Gift ideas

Gifts for new homeowners

Nobody moves into a house with everything they need. They find out what's missing one problem at a time.

Week one, there's no drill for the curtain rods. Week two, they learn the old owners took the fire extinguisher. Month three, the water heater starts dripping, and nobody notices until the carpet's wet.

So skip the "Home Sweet Home" sign. Give them the thing they'll be glad they had the first time something goes sideways.

Nobody paid to be on this list, and we don't earn anything if you buy. Prices were checked in October 2026 and change often, especially around the holidays.

Under $50

  1. First Alert HOME1 rechargeable fire extinguisher

    about $30

    Rated for the fires a house actually has: paper and wood, flammable liquids, and electrical. It's rechargeable, so it can be refilled after use instead of thrown out. Every kitchen should have one, and plenty of new homes don't.

  2. First Alert CO605 plug-in carbon monoxide alarm

    about $37

    Carbon monoxide has no smell, and an older house with a gas furnace or an attached garage is exactly where it shows up. This one plugs into an outlet and keeps working on a 9V battery when the power goes out. Put one near the bedrooms.

  3. Franklin Sensors ProSensor M150 stud finder

    $39.99

    Nine sensors light up the whole width of the stud at once, so there's no sliding it back and forth and guessing. It also warns about live wires before anyone drills into one. The TV, the shelves and the curtain rods all start here.

  4. GoveeLife Water Leak Detector 1s

    about $45

    Three sensors that sit under the water heater, the washer and the kitchen sink, and send a phone alert the minute they get wet. A leak caught on Tuesday costs a lot less than one found on Saturday. It needs 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi.

$50 to $120

  1. The Sill Snake Plant Cylindrica

    $59 to $79

    A houseplant for people who've never kept one alive. Snake plants put up with low light and a few weeks of being forgotten. The $79 version comes in a planter, so it goes straight onto the windowsill.

  2. Ring Battery Doorbell 2K

    $99.99

    They can see who's at the door from their phone and keep an eye on packages while they're at work. It runs on a rechargeable battery, so there's no doorbell wiring to fight with. Saving video takes a paid Ring plan.

  3. RYOBI 18V ONE+ 1/2" drill/driver kit

    $119

    Two batteries, a charger and a drill that'll hang every picture in the house. The battery fits more than 300 other RYOBI tools, which makes every gift after this one easy.

  4. Dinner on the first night

    about the price of a pizza

    Find out when the moving truck shows up and have dinner delivered to the new address that night. Nobody can find the pans yet.

Make a housewarming list

New homeowners get asked "what do you need?" about a hundred times. A WishSumo list answers it once. Put the drill bits, the curtain rods and the spare-key lockbox on one list and send the link to whoever asks. They call dibs on what they're buying, so nobody shows up with a third toaster.

Make your free list