When it comes to purchasing housewarming gifts, it is easy to go wrong. Please, do not fall victim to the easy way out- buying a generic gift from a superstore like Wal-Mart or Target that you know the homeowners would never pick out for themselves. You don’t want the happy couple to open your gift, force a smile and say “Thanks” through gritted teeth while wondering what contributed to your lack of imagination!

So what’s in and what’s out? Bottles of wine? You can be rest assured you won’t receive any awards for originality. Cookware is never safe. There’s no way of knowing what they might already have. Candles, soaps and frames get old, unless of course they are either extremely unique or homemade. Gift certificates to home-improvement stores may seem logical but are still a bit boring, unless you happen to have the financial means of Donald Trump and can add an extra couple of zeroes onto the amount. Flowers are pretty to look at but will generally die within a week and won’t be well-remembered. Finally, remember that homeowners like to use their own tastes when decorating a new house and may feel forced to display your mustard yellow bath towels or palm tree themed curtains. Never purchase a gift that might have a bad reaction with the color schemes they have already picked for their new home.