Anne-Charlotte PasseraThe time has (finally) come for your grown child to leave home. Perhaps he or she is leaving for college or moving into its own apartment this summer. We will focus on the latter, as none of us (my family) have experienced living in a college dorm. What will he need to make his new place feel like home? You’re gonna need to figure out what kind of housewarming gift to give your child.
As a mother, it is normal to want to help our child settle into its new nest. It is as exciting as it is sad.
Long gone are the days where you show up to the new place carrying firewood to warm up the house and chase the evil spirits away, hence the term housewarming. Different cultures call this ritual by different names, and some have special gifts tied to this centuries old tradition.
Nowadays, there are various ways to do so. Whether it is by giving cash, passing down our own belongings, buying new things, it is still tradition to give a housewarming gift when a child moves out of the house.
We often think about what type of furniture they’ll need foregoing the basic necessities. Since not all of us can afford to furnish our own child’s new apartment, this guide will give you ideas of a housewarming gift that can be practical and affordable.
Traditional housewarming gift
Personally, I practice the Filipino tradition of bringing rice and salt into a new home. Since my eldest son is part Filipino, I will make sure that this is the first thing he brings into his new place.
The idea behind this is to bring good fortune and wealth to the new occupant. It also represents the idea of never running out of food throughout their stay.
In other parts of the world, such as France, bread replaces the rice, and you can bring the salt along. The idea behind it is the same as the Filipino tradition.
The fact is, no matter where you are, a housewarming party or gift is to celebrate a new beginning in someone’s life and to make sure that the new place is free of evil spirits and that good fortune will bestow upon you.
Aside from these traditions, what kind of housewarming gift can you give a child that you can afford? Let’s be practical about it.
Cash and gift cards
Plan ahead. Start putting some money in a savings account for when your child will leave your house. Once his lease is signed, transfer him the money so that he can buy the hot ticket items he might need in his new place but either can’t afford or wants to choose himself.
I’ve been doing that with my son’s rent money to us. He is at that age that he should be paying rent anyways but it’s still cheaper to live with us. It might sound weird, but his room in the basement is like a studio. All he is missing is his own kitchen. This also teaches him how to deal with money and to remember that come the first of the month, rent is due.
If this is not an option you can afford, perhaps put your loose change in a jar. Over time, change those coins into bills.
Gift cards
While gift cards are a little impersonal, they are practical. Pick ones he could use right away, either to buy groceries, furniture or home decor. This allows your child to actually choose what he (or her) wants.
Furniture and appliances
Furniture and household appliances do not come cheap.
Although your child might already have some furniture that he will bring to his new place such as a:
- Bed,
- Dresser,
- Bookshelf,
- Lamp,
it’s a fact that he will need more than that if he doesn’t have any roommates.
The thing is, we don’t all have the same taste, and your child doesn’t necessarily want to inherit your old crap or grandmas old rocking chair. While not everything needs to be new, it’s best to talk about it first with your child about what he wants and needs. However, you know your child best. As an example, if he loves to BBQ and knows how to use one, why not get him a small one for his balcony? Also, refer to the part on cash and credit cards above.
Often, friends and other family members will bring small appliances as housewarming gifts, so leave those to them.
For larger appliances, used ones can be found in special stores. Thirteen years ago, when we moved to Montreal, we bought used appliances for less than $1,000. This included a stove, fridge, washer and dryer, and the whole thing was delivered to us. The place we got them from still exists. They are located at 4329, Papineau Avenue on the Plateau: Ameublement Elvis. The prices have most likely gone up since then, but it’s a good place to start with when you live on a budget.
Themed housewarming gift basket for your child
Themed gifts are practical, especially for a first housewarming as the sky is the limit and they are affordable.
There are of course different ways to go about it, as you can mix and match products or keep a theme to a task or to a room.
What is great about this idea is that it won’t affect your child’s taste as each item will be useful and will have no impact on his own personal style.
Moreover, you can do it based on your budget and still provide a lot at the same time. More often than not, we’d rather have multiple gifts than one big gift.
So, when you are putting your child’s housewarming gift basket together, think long term and about the day to day activities that will eventually make you run out of something.
Hardware and non glamorous items
My father got my brothers and I a tool kit as a first housewarming gift. It’s definitely not sexy but it is practical.
How do you think your child will be able to put up his picture frames without a hammer or a curtain rod without a screwdriver?
A toolkit should include the basics, but you could add to it some of the following items:
- Screws and nails;
- Lamptorch, in case of a blackout and it can also be used for camping;
- Small candles and matches or lighter, in case of blackout;
- Lightbulbs;
- Batteries for the remote, fire alarm;
- Gift card for a hardware store;
A gift card to a hardware store can be useful as he might use it to buy plants or a new toilet seat. There are a lot of things at the hardware store that can be practical to use at home.
- Multipurpose knife;
- Masking tape, paint brush and roller (just in case).
Housewarming gift by room
While it is tempting to gift by room, once again, you need to think about your child’s taste and personality when it comes to more “designy” items. Therefore, you might have to leave it up to them or gift them with a gift card to a home store. Nonetheless, here are some affordable housewarming basket gift ideas per room that won’t encroach on your child’s style.
Bathroom
- Turkish towels are on trend these days. Not only do they take up less space and are lightweight, there more absorbent than most towels we are accustomed to. Moreover, their softness and fast drying material makes it more agreeable. Finally, they are multifunctional as they can be used on the beach, as a picnic blanket or as a throw.
- Bath mat
- Small trash can
- Hamper
Bedroom
Bed linens and comforter covers are really a personal choice. However, clean new pillows, pillow and mattress covers, and a new comforter could make a nice gift for a fresh start.
However, offering pillow cases shouldn’t step on your child’s toes. You can use them as a bag to put miscellaneous gifts.
Kitchen
- You can’t go wrong with offering a set of pots and pan for the kitchen. Include with it some wooden spoons and spatulas.
- We don’t always think about it but offering a bakeware set will be useful. While they might not think about baking, a baking pan will come in handy to cook some chicken fingers and French fries in the oven. Include with it some oven mitts.
If you’d like to splurge a little (see it more as a long-term investment) look at the line of Le Creuset. Yes, it is French. You can cook with them, and they also go into the oven. Also, they come in all sorts of colours which is a win-win in my book.
- A set of chopping knives and cutting board. If you get a wooden cutting board, provide a product you can use to clean it with. Don’t forget the sharpening knife tool.
- Cuttlery set, steak knives, long spoons, can opener, corkscrew. Don’t forget the tray to organize it all in the drawer.
Living room / Dining area
- Tablecloth, napkins, place mats.
- House plant that doesn’t require too much watering.
- Picture frames can be an option, but see with your child. I found that to be very personal.
Napkins, tablecloth, hand towels, dish cloth can be used to wrap gifts. Read our eco-friendly wrapping guide to see how easy it can be done.
Housewarming gift by task
Gifting by task might be easier than doing so by room. To make it efficient, think about all the various steps the task entails and what items are necessary to accomplish it.
Cooking
Aside from the obvious mentioned in the by room category – kitchen, you can put together a basket of things that will be needed to cook but are non-perishable. Moreover, you can offer a recipe book or put together a booklet of easy recipes that your child likes and include all the dry ingredients that they’ll need in glass jars carefully labeled.
In any case, he should have at home:
- Salt and pepper;
- Olive oil and balsamic vinegar;
- Spices such as curcuma and curry, chicken and vegetable broth;
- Tin foil, parchment paper, silicon mat;
- Reusable ziplock bags, beeswax wraps;
- Measuring cups;
- Cheese grater;
- Flour, sugar, chocolate/coffee/tea;
- Strainer
Cleaning
Cleaning supplies aren’t particularly sexy but are a necessity in every household:
- Baking soda, white vinegar, lemons. You can do a lot with these to beautify a home the eco-friendly way. Check out all the possibilities in our article on Lemons.
- Multipurpose cleaner.
- Reusable and biodegradable sponges, loads of them.
- Dish cloth, dish cake or soap, dish rack, dish brush or scrubber. Check out a dish cake recipe HERE. It can also be used to clean the bathtub, stainless steel appliances and the kitchen sink.
- Reusable paper towels, rags for dusting.
- Broom and mop and bucket.
- Toilet paper, toilet bowl scrubber and deodorizer. I discovered THIS SPRAY while staying in a B&B in New York. It works really well but you are meant to spray it in the bowl, not in the air! You can also purchase it at Chapters Indigo.
- Outdoor trash can, trash bags, recycling bag.
- Indoor compost with charcoal refills.
Laundry
There are often deals to be made at your local pharmacy. When they are on sale, stock up on:
- Laundry detergent;
- Fabric softener.
Buy wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets.
Present it all in a laundry basket with or without an iron, small ironing board and wood hangers.
Self-care
Self-care and good hygiene are important. To make sure that your child continues the good habit, provide him with some:
- Toothpaste, floss and toothbrushes.
- Shower gel and shampoo. If you gift a shampoo bar or soap bars, provide a holder to go with it.
- Deodorant, shaving cream, body lotion, and perfume.
All of these can be presented in a small basket that can be used in the bathroom to keep things organized.
Where to buy a housewarming gift
You might decide last minute on the type of housewarming gift you want to get your child or not.
If you’d like to save some money or necessarily buy things new:
- For the general household items, buy them when they are on sale, in bulk. Costco and local pharmacies are a good place to look for deals.
- Check out yard sales, Facebook marketplace, Renaissance, Kijiji for miscellaneous items.
Old T-Shirts can be turned into rags. You might find some tools, a picture frame, a rug, etc.
It does take time, but if you are into this sort of thing, these are good places to search for hidden gems. Otherwise, read our article on Where to shop in Montreal.
