Gift registry for a housewarming?

[Thipu1]

I've never heard of a Housewarming Registry, either.  In our experience, any gifts brought to a party like this are about the same as regular Hostess gifts.

If the new home is a 'leaving the family nest' sort of thing a close relative may choose to give something a bit more substantial like a toaster or a piece of cookware but that's for the relative to decide. 

[KenveeB]

I would say it isn't done.

However, that doesn't mean that you can't create a Wish List on Amazon to keep track of all of the gazillion things you want to buy (you can even include things that aren't sold on Amazon) for your new digs over the next years as you think of them or research them.   It's kind of a practical idea as you prioritize and shop.  Plus, if Mom or someone asks (now, during the holidays, for your next birthday...), you can tell them how to find it.

Best wishes!

I think that's the best solution. I always keep an Amazon wish list ready as my personal shopping list, but that doesn't mean I can't give it to someone who says they want to give me a gift.

[m2kbug]

[I agree. When friends move into new places, I usually bring a basket with a loaf of bread, some fancy salt and a bottle of wine, which is what was commonly done for housewarmings where I grew up. Other small things, like houseplants or dishtowels or something, seem normal too, but a registry strikes me as very grabby.

This is what I do!  It's for good luck!   A pretty basket or bowl that can be used or displayed as decoration is a bonus.

Bread that this house may never know hunger.
Salt that life may always have flavor.
Wine that joy and prosperity may reign forever.

I have never heard of a gift registry for new home.  This would be a first for me.  I'm not sure I really see this as a bad thing or gift-grabby, but do have to agree,  this does seem to go over the top. 

When my husband and I did a housewarming, we weren't expecting any gifts at all.  We'd both been living independently for years, we just didn't need anything.  People wanted to bring us gifts, and I kept saying we're not expecting or asking for gifts.  I did feel a little grabby, but eventually I caved in and just thought some nice home decor would be nice; things to decorate the home that we might not get around to buying ourselves right away, and tossed out any ideas about that we could use, and just let them run with it.  At the end of the night, we ended up with about a dozen cutting boards.   People gave us some really nice decorations for the pot shelves, tea towels, bath towels, which ultimately became the color theme for the bathroom, and it was just really nice and very much appreciated!

[CookieChica]

How about an Amazon Universal Wishlist that you could refer the squeaky wheels to? I keep one all year so I can remember things I like and give ideas to family that ask around my birthday or Christmas.

[gellchom]

I give close friends a gift for a new home, party or no party.  My favorite is a gift certificate to a website like SwitchHits, where they can choose fancy switch plates (that is the only time I like to but gift certificates, even).  For a new neighbor, food or a plant.

I still would find a registry for a housewarming or new home in very bad taste, here in my US community.  There are a lot of occasions for which we give gifts.  That doesn't make them appropriate for registries, no matter how hard people try to convince themselves that ”it's really for their convenience" and "everyone is asking me where I'm registered.". No, everyone isn't.

I bring a gift to a friend in the hospital, too.  What's next, a registry for that?   

[bopper]

Remember:

Registering and telling someone because THEY ask and it is a convenience to THEM to know what you might like  is fine.
Registering and telling someone because you think they should be giving YOU present is NOT FINE.

[AnnaJ]

I would not appreciate being invited to a housewarming with a registry.

To be clear, Roe, Shabooty, et al, the registry my aunts and grandmother want would not be public knowledge or something that would be mentioned in the invitations.  Normal registry etiquette would still apply.

Small update: My mom told my aunts and grandmother that instead of registering I'd make up a list of stuff I needed for them, which seemed to appease them, but which I did not agree to.  I think one of the reasons it makes me uncomfortable is that there wasn't this sort of to do made when the other grandkids moved out on their own, however I am also the first grandkid to move out on his/her own without simultaneously getting married.

I think it's perfectly reasonable, and good for your aunts and grandmother.  You may not get married for some time (or not at all).  It sounds like the ladies would like to have the opportunity to treat you in an equivalent fashion as they have your siblings and cousins, and it would make them happy.

[Margo]

I think giving someone who has asked you for suggestions is completely different to registering. I think since your aunts are asking, it is OK to give them some suggestions (whether directly, or via an amazon wish list)

I have never heard of a registry for anything other than weddings, here (UK).

For a housewarming party I might take something small such as a bottle of wine or house plant, but I wouldn't see it as automatically being a gift giving occassion.

For a very close friend or family member I might buy a small gift - for example, my parents gave me a coffee maker as a house warming gift when I moved into my current house, I sent them flowers when they moved into their house (I knew the last thing they'd need was any more 'stuff')

[aussie_chick]

I would find it strange to hear about a registry for a house warming. In Australia, in my circle of friends, we rarely give gifts for this kind of thing except a token plant or bottle of wine.

When I moved into my first (owned) home, my dad and sister gave me a plant and some wine glasses and I was grateful because I didn't really expect anything. Nothing from friends.

Having said that, when I first moved out of home into my first rented flat, a couple of close family friends bought me a washing basket and filled it with cleaning products. Their rationale was that those products can be very expensive, especially to buy all at once. This way, I had everything I needed and they all get used at different rates so I didn't have to buy all at once again. This was absolutely the best house warming gift ever! It was basically washing powder, stain remover, ironing spray, cloths, sponges, scourers, dishwashing liquid, toilet cleaner, bathroom cleaner, general spray n wipe cleaner, pegs. So if you're ever looking for ideas for a house warming or moving out of home gift for someone, i strongly recommend this!

[shhh its me]

I would not appreciate being invited to a housewarming with a registry.

To be clear, Roe, Shabooty, et al, the registry my aunts and grandmother want would not be public knowledge or something that would be mentioned in the invitations.  Normal registry etiquette would still apply.

Small update: My mom told my aunts and grandmother that instead of registering I'd make up a list of stuff I needed for them, which seemed to appease them, but which I did not agree to.  I think one of the reasons it makes me uncomfortable is that there wasn't this sort of to do made when the other grandkids moved out on their own, however I am also the first grandkid to move out on his/her own without simultaneously getting married.

I think it's perfectly reasonable, and good for your aunts and grandmother.  You may not get married for some time (or not at all).  It sounds like the ladies would like to have the opportunity to treat you in an equivalent fashion as they have your siblings and cousins, and it would make them happy.

Since they are asking for gift ideas its appropriate to answer.   

[z_squared82]

How about an Amazon Universal Wishlist that you could refer the squeaky wheels to? I keep one all year so I can remember things I like and give ideas to family that ask around my birthday or Christmas.

This, definitely. It's not a traditional registry, and you can think of it more as a "To Buy for Myself" list. If other people buy you things from it, so be it. You don't have to feel awkward going to a store and picking up the scan gun. And you can add everything from a gravy boat to a garden hose.

I keep one to remember things I want to get for myself, books I want to get from the library, examples of furniture I'm keeping an eye out for, etc. And then my parents and siblings shop from it for my birthday and Christmas, too, because it makes it so much easier for them. It's kind of the best thing ever.

(And then I have a hidden list for all the things I want to give my niece.)

[chibichan]

I would also be really put off by a registry card in a housewarming party invitation .

It would feel less like " Come celebrate my new home " and more like " Here's what I want . "

[Goosey]

I think a wishlist would be much better than a registry.

Making a registry seems a little "off" to me simply because, in my experience, a housewarming gift is a plant or bottle of wine/liquor, not really a GIFT gift. So, setting up a registry specifically for the housewarming would make it seem like you do expect GIFT gifts for the occassion and that doesn't jive with my expectations.

A wishlist is more generic and can be for any occassion so if people are like "what do you want for your birthday/Christmas/Hump Day?" you can say, "Oh, I have a bunch of things on my wishlist that I was looking at!"

[*inviteseller]

It seems like there is registries for everything now a days!  I actually heard last week of someone who created one for going off to college and had included it in their graduation party announcements.  When anyone in my circle has bought their first house, the guests to the housewarming party usually brought bottles of alcohol to stock a bar, or a plant or some knick knack (brass cricket for the hearth was the coolest one I saw).  I usually will get a picture frame or some nice place mats.  If someone invited me to a housewarming and told me where they were registered, after my eyeballs quit rolling, I would wish them well on their new place and decline the invite. 

[Mrs. Tilney]

I purchased my first house last year and held a housewarming and a LOT of people asked me for gift suggestions. I wound up receiving quite a few gifts, most of which fell into the dishtowel/wine category, but some were other kitchen gadgets and quite a few gift cards to Home Depot, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Lowe's. I think this is because, as a single woman in my mid-30s, I haven't been married and this gave my friends an opportunity to shower me that they hadn't had before. I wasn't registered anywhere and was overwhelmed by everyone's generosity.

On the other hand, my sister and her husband purchased their second home at the same time and also had a housewarming, in which they received only typical hostess-type gifts. I imagine that the stage of life the person is in greatly affects the gifts received.