MyRedPacket.co.uk Blog

I’m not suggesting that, to get away from cleaning your house from top to bottom, that you actually move to a new one - but this time of year does make people think about pastures new.  If any of your friends or family have recently moved home, there’s no more thoughtful a gift than a housewarming present - something practical, particular to the home and one that shows you’re congratulating them on their change of aspect.

It’s a brave person (or perhaps a wealthy one) who decides to move during a recession, but on the plus side, as a buyer, you’re bound to see loads of bargains on the market.  There may be a house that’s been one you’ve hankered after, but was just out of reach of your price bracket - but that has now been reduced to one you can afford.  The downside is, of course, that if their house has been to reduced to an absolute bargain, the chances are you’ve had to reduce yours to sell too.  Swings and roundabouts, no?

But people do move all the time; some have reason - perhaps their old house was not big enough and recent family additions have forced the move to a larger home.  Maybe they’ve gone the other way - older couples, whose offspring have long since left home now want to have a smaller home, less cleaning and a healthier bank balance, and therefore want to downsize.  It’s moves like this that keep the property market buoyant!

For a relative or friend who has downsized, it can be hard to think of an appropriate gift that may not clutter up the place - after all, they’ve more than likely had to get rid of furniture and possessions to move at all.  Perhaps some pretty storage boxes or something like this would be welcome:

A beautiful addition to any bedroom, it would give a female friend or relative a practical yet attractive place to store their jewellery.  It can also be personalised; why not add the date of their move?  I’ve forgotten what date I moved into my current home (I can vaguely remember the year) and I would appreciate something that would tell me exactly when my life started in my current abode.  Maybe that’s just me.

You can also understand that there’s lots of renovation to do with any house newly bought.  Even those that say ‘you can move in straight away, there’s nothing to do’, will still have something that’s not exactly to your taste and that you may want to change.  Perhaps this may not be in the house at all, but in the garden.  Therefore, another great housewarming gift would be some gardening tools, some potted plants or perhaps this:

This is really a very personal gift - because the seeds inside belong to no one but the recipient.  They get to name them, to record the variety as their own and the seeds to plant in their own garden.  There’s no better way to put your own stamp on a new (to you) property than having YOUR roses in the back yard!

Personalised photo frames and other ornaments are also great housewarming gifts - particularly for families that are moving to a bigger house and may have loads more window-sills, cabinets and bookshelves to fill.  Vases to carry ‘Happy New Home’ flowers, keyholders, remote control tidys, magazine racks - there are so many practical but pleasing gifts available, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

I may never move home - I doubt I’ll ever be able to afford a house bigger than the one I’m in (unless that lottery win decides to come my way) nor am I at the stage of downsizing with two kids running around the place.  Therefore, it’s nice to be able to share other people’s move up or down the housing ‘ladder’.

Helping out with their move, babysitting, or even more gardening are also great things to offer a house-mover.  They’ll be appreciated, yes, but you can’t hang help on a wall or stand it on the mantelpiece.  Offer your help anyway, but also give your loved ones a little something that will make them smile, once the boxes have been unpacked and the decorating is finally finished!