Best First Home & New Home Gifts

Owning your very first home, or taking a step up the property ladder can be an exciting but daunting time. Whether your friends, family or even yourself are stepping into the world of nesting, it’s important to support them and celebrate them with new home gifts that are both thoughtful and practical. From cosy essentials to stylish accents, I’ve curated a list of ten best first-home & new home gifts that will turn their house into a home sweet home!

1. Room-By-Room Renovation Planner

A new home is a new start and everyone wants to put their own stamp on it.

This gorgeous, luxury book is the perfect way for your loved one to plan their dream home. It will inspire them to create their vision, journal their thoughts and ideas, plan their mood boards, choose their paint colours, create their shopping lists, manage their budget and so much more.

It’s also a beautiful keepsake to document their journey of creating their beautiful home.

You can view more details and buy one here. 🏡

2. A Paint Tester Starter Kit

This is such a cute, budget-friendly idea that they will love. Because new home gifts don’t need to be expensive!

Create a bundle of beautiful paint charts (these are free!) and buy some small brushes that are the perfect size for tester pots. Then grab a roll of cheap lining paper and there you have it. The perfect paint tester starter kit. They will love it as a springboard to start choosing paint colours for their new home.

And by the way, the lining paper is for them to paint their samples onto, rather than their walls. This is a genius idea as making your paint sample moveable makes them so much more useful, check out why on my video.

3. Cute Front Door Mat

Everyone wants to come home to a beautiful entrance. But the reality is that the exterior of our homes are usually at the bottom of the list when it comes to the redecorating budget. A pretty doormat is a simple way to add a little joy every time they arrive home.

I love Oliver Bonas for their bold and quirky designs.

4. DIY Vouchers

Vouchers are NOT boring. I promise you they will be gratefully received by any first home owner, because let’s face it, when it’s your first home you aren’t going to have the cash to hire tradespeople for those small jobs. Vouchers for a large retailer like B&Q or a decorating centre like Brewers are perfect.

5. A Scented Candle

A new house always feels a bit weird when you very first move in. It takes a few weeks for it to start to feel like home, so anything you can offer to make it feel more personal will be a winner. Smell is a very emotive sense so creating a luxury or a familiar scent can help your loved one shake off the feeling of it being someone else’s house and make it feel like their own.

6. A Plant In A Pretty Pot

Caring for a plant and watching it flourish can be hugely rewarding so they make great new home gifts, especially for someone who is moving to live on their own. On every level house plants are amazing, they purify the air, add visual interest and texture and will instantly make a home feel more homely.

7. A Cook Book

One of the biggest pleasures when owning your own home is being in your kitchen and preparing a delicious meal, so a recipe book is a great addition to any kitchen bookshelf. If it feels too boring and predictable as a gift then spice it up with a gorgeous set of measuring spoons or a funky chopping board.

8. A Tape Measure

Every homeowner needs one, whether they know it or not. I’ve seen people try to measure gaps with their own arm span rather than a tape measure, and I promise you it doesn’t work 😂.

9. Cosy Slippers

No matter how messy the house is or how chaotic the unpacking process, cosy slippers will help create a feeling of comfort and homeliness. This one pairs perfectly with the scented candle if you want to juj it up a bit.

10. Cleaning Product Bundle

Okay, so it’s not very glamorous but OMG cleaning products are so expensive and they are so incredibly useful as they don’t take up too much space to store and they have a very long shelf life. And no ‘sold’ house on Earth is left totally immaculate for the new homeowner. So get your friends or family a bumper pack of products that will save them money and be very useful. Plus there has been a huge surge in luxury and eco-friendly cleaning brands over the last few years so you’re not limited to Marigolds and Domestos.

11. Bad New Home Gifts (IMO)

When it comes to gifting we often feel we should go the extra mile and come up with something extravagant or unique. But because homes are so personal, I think keeping it simple is key. The last thing you want to do is create pressure on your friends or family by purchasing something they feel they should display. So I think practical, helpful, and smaller items will add more value to the recipient.

With that in mind here is a list of gifts you may want to avoid…

• Home Decor – I think items like artwork, cushions and decorative accessories that will be on display should be for the homeowner to choose. It’s their home and it needs to tell their story and express their personality and taste. So unless you know the recipient and their interiors style very well then I wouldn’t leave the home decor to them. Or go for items like classic white towels or bedding.
• Personalised Homeware – While personalised gifts can be very thoughtful they are generally items that go on display, so again they may not be what the homeowner would have chosen for their walls. So rather than a personalised plaque or wall hanging, keep it subtle like an initialed notebook or an engraved chopping board.
• Photos or canvases – Same argument. Whilst they may love the photo and treasure the memory they may not love the frame or even want photos and canvasses on their walls or surfaces. I think photos are a gorgeous idea but keep it to a photo book that can be on the coffee table or shelf.
• Appliances & Gadgets – Unless the recipient has specifically asked for one, I think it’s best not to buy a functional gadget for the home. First of all, there is the space issue, you may have space for an air fryer in your kitchen and think it’s the best thing you’ve ever owned, but what if they don’t have the surface space? And do they have tall cupboard space to store a steamer? And then there is the specification, what if they wanted top of the range and you bought basic? 🫣

Let’s help them out…

If your friend or loved one has just moved house and would appreciate some interior design advice then send them my way. I have online design consultations and services as well as room planning resources that will help steer them through their decorating journey with confidence.

Until next time,

Sarah