Cool Holiday Gift Ideas for New Homeowners

After living at home with the folks, or away in a college dorm room, or even after years of apartment living, you buy that dream home, work through all the paperwork, rent the moving truck and…and, then what? You need stuff! Lots of stuff. Stuff you never even thought about before! New homeowners often run smack into their first 'oh my gosh, I didn't think of that' in the middle of the night, so why not give your new homeowner some useful holiday gifts that will make their life easier?

Face it, staring at blank walls isn't exactly fun, but a few great holiday gifts for new homeowners, and they can feel at home in their own place. Since everyone has their own unique taste, let your new homeowners choose their own art and décor with Gift Certificates - Art.com, http://www.art.com, or Pier 1, http://www.pier1.com, can garner them some decent and inexpensive artwork for their walls, as well as some great home décor items for that new display cabinet from IKEA, http://www.ikea.com. We especially loved our panoramic photo posters from art.com! And, Pier 1 and IKEA both have a terrific selection of household and children's décor items, ranging from very inexpensive to 'you have to be kidding!' and gift certificates can go a long way to decorating the new homeowners' new home.

Household Toolbox - Here is where we get to the middle of the night dilemma! New homeowners often don't think about tools, or if they do, the tools they have consist of two bent screwdrivers and a splintered handle hammer. Well, that is what we had anyway! Stock up a convenient household toolbox for your new homeowners, and they will have a much better time being new homeowners! Include: Set of screwdrivers, metric and standard sizes; hammer and tack hammer; an assortment of picture hangers, picture hanging wire, screws, nails and brads- you can usually find a decent assortment in it's own plastic sorter kit at Home Depot or Lowe's Hardware Stores for very little money; pliers - needle nose are the most used, but other pliers are handy too; wire cutters!, I couldn't believe how many times I need wire cutters!; a heavy duty staple gun and staples come in very handy for quick fixes and temporary wall décor placement; a tape measure, metal retractable at least 25 feet long so the new homeowner can measure for furniture placement, fabric needs, etc; and lastly, if you are feeling really helpful, give your new homeowners a nice toolbox to carry it all!

Important Paperwork for New Homeowners and How to Organize It All - All those papers and booklets that new homeowners seem to inherit can end up being a total mess, if they don't have a neat, organized way to store it. Warranties, mortgage information, utilities and insurance, even coupons for local services and receipts for all those not-so-minor home repair projects the new homeowners encounter AFTER the escrow closes and they move in can be a easily accessible and relaxed time with organizers, such as the great things available at Target, http://www.target.com.

Your new homeowners may never have needed garden tools before, and a lawnmower may be out of your price range, but think about putting together a garden lover's kit: A weed bucket (everyone has weeds) with a handy garden tool carrier wrap with pockets for small garden tools (mini rake, shovel, and bulb planter to start), packets of seeds, a handy kneeler pad, a good pair of high quality clippers. You can also include a gift certificate in your new homeowner's garden kit, for plants from the local nursery, or for a dinner out after a hard day's work in their new garden.

Whatever you decide to give your new homeowners, make it fun, and think about giving things that they can enjoy for years. Gift giving for new homeowners should be things they can use, but maybe would never think of themselves, when the biggest decision of the day is to call the plumber or caulk the windows.