When a friend or loved one moves into a new place, it’s customary to get them a housewarming gift. Moving is stressful (and expensive) enough without having to worry about every single thing you’ll need when you get there.

That’s why, as a manager or owner of an apartment or community living complex, it’s a nice sentiment to give your new residents a housewarming gift. Any housewarming gift should make moving easier, but, like your apartments, you want to stand out. So what’s something extra special you can add to your residents’ first day home?

Whether you opt for a bouquet of flowers to freshen up their new space or a bottle of wine to celebrate their first night, we’ve compiled a list of move in gift ideas for apartments near and far to adopt as a token of appreciation for their newly minted residents.

Great Gifts For New Digs

A housewarming gift is a thoughtful way to commemorate your residents’ new chapter and build a sense of community within your complex. So, from bare necessities to special touches, here are some of the best gifts and resident retention ideas you can get for someone who’s just relocated.

1. DECOR AND MORE

Decorating is one of the most exciting parts of moving in. Why not give your resident something that’ll help them add some personality to the place? Here are some great thoughtful gift ideas for decor and more.

Coffee Table Books

Coffee table books look great in any home. Eye-catching and interesting, they make a subtle but impactful visual statement. They can also be a great way to personalize a living room. Get your new resident a great gift of a table book or two that elevates their space, with options like:

City explorations — Find an intriguing coffee table book that explores everything your city has to offer — whether that’s local eateries, architectural must-sees, or beautiful outdoor spaces.

Fashion, style, or design — If your locale has a particular style touted by all the best-dressed, find a coffee table book that shares all of the city’s best-kept fashion secrets.

Photography — Consider a photography publication to infuse a bit of artistic elegance into your resident’s new space. Whether it’s exploring the city’s local culture or traveling across European landscapes, a photo-based coffee table book is sure to please new tenants and their families.

Art and Picture Frames

While it may be difficult to pinpoint each of your residents’ taste in artwork, consider gifting your newcomer with a minimalist poster or wall hanging that acts as the inaugural art piece to their white walls.

You can also consider gifting an ornate picture frame so that your resident can begin to make memories as soon as they turn their key — plus a picture frame minimizes the potential for wall damage down the line!

Fresh Flowers and Houseplants

Fresh flowers and houseplants are an easy way to add beauty, color, and texture to a room. They’re also a time-tested housewarming gift that any new resident will appreciate. Here are some perennial winners:

Peace lilies — These gorgeous plants beguile with their serene white flowers and glossy leaves. They’ll brighten your resident’s home and can even help purify the air.

Snake plant — Not sure how green your resident’s thumb is? A Snake plant is as easy to care for as it is nice to look at.

Jade plant — Jade is a hearty, versatile, and elegant succulent that’s sure to stand out on any end table or windowsill.

Want to make sure your resident’s new place is full of floral goodness all the time? Let Alfred do it! On the app, you can arrange for Alfred to deliver fresh flowers to your residents as often as you like. Just let us know their taste and your price range, and we’ll do the rest!

Candles

From covering everyday odors to adding aromatic drama to special occasions, candles are a must-have in most homes.

A candle might seem like a super-obvious choice, but you can up the ante by going for luxury. Look for high-end brands that use only the finest scents and waxes. The most luxurious candles use:

• Soy wax
• Beeswax
• Coconut wax

Beverage Cart

Beverage carts marry class with convenience. The perfect gift can add a touch of subtle glamour to any room, and they’re handy places to store all those bottles and decanters. Plus, in apartments, they can be real space-savers.

Beverage carts infuse luxury into any gathering of friends and family, and it can be a great way to improve word-of-mouth recommendations.

2. ITEMS FOR THE KITCHEN

The kitchen is among the most important rooms in any home. That’s why there are so many things you need when your residents are setting up a new one. It’s also why the kitchen is a great place to start when you’re thinking of the perfect welcome gift idea.

Knife Set

From cutting steaks to chopping vegetables to halving melons, knives get put to a lot of uses. Make sure your resident has a blade for every occasion with a luxury knife set. The best sets will use quality metals like stainless steel and feature a variety of knives like:

• Paring knives
• Cutting knives
• Bread knife
• Boning/Filet knife

Wine Bottles or Glasses

From coffee mugs to tumblers, your resident will need a variety of drinking glasses to get started in their new place. Chances are they’ll have the essentials covered, so go ahead and get them a set of wine glasses.

Wine glasses are another time-tested housewarming gift, so don’t be afraid to really make it special. Look for:

• Sets that use fine glasses like crystal or
• Luxury brands with hand-blown designs
• Decorative options with golden rims
• Monogrammed designs

If you’d like to avoid the breakables, you can also enlist Alfred to deliver a bottle of delicious wine straight to your resident’s door on their first night. It’s a great way to show your appreciation and welcome them to their new home.

Essential Food Package

Moving into a new place can be quite time-consuming, and oftentimes residents may find themselves unpacked but without a meal to celebrate the feast.

Create a shopping list of new apartment must-haves, including late-night snacks, cooking spices, and breakfast items. Then, call on Alfred to shop and deliver them directly to your resident so they’re equipped with scrumptious goodies for days to come.

Morning Coffee

Everyone needs a little caffeine encouragement to get up and go every once in a while. While many small apartment complexes offer community coffee rooms, consider taking it one step further by gifting each new resident with a personal espresso machine.
That way they can look forward to the smell of freshly brewed coffee each morning in their new home. You can also opt for the following coffee-centric gifts instead:

• Espresso machine
• French press
• Drip coffee maker
• Pour-over coffee maker
• Single-serve coffee maker
• Cold brew coffee maker

With Alfred’s grocery delivery services, you can make sure the kitchen is well-stocked with high-quality coffee beans the moment your resident walks through the door. In addition to beans, you can also shop for specialty items like grinders, thermapens, and milk frothers.

Can you think of a better gift? We can’t!

3. Gifts For Self-Care

The days (or even weeks) following a move can be exhausting. While the first day jitters, movers, and bubble wrap are out of the way, there’s bound to be more responsibilities afoot — from organizing book collections to finding out where on earth to dispose of all those cardboard boxes.

Show your new residents your community prioritizes good vibes and comfort with a few self-care must-haves.

Luxury Hand Soap

These days, there’s a good chance your residents are washing their hands more than ever — especially when living in a community complex — and they need a good soap to keep up with all that scrubbing. Help them pamper their hands by getting them a luxury hand soap. Opt for soaps that:

• Contain skin-softening elements like humectant and emollients
• Don’t contain high levels of dye or colorants
• Are low in sulfates

When choosing a hand soap, opt for liquids brands that go easy on the fragrances — bar soap tends to leave skin dry while soaps that are high in fragrances can irritate the skin.

Spa Package

Help your new resident enjoy their new home in style with Alfred’s self-care bundles. Each package has a different focus, from sleep and body recovery to mind and focus.

Our packages also include Pursoma’s bath soaks and body treatments to help your resident relax into their new home and prioritize a bit of me-time after move-time. Plus, we also deliver a variety of wellness packages packed full of stress-relieving CBD products so your new resident can ease into their new surroundings comfortably.

Alfred: Changing the Way You Rent

As an apartment manager or owner, it’s your job to cultivate a comfortable, safe, and welcoming environment for each resident who walks through your doors and into their own.

Gifting your new residents with luxury move-in gifts and items can improve the communal atmosphere and let your new tenants know that they’re appreciated and valued members of your community.

At Alfred, our luxury concierge services are here to help you cultivate an elevated living space. As an app-based personal assistant service, we provide your renters with a variety of premium services, from moving concierges to package pick-up.

Plus we partner with property managers and owners to improve residents’ accessibility to rent payment portals, maintenance requests, property management solutions, and virtual assistance. Rethink the way you rent with Alfred.

Sources:
Businessinsider.com. 40 Unique Gifts for Their New Apartment in 2021

Fnp.com. Top 7 Indoor Houseplants to Give As Housewarming Gifts

Wwd.com. 26 Best Luxury Candles of 2021

Editoralist.com. 20 Luxury Housewarming Gifts 2021

Forbes.com. 9 Knife Sets That Pros Actually Use