Living in a small apartment requires serious Tetris skills to store items that you don’t use every day.  We can’t give the gift of extra space to our friends who move into small apartments, but we can certainly be more thoughtful when it comes to housewarming gifts. So ditch the candles and give a housewarming gift that won’t get regifted.

Gift Cards to Local Stores

Do some research on Yelp for brunch, coffee, dessert, spa, dry cleaning, gym, art classes or whatever your friend loves or may need. Check out the reviews and give a gift card to the top-rated business in the local area. If you are feeling generous, give your friend a tour of the new neighborhood by providing a list of things to do along with the gift cards to the top-rated businesses for each of the things to do.

Succulents

Trend alert! Flowers are gorgeous, but these tiny succulent plants last a long time and are easy to take care of. These charming plants can be placed on bookshelves, windowsills, coffee tables or you can even keep them floating in a hanging terrarium. These succulents have become a staple in home décor and are sold pretty much anywhere! You can find them at your local garden stores, pharmacies like CVS or Walgreens, grocery stores like Whole Foods or ShopRite and online.

Blankets or Slippers

Give the gift of leisure. Nothing can replace the awesome feeling of lounging on a couch under a soft blanket or walking around in fuzzy slippers. Placing a blanket on a couch or a bed is a good trick to make the room look cozier. And they can be folded and put away easily.

Gift Cards to Print Pictures

Giving a picture frame can be risky. What looks great on a store display may not necessarily look great with the (new) style your friend is going for. Give a gift card to a store that prints photos so your friend can finally print the pictures on his or her phone. Snapfish and Shutterfly are two websites that allow you to upload pictures and print. You can also print pictures on coasters, books, mugs, calendars and many other products that your friend can decorate the new apartment with!

Smart Plugs and Switches

Smart plugs connect the electrical outlet with the device you are plugging in and lets you turn the device on or off remotely or at a scheduled time.  Perfect for the chronic “did-I-leave-my-curling-iron-on” worrier or the globe trotter who wants to turn the light on and off when he or she is traveling. 

Make your home smarter. Visit coldwellbanker.com/smart-home for more information.