where our together time usually involves shopping anyway, I may suggest we go look for things they have mentioned and then I pick up the tab or take things out of the cart that are the amount I want to spend and tell them that's my housewarming gift to them. Otherwise, I send it later.
Where I live most people who build or buy new have a pool. In that case, my go to is always nice pool floats, or high end beach towels and a set of plastic dinner ware/glasses. If they have an outdoor space they will be eating at frequently, large serving trays are a great gift, they are decorative, useful and frequently pricey.
And as others have said, if all else fails, theres always gift cards to places they can get things for their home.
Take a page from the movie "It's a Wonderful Life":
George and Mary help a family move into their new home. She offers a brief speech, symbolically holding up a loaf of bread, a bottle of wine, and a box of salt:
Bread - that this house may never know hunger.
Salt - that life may always have flavor.
Wine - that joy and prosperity may reign forever.
You could do this AND a $200 gift card -- I agree gift cards are the greatest thing ever when you move into a new home. There is always a ton of stuff you end up needing. Lowes and Home Depot are great. Also, Crate and Barrel or to a furniture store. Or amazon. Or overstock. Or even The Container Store.
We did receive some really nice wind chimes when we moved into our last house, and I actually loved them. But if you're not into them or don't have the right place for them, then it just becomes clutter.
I also like the idea of a gift card to a local restaurant, if you can investigate and find a really good one nearby.
We JUST moved into a new house -- we are still unpacking. And it is unbelievable how many expenses come up -- things you need right away that you weren't thinking about. Our movers could not get my dresser or my husband's dresser up our stairs. So now, unexpectedly, we are in the market for a dresser and some storage. We have the most nicely, expensively decorated basement game room now.
I usually wait until I see the house and spend time with them in it.
First visit, I bring wine or a house plant......something I would take as a hostess gift.
Most people in new houses, will show you around the house, and talk about what else they want to do to the house. Also, as you spend time you will notice what might be useful or they will talk further about what they need for the house or how they want to decorate it if they aren't finished.
I look also at things they have that they brought from wherever they lived before that don't match their new home, have seen better days, or they specifically say is on their list to replace. Towels, sheets, blankets on the sofa, place mats, blankets on the bed, lamps
If I'm there long enough to get out to a store, I do. Depending on the relationship, like someone where our together time usually involves shopping anyway, I may suggest we go look for things they have mentioned and then I pick up the tab or take things out of the cart that are the amount I want to spend and tell them that's my housewarming gift to them. Otherwise, I send it later.
Where I live most people who build or buy new have a pool. In that case, my go to is always nice pool floats, or high end beach towels and a set of plastic dinner ware/glasses. If they have an outdoor space they will be eating at frequently, large serving trays are a great gift, they are decorative, useful and frequently pricey.
And as others have said, if all else fails, theres always gift cards to places they can get things for their home.
I think Blondy's answer is perfect. Don't buy something expensive until you've seen an actual need for it and you are sure it will go with the new house. Towels or bedding might be super-appropriate, but it would be good for the homeowner to help pick them. If they have a patio, a grill or something else for cooking outdoors might be a great idea. A folding cart or a large tray might be practical, depending on what their habits are.
If you don't want to arrive empty-handed, a typical hostess gift like a nice plant or wine is good, if they are they types to appreciate that, then add the bigger gift after you have the lay of the land.
I wouldn't buy anything in advance that's personalized or your taste. You've haven't seen this house yet. so who knows what will be welcome. Maybe they've upgraded their previous style or have a completely new color scheme. I'm also against wind chimes. I did buy one once for someone I absolutely knew would appreciate it, but personally they drive me nuts.
I know some people don't think gift cards are polite but as a homeowner, I always welcome one from Lowe's or Home Depot. Or maybe a gift card from a local garden center would be a good idea if they haven't completed their landscaping yet. You could pay for a tree or some bushes that would be a permanent reminder of your generosity.
The artist came to the house and returned with a sketch a couple of weeks later. I still love it to this date and it is framed and hanging on a wall. The exterior colors have changed but the pencil drawing has not
This is another good idea, and an exception to the "nothing too personal" rule. It's especially appropriate, too, if someone is moving FROM someplace they lived for a long while. When my mother left her Pennsylvania home of 50 years to move to Arizona, a neighbor gave her a professional drawing of the beloved home where she raised her family. It's one of her prized possessions and has pride of place where she lives now.
This is another good idea, and an exception to the "nothing too personal" rule. It's especially appropriate, too, if someone is moving FROM someplace they lived for a long while. When my mother left her Pennsylvania home of 50 years to move to Arizona, a neighbor gave her a professional drawing of the beloved home where she raised her family. It's one of her prized possessions and has pride of place where she lives now.
Great idea. My parents are selling and moving into an in-law suite with my sister. They are already missing their house even though they want to move and haven't sold it yet lol. This sounds like a great gift for them.
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