Gifts Made for the Home
Whether it’s the holidays, someone’s birthday, housewarming, a celebration, or any other special event, it is also a shining opportunity to express your generosity and appreciation with a fun activity – gift-giving. Now, we’ve all been there when gift-giving becomes more stressful than fun. Remember when you were a kid? At a young age, most of our ideas for a gift came from the toy aisle and picking out the best trending items that you thought were the coolest. As you grow up, you start to think of more appropriate gifts for others, especially those more practical than entertaining.
With so many great choices to choose from, it can get overwhelming having to pick out the perfect gift. One gift that can never go wrong is an offering for the home. Whether that someone you’re gifting to is renting or owning their place, gifts meant for the home are valuable, lasting, not easily disposable, and can even make daily life a little easier to go through.
If you have a limited gift budget, are tight on time, or just looking for some suggestions to get you started, we have some great ideas on gifts that are perfect for anyone’s living space!
1. Pull Inspiration
If you are feeling a bit uninspired or have never bought a practical gift for the home, we have a few inspirational methods to put you on the right track.
First, take a second to look around your own home and see what items stand out to you. For example, when I look around my home, the things that immediately catch my eye are the air fryer we frequently use, the little coffee table that replaced our broken one, and an upgraded fan gifted to us by my partner’s parents. Noticing what you already own and love could also be a great item for someone else to cherish. Pulling inspiration from your own home can make it easy to decide on a gift that would make someone happy, knowing that owning the item yourself makes you happy too.
Another way to pull inspiration for your gifts is to ask your friends and family what they currently don’t have in their homes. Even though asking people directly what they need takes the surprise factor out of gift-giving, there are benefits to this method. If I ask my mom what she’s missing in her home and she mentions she could use a new clock above the fireplace, great! Now, I can look for a stylish clock in her favorite blue color. With this method, you can narrow their wish list down by thinking of gifts that revolve around their answer, and you can be comfortable knowing you got a gift that aligns exactly or is very similar to what they desire most.
2. Consider the Type of Gift
When buying gifts for the home, there is a wide variety of choices. Even more, the bigger the place, the more options you will have! To give you some peace of mind, we divided your options and placed them under specific categories:
Kitchen. Gifts for the kitchen are almost always great to receive, but sometimes you need to be careful that the gift you’re buying is something they don’t already have! This goes for any gift, by the way. When looking for valuable items in the kitchen, try to think beyond just silverware and knife sets. Has anyone ever wanted an air fryer? A coffee machine to brighten up their day? Any gift for the kitchen can make the daily routine of prepping and cooking that much more easy and delicious!
Bedroom. Since we sleep in our beds for about a third of our day, the bedroom is the space that most of us probably spend the most time in at home. So how can we enhance the sleeping experience for others? We suggest a reading lamp, a portable fan for the hot summers, a bedside table, or even a weighted blanket for the cold winter nights.
Living Room. The living room is a place to hang out, converse, and indulge in several activities. Whether you’re watching TV with friends or getting together for game night, the living room is where all the fun happens. Try looking for a sturdy coffee table for board games, a new TV stand with extra storage space, or even couch pillows that style the sofa to provide extra comfort.
Cleaning. Cleaning products are a must-have for the home, especially if you know people who like to keep their space in a tidy and upright condition. If you have a tight budget, we suggest looking for new dustpans, brooms, or a Swiffer for all the pesky dust that builds up. Know of someone who’s stuck with a 10-year-old vacuum? Maybe it’s time for an upgrade.
Closet. Just like your home is a living space for you, your closet is a living space for your clothes. Extra leather hangers, shoe storage boxes, and hanging boxes are great gifts to give when your friends or family want to keep their clothes organized and well-arranged.
Office Space. Since most of us are now working from home, maybe you know some people who just set up their work-from-home area and need additional items to style it to their liking. A new office chair, file cabinet, whiteboard, or pen holder can make your loved ones feel like they brought their office right to their home.
Backyard/Patio. Does someone you know have a backyard or patio that seems a bit empty? Maybe something’s missing! A gift for the spacious outdoor area can make it as popular as the living room. Pool toys, string lights, or even a trampoline can help families and friends have outdoor fun without ever leaving the house.
Home Gym. Sometimes, paying for a gym membership and commuting to the gym can be a hassle to deal with. Not to mention, the cost can add up to your monthly bills. Well, what if you bring the gym to a friend or family’s home? With so many trending workout equipment, training tools, and programs to choose from, you can give the gift of a healthier and active life.
Tech. As we move towards being a tech-driven society, we’re starting to recognize how several tech innovations can simplify and enhance your life, especially in the home. Consider gifting a smart home device to make managing the home more efficient, a virtual assistant device to streamline their daily routine, or maybe even a Ring security system to help someone’s home feel safe and secure.
Decor. Home decor is one of the best categories that people buy gifts for because once you start decorating, you feel like you’re on your way to mastering interior design. Give a friend or family member started with decor gifts such as picture frames to hang on the wall, LED lights to give the home a spark of color, or an extra mirror for when people need to check their makeup, hair, or take memorable photos.
3. Shop Local or Online
Now that we’ve covered the pool of choices you have when buying gifts for the home, how do you know what stores to buy them from? Though online stores have been gained immense popularity, physical stores are still valuable. And if you have a limited or flexible budget, we have options for both.
Brick-and-Mortar Stores
These low- and high-cost stores may offer products at different prices, but you can sometimes find very similar products at both ends of the price spectrum. The quality may be the main difference between the on-sale and luxury items. Online stores may have become the norm to shop from, but the best part about shopping in physical stores is being able to see the product itself, so you have a good idea of its size, appearance, and maybe function if you’re allowed to test it!
And for you last-minute gift buyers, brick-and-mortar is the better option than shopping online because of the obvious… no shipping costs or delays!
For low-cost physical stores, Walmart, Target, Costco, Ikea, The Home Depot, and Lowe’s are great contenders to find the best bang for your buck. High-cost physical stores such as HomeGoods, West Elm, Living Spaces, Pottery Barn, Macy’s, and Crate & Barrel are where you can find the luxury items to elevate a living space.
Online Stores
Shopping online has always been a popular method for buying your favorite products and gifts. Only now, with more people working from home or that prefer to stay indoors, shopping online is the easiest, if not the only, option. An advantage of shopping online is seeing different varieties of a product or gift, something that some physical stores lack due to inventory. In addition, there seem to be more customizable features when shopping online, giving a gift that friendly and personal touch.
Though there are several more risks with shopping online, such as shipping delays, the final item not appearing as advertised, or even worse, the wrong product, online shopping makes most transactions seamless and easy to manage.
For low-cost online stores such as Amazon, Wayfair, Overstock, Walmart, Target, and Bed Bath & Beyond, you’re sure to come across a sale that fits your budget. High-cost online stores such as Joss & Main, Burrow, Anthropologie, and World Market have high-end items with several customizable features to provide a sleek and upscale look to anyone’s home.
Celebrate Right at Home!
With all these helpful ideas, you’ll be sure to have your gift ready in hand when celebrating your next event or holiday. Homeownership is not only one of the biggest purchases that someone makes in life but also one of the most rewarding. Being a new homeowner can be tough to adjust to, so gifting someone a gift made for their brand new space will remind them of their accomplishments along their home buying journey.
If you’re curious about getting started on your own home buying journey, do you think you’re ready? Read through our six signs that you may be ready to buy a home or contact us today to get in touch with a local loan officer near you. Whenever you’re ready, know that we’re ready for you!
