A housewarming is one of the nicest celebrations: people finally make a space of their own and love showing it to friends. A housewarming gift should be useful but not intrusive, because the hosts already have their own ideas about the interior. Here are housewarming gift ideas: practical things for the home, cosy gifts, plants and flowers, traditional symbols, options by budget and what to avoid. For more ideas, see gifts for neighbours.
Approximate amounts in hryvnias; a group of friends can go for something bigger.
How to choose a housewarming gift
The best approach is to ask the hosts what they need or for a wishlist: after a move, something is almost always missing. If you want a surprise, pick neutral items that suit any interior, or consumables they will definitely use: good coffee, tea, candles, quality towels.
Consider the type of home and the hosts' style. For a young couple renting a flat, portable items and appliances are best; for a family in their own house, gifts for the garden, terrace or barbecue; for minimalists, an experience or a voucher.If a couple is celebrating, see also gifts for couples.
Practical and cosy gifts
For the kitchen: a quality frying pan, a knife set, chopping boards, a coffee grinder, nice tableware or a set of glasses. For the bedroom and living room: bed linen, a throw, cushions, a night light, photo frames. Small appliances are useful too: a kettle, a blender, a humidifier, a smart lamp or speaker.
Don't forget the small things people rarely get to after moving: a tool kit, an extension lead, a first-aid kit, a fire extinguisher, storage organisers. They may not look festive, but the hosts will remember them gratefully.
Housewarming gifts for a house
A house with a garden always has room for outdoor things: a barbecue or grill set, a hammock or garden swing, solar garden lights, a bird feeder, garden tools, fruit-tree or rose saplings. Indoors, think of a doormat with the family name, a house number sign or a big throw for the terrace. These gifts are especially welcome while the owners are still setting up the garden.
In a flat, compact and useful wins. Good options: storage systems and organisers, a smart lamp or night-light, a coffee maker or French press, a towel set, a diffuser, a houseplant that copes with low light (ZZ plant, sansevieria, peace lily), or a homeware voucher. If friends are giving together, club together for one bigger item from the hosts’ wish list.
Traditional gifts and symbols
In Ukrainian tradition, guests bring bread and salt to a housewarming as a symbol of prosperity and hospitality, along with an embroidered towel or a charm. It was long believed that a cat should be the first to enter a new home, so a playful cat figurine or cushion is a sweet symbolic gift. Our housewarming wishes will help with the words.
Plants and flowers for a housewarming
A houseplant is one of the best housewarming gifts: it brings the space to life and reminds the hosts of you for a long time. Choose easy species: a moth orchid, ZZ plant, snake plant, peace lily or monstera. In feng shui, the money tree is believed to bring prosperity. More in our article on feng shui houseplants.
A bouquet is welcome too, especially with a vase, as hosts often don't have one after moving. Boxed or basket arrangements that need no vase are convenient. If you choose an orchid, read which orchid types are easiest to care for.
What not to give
Avoid large decor pieces, paintings and furniture without asking first: tastes may differ and it is awkward to refuse. Don't give pets without agreement, mirrors or clocks if the hosts are superstitious, or things they might need someday that just take up space. Ideas for other occasions are in our gift ideas section.
Orchids and plants for a housewarming, delivered
Congratulate friends on their new home even if you can't visit: we deliver an orchid, a houseplant or a bouquet across Kyiv.
Bread and salt, a scented candle, kitchen towels, a doormat or a houseplant.
What should I give friends for a housewarming?
Ask for a wishlist or choose something useful: tableware, textiles, small appliances or a plant.
Which plants make good housewarming gifts?
Easy ones: an orchid, ZZ plant, snake plant, peace lily or money tree.
What should you not give for a housewarming?
Big decor or furniture without asking, pets without agreement, or bulky items.
Author: Maria Svitlovir
Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.
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