Housewarming: a fitting gift and a drinks party that works in a half-furnished house
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by Verpakkingdeals.nl
6 min reading time
What do you give as a gift in a house you don't know yet, and how do you throw a party in a house that isn't finished yet? Practical choices for both sides of a housewarming.
You've moved house. There are still eight boxes in the hallway, the curtains aren't up, and yet everyone wants to visit. "When's the housewarming?" The answer is usually: later, when everything's done. But everything is never done, and three months later, the moment has passed.
September and October are busy moving months. If you've just moved, or if you're invited to someone's new home, this article covers the two questions that arise: what do you give as a gift in a house you don't yet know, and how do you host a party in a house that isn't finished yet?
A housewarming gift: the problem of unknown decor
Buying a housewarming gift is trickier than a birthday gift, because you're buying something for a space you've never seen before. If you choose a vase, it might not match the style. If you choose a painting, it might never get hung. The rule of thumb that works: buy something that will be consumed, or something that fits into any interior because it's functional.
The first few weeks in a new home are about minor annoyances: there's no hook in the bathroom, no soap by the toilet, no jar for the sugar. This is precisely where there's room for a gift that will be used.
A bottle of wine is the standard gift, and that's fine. But it usually arrives in the liquor store's plastic bag. The Wine Bottle Packaging with hearts costs €3.95 and turns the same bottle into a gift.
If you combine several small items — a soap, a candle, something edible — use one box instead of three separate bags. The White Cube Gift Box 12x12x12 cm for €2.99 has just enough volume for three small items, and the Cardboard Bag for €3.00 is handy if you're coming by bike. A set like the Soap Roses Gift Set Deluxe, 18 pieces for €19.95 is already in a presentation box and can be taken as is.
Hosting the party in a house that isn't finished yet
Don't wait until it's ready. A housewarming in a half-furnished house is more fun than a housewarming that never happens — people want to see how it's taking shape. What you do, however, is adapt the evening to the state of the house.
Plan around what you have, not around what you're missing
Don't have a dining table for ten people yet? Then don't make it a dinner party, but an open-house reception from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM, where people come and go. Don't have enough glasses? Focus on one type of drink instead of four. A practical list:
What you're missing
What you do instead
Seating
Open-house reception with standing food; moving boxes in a row as a side table
Glassware
One drink as the focus, plus shot glasses for the toast
In a house without a TV and without fixed seating, an evening can easily fall silent. One game on the table solves that. UNO Flex for 2 to 8 players costs €6.99 and can be explained in thirty seconds. The 99-in-1 Games Set with dice and checkerboard for €14.95 covers the whole evening, and if there are card players, the Automatic Card Shuffler for 1 to 2 decks for €12.95 saves hassle. A game is also a great gift to bring yourself: it stays in the house.
Three things to arrange on the day itself
A place for coats. In a new house, that's the first thing that goes wrong. Self-adhesive hooks or just a bedroom bed.
A visible trash can. Otherwise, empty bottles will be on every windowsill.
One table for gifts. Otherwise, the card gets lost among the bags.
Furthermore: the less you try to hide that the house isn't finished, the more relaxed the evening will be. The unfinished wall is a talking point, not a problem.
Everything at a glance
If you're going to a housewarming, you'll usually get furthest with something consumable plus neat packaging. If you're hosting one yourself, determine the size of the evening based on what you already have in the house — not based on what's yet to come.
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