by Jennifer Geitenbeek

Created on: January 21, 2011   Last Updated: January 26, 2011

Moving in to a new house is both exciting and stressful. Just when it looks like everything has been collected and the living can really begin, you find something important has been forgotten. This is where the perfect house-warming gifts come in.

House-warming gifts can be personal, or 'home based', and need not be expensive. Below are ten things that will be both useful and inexpensive.

Candles

Not only useful for romantic occasions, candles come in very handy for power outages. Placed on a saucer, or in an old coffee cup, they make great little mobile lanterns. Usually available in packs of six or eight, they rarely sell for more than $3 per pack.

Light globes

Even if the new home owners have a globe in every room, there will be times when a globe will 'blow' and need to be replaced. Packs of two energy saver globes (20watt) can be purchased at most hardware stores, and supermarkets for around $8 per pack.

Cleaning Kit

A broom, dustpan and brush, along with a couple of rags will help to make sure things stay spic and span, and this little pack can be put together for under $8.

Cookie Tin

Everyone needs somewhere to store their cookies! A cookie tin is something that every household needs, whether the home owner loves to bake or not. Most times, a tin can be purchased for around $6, leaving $4 to buy a packet of cookies or two to fill it.

Tea-towels

Even if the new house has a dishwasher, tea-towels are a must. There are always things than can not go in the dishwasher, so something will be needed to dry them.

Even a small family can go through a couple of tea-towels a day, so it is a good idea to stock up. These can be bought in packs of 2, 3 and four, and retail for around $4 per pack.

Face-washers and towels

Put simply, you can never have too many towels. A pack of two towels and face-washers sell for between $7 and $10. When trying to choose a colour, rather than pick a bright or bold colour that the home owner does not like, try to find something in a pastel, like pale blue, apricot or cream.

Buckets

Buckets are always handy, for both indoors and out. With some careful planning, a simple 80 cent bucket can be the beginning of a great house-warming hamper, especially when it is filled with sponges, dish washing liquid, cloths and scrubbers.

Cob-web broom

Maybe not needed straight away, a cob-web broom will always be needed in the future. Many people use their normal household broom, but this then requires a lot of cleaning, and there is the risk of transferring dirt from the floor onto the walls as the cob-webs are swept away.

A cob-web broom has bristles that seem to attract the old webs, as well as an adjustable handle to make those hard to reach places accessible.

Herb garden started kit

Every home needs a garden, even if it's just a planter box in the window. Fresh herbs are easily grown from seeds (around $2 per packet) planted into potting mix ($6 per 5 liter bag) and are a great way of adding colour, and lovely scents to any kitchen.

Planter boxes can be made or purchased at most thrift shops, or discount stores for minimal dollars.

Door mat

Everyone loves, and needs, a door mat for their home. The primary role of the door mat is to collect the dirt from the bottom of shoes and remove it before it gets into the house. The average door mat can be purchased for around $8, but prices can vary greatly.

There is no need to spend up big though, because a $6 door mat will last just as long as a $60 mat if it is cleaned properly.

There is any number of things that make great house-warming gifts, all you have to do is to use your imagination, and think about the things that could easily be forgotten in the move.

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