In the last four years, I have moved house three times.
Through this experience, I have learnt many things. Firstly, it’s not till you move all your possessions from one place to the next that you realise quite how many belongings you have.
Secondly, your friends and family will swiftly lose interest in assisting you move after 10 minutes into “helping” and thus paying for movers, which is heartbreakingly expensive, is worth it for the lack of pain and frustration – emotionally and physically on our poor backs.
And lastly, gifts are always appreciated but receiving them in short order of realisation one, it is the practical items (the ones that you can actually use) are much better received. It is a time of celebration but while a bottle of something will always get drunk and flowers will brighten up a space for a short time, the person who brought over four beautiful wine glasses, and the comic who gave a lifetime supply of toilet were raised in my estimations. These are the gifts that keep on giving.
This is all the more important when your giftee has moved to a new, first home. Whether they have finally made it on the property ladder or are marking a first foray into adulthood, moving comes with a long shopping list and easing the financial burden by crossing a few items off will be sure to go down a treat.
With this in mind, we have selected the best functional first-home gifts below
Ring Battery Video Doorbell Plus + Chime Pro
Since affixing my video doorbell – a process which took around five minutes at most - it has changed the game. The smart device connects to the Ring mobile app to display when someone is at your door. Not only will you never miss a parcel again, but you can always see who’s at the door without installing a costly intercom system. Connected to the Chime, which is included as part of this bundle deal, you can hear the bell ring throughout the house, as well as through a phone notification.
Buy now £159.99, Amazon
Brabantia Folding Dish Drying Rack
This is the Rolls-Royce of dish drying. Brabantia has created a capacious rack to store recently washed kitchenware with enough room for a family of four. Whether you choose to keep permanently on your counter – in which the grey or black design will make a chic addition – or store away with its compact folding ability, this is a workhorse for any kitchen.
Buy now £45.95, John Lewis
Act+Acre Showerhead Filter
Best for: style and substance
No plumber required, changing up your shower head for Act+Acre’s hard water-filtering alternative is a matter of simply screwing it in. The sleek black bathroom addition combines style and function in spades, removing contaminants that can affect hair’s shine – and looking good while doing it.
The product contains layers of coconut activated carbon, calcium sulphite and KDF-55, all components that will remove chlorine, bacteria and irritation-causing minerals to make London’s famously hard water that extra bit kinder on the tresses. It’s a satisfying rainfall flow too.
Buy now £116.00, Cult Beauty
Belkin BoostCharge Pro 3-in-1 Wireless Charger with Official MagSafe Charging
It’s one thing having all the gadgets, and it’s quite another to be able to charge them up. In this technological age, with so many devices needing constant juice, we are burdened with the stress of finding plugs for our phones, headphones and watches – well, we were until now. Belkin’s three-in-one wireless charger can power up your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods – or any MagSafe compatible devices – in short order. Bonus points for looking attractive on your bedside table and minimising the quantity of cables.
Buy now £139.99, Belkin
Who Gives A Crap
When you’re a company, a punny name will only get you so far; the product needs to stand up to scrutiny too.
Luckily, Who Gives A Crap scores highly on both fronts, with an unforgettable brand and the ability to bulk buy bog roll that’s 50 per cent as long as normal and made from recycled materials too. The company donates 50 per cent of its profits to build proper sanitation facilities for third-world communities - it may be 2024 but billions around the world still don’t have access to a toilet.
As well as bulk buying loo roll, you can also set up a subscription to deliver every 4 - 16 weeks so that you’re never caught short again.
Not quite spending a penny, but for the good that buying WGAC does for communities and the environment - not to mention that jazzy packaging - it’s a worthy swap from your usual bog roll.
Buy now £14.00, Who Gives A Crap
John Lewis Velvet Frill Cushion
You can count on the John Lewis own-brand collection to provide real gems using quality materials and at affordable price tags. Take this cushion as the perfect case in point. It has an attractive ochre colourway on the one side, but is reversible with a striped design on the other.
Buy now £40.00, John Lewis
The White Company Spa Turkish Cotton Towels
Step out of your daily shower or bath and cocoon yourself in pure luxury. The White Company has Turkish towels in all sizes, from face to super jumbo, all made from 100 per cent Turkish cotton. The dense yet lightweight towel won’t shed either, so no annoying bits of fluff to sweep up.
Buy now £32.00, The White Company
FLOWERBX
Prices: from £40
Frequency: weekly, fortnightly or monthly
Like the idea of magazine-worthy flowers? Transform your home with FLOWERBX’s show-stopping blooms, available on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis. From tulips in March to peonies in May only in-season varieties are chosen to ensure you receive only the freshest, cut-to-order petals at their prime.
If you’re away or want to pause your subscription, you can alter the size, delivery frequency and subscription duration too.
First orders always include a free signature vase from the brand, so you’ll always have the best home for your bouquet and each bunch arrives perfectly packed with easy care instructions so you can keep them looking their finest.
Choose from Classic (£40 per delivery), Premium (£75 per delivery) and Rose (£55 per delivery) subscriptions with medium and large sizes for all.
Buy now £40.00, FLOWERBX
Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen
Introduce the gift of a smart assistant into their home. Just ask Alexa anything - from the news and the weather to the latest travel disruptions - and she’ll answer back. It’s also a smart speaker connected to your music streaming app so you can fill their home with seasonal playlists.
Buy now £18.00, John Lewis
Taper candles and candlestick holders
The tablescaping trend shows no signs of wavering. Dressing our tables has become as vital as the food itself so you can’t go wrong with gifting attractive candle stick holders and candles to be their centrepiece. Anna + Nina offers a range of tinted glass holders with vintage-inspired designs. Embellish them with different taper candles that now come in a rainbow selection of hues and in weird, wacky and wonderful shapes. Koibird has some of our favourites. Go wild.
Buy now £29.95, Liberty
Habitat Portofino Set of 4 Stemless Wine Glasses
You can always rely on Habitat to deliver on home essentials that won’t break the bank. The brand has this set of four on offer for less than a tenner, offering an easy way to update your glassware collection. Its beauty is in its versatility; use it for brunchtime OJ as easily as dinner party reds.
Buy now £9.50, Argos
Bistro Monogram Mug
There’s something satisfyingly sophisticated about these monogram mugs from Anthropologie. If she can’t go without her morning cuppa consider pairing this gift with the equally affordable tea bag selection from Fortnum & Mason.
Buy now £12.00, Anthropologie
Diptyque Baies Scented Candle
French fragrance house Diptyque has some of the best candles on the market. When you can sniff out the aromas through the packaging, you know that this is going to a room-flooding scent - and on burning, it doesn’t disappoint. In fact, each of the fragrances in the candle collections will fill your home with their addictive notes.
The Baies is a cult favourite with a unique profile that’s instantly recognisable and unique to the brand. It combines the freshness of roses with the sweetness of blackcurrant leaves for a vibrant finish that is heady yet not overwhelming. The candle offers up to 60 hours of burn time and you only need to light it for short bursts to set the scent of your space. Reuse the jar for cotton wool buds or pads to curate an Instagram-worthy Shelfie.
Buy now £56.00, John Lewis
Soho Home Charlton Nickel Toilet Brush
Best for: a Mayfair-level loo
Designed to embody vintage, Parisian hardware with a modern twist, the Charlton Nickel Toilet Brush by Soho Home is certainly fit for the most luxurious of bathrooms. The uniquely fluted shape is complimented by delicate decorative edges, which the high-shine nickel is tempered by a matte glass sphere atop the brush.
Buy now £145.00, Soho Home
POLSPOTTEN Grandma espresso cups
They might be called “grandma” cups but we’ll definitely be keeping these stunning espresso cups and saucers for ourselves (sorry nana). Some of the brightest designs out there with beautiful, intricate detailing, these cups are almost too pretty to use.
This set of four comes with a variety of cups and saucers in contrasting blue, yellow and orange tones. Made from porcelain with gold detailing on each piece, they’re espresso cups that deserve only the finest handling when pouring.
Buy now £95.01, Farfetch
Oval glass vase
A unique shape compared to most traditional tulip vases, this oval art deco-inspired piece showcases your posies in a horizontal line – allowing you to admire each and every unique bud in your bouquet with ease.
Buy now £17.99, H&M
Amyisla McCombie Tomatoes Unframed A3 Print
Amyisla McCombie’s bright pink is perfect for adding vibrancy to bland kitchens. What’s more, a strategically positioned kitchen print can offer the right levels of passive persuasion if you share your home. They’ll be fixing you plates of pan con tomate before you can say “what’s for brunch?”.
Buy now £45.00, Liberty
John Lewis Naturally Med Olive Wood Chopping Board
A classic design can go a long way. John Lewis knows a thing or two about serving up staples at affordable prices. The brand’s olive wood chopping bread can be adorned with petite loaves due to its smaller scale and Mediterranean feel. Admire the artisan-inspired rustic shape and show off at dinner parties and holidays alike.
Buy now £28.00, John Lewis
Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Petal Robe Brut Champagne
This special bottle of pink Champers comes from none other than Laurent-Perrier. Characterised by a distinct aroma of berries and delicious flavours of cherries and raspberries, it’s a wild-card pairing for less hearty steak dinners, and is as celebratory as it is complementary.
Buy now £97.99, Selfridges
