12 housewarming gifts for friends that took advantage of the stamp duty holiday
26/5/2021
While staycations and getaways are on the mind for many of us, for others there’s another type of holiday that’s shaping their 2021 plans – the stamp duty holiday.
As a wave of people take advantage of the tax break, you might have found yourself with a list of friends who need housewarming gifts. To give you some inspiration, we’ve put together this edit of 12 top gifts and hampers sure to help them settle into their new abode.
From Fairtrade drinks for saying “cheers” to their new home, to beautifully made essentials empowering marginalised women, these have the added bonus of being social enterprise gifts. Each one is doing some real good in the world – perfect for your friends who’ll love having pieces that live up to their values at home.
Home Comforts Gift Box
The handpicked home comforts in this gift box make a fine combo for de-stressing after moving day.
Fizz for that first-night toast comes in the form of Sea Change Prosecco, the winemakers who support marine projects. A stash of plastic-free Earl Grey tea bags from NEMI Teas, who provide employment for refugees, takes care of brews between unpacking.
There’s also a soothing Lavender and Pink Grapefruit soap from eco-friendly brand Scintilla to pop by the sink. Finally, a candle from Dalit Goods Co. will immediately amp up the cosiness levels in a new house, with profits from this product supporting the marginalised Dalit community in India.
Celebration Cocktail Hamper
Perfect for a housewarming party (albeit a small one, thanks Covid), our Celebration Cocktail Hamper also features Sea Change Prosecco. Paired with Goji Berry Liqueur by FAIR Drinks – the world’s first Fairtrade certified spirits brand – it makes a delicious goji spritz.
Of course, no cocktail night is complete without snacks. So we’ve included chocolates by Harry Specters, the chocolatiers creating opportunities for young autistic people, along with a pack of Liberation Nuts – the UK’s only Fairtrade nuts company.
SO JUST SHOP Marble Chopping Board
This beauty of a chopping board is as much an ornament as it is a handy accessory for keen cooks. Handcrafted from Indian marble, it’s part of SO JUST SHOP’s thoughtfully sourced collection of accessories made by female artisans from marginalised or vulnerable communities. Every purchase helps these makers on a journey of training and upskilling towards economic empowerment.
SEWN Tea Towel Set
Tea towels might not immediately scream memorable gift – but that’s only because you haven’t come across SEWN before. These are handmade from quality Irish linen by survivors of human trafficking, who are offered the chance of a brighter future through the social enterprise’s Sew and Skill programme.
SEWN’s tea towels are even more gift-worthy thanks to the option to personalise them with your new home-owning friend’s initials.
A Glasshouse plant
A little greenery can go a long way in making a new house feel like a home. But when you choose a plant from The Glasshouse as a housewarming gift, the impact goes way further than simply brightening your friend’s place up.
From frond-erful ferns to spiky succulents, their collection of plants is grown and nurtured by ex-offenders training for a horticultural qualification at HM Prison East Sutton Park in Kent. Every green shoot represents a new start for the women who work in the glasshouses – a fitting gift for someone making a new start of their own.
Social Enterprise Cookbook & Candle Gift Box
This bundle brings together two products from social enterprises that support disadvantaged women. The Rising Hope Cookbook features recipes straight from the Luminary Bakery, where women who’ve experienced multiple disadvantages are given a chance to reach their full potential through baking. Luminary’s letterbox brownies and cookies also make a great edible gift, FYI.
The accompanying hand poured, eco-soy candle is made by LUX LUZ. These eco-friendly candlemakers bring hope to women who need it by investing profits into projects ranging from emergency nights in refuges to activities to help survivors of abuse recover, like art therapy.
SO JUST SHOP Leila Salad bowl
Sure to be a talking point at your giftee’s future dinner parties, the stunning floral print Leila Salad Bowl comes from Palestine. It’s handmade by a local women’s group using an ancient Phoenician technique, which tackles local poverty and unemployment while keeping traditional crafts alive.
Wooden WAKEcup
If the coffee machine is the first thing your friend will unpack in their new place, this GlobalWAKEcup mug might be the housewarming gift for them. A solid piece of light beech wood is lathe-turned to create these and each one is unique thanks to variations in the grain.
More than just being beautiful to look at, these mugs also help fund the good work of The Marine Conservation Society. GlobalWAKEcup donates 10% of profits to them as part of their mission to end single-use plastic pollution.
Bonus tip: make this an even more impactful gift for your caffeine-loving friend by pairing with some social enterprise coffee.
SO JUST SHOP Palm Leaf Trivets
These fun fish-shaped trivets are a housewarming gift with very practical benefits. They protect surfaces from hot dishes, scratches and stains – three of any new homeowner’s worst enemies. Each trivet is handwoven using palm leaves, a process which not only recycles agricultural waste but creates employment for vulnerable female artisans.
Goldfinger Candles
Bring a touch of the outdoors inside with Goldfinger’s eco-soy candles in back-to-nature style scents – Wild Swimming, Smell the Roses, A Walk in the Woods and A Fireside Snuggle. Or there’s Between the Sheets, which, as the name suggests, smells every bit as inviting as fresh-out-the-wash sheets. Level up your gift by buying them the complete set of candles.
As well as being eco-friendly, each candle also contributes to Goldfinger’s social purpose – they train designers and makers from less advantaged backgrounds and help them start their career. Who’d have thought scented candles could be a vehicle for social change, eh?
Pivot Bottle Opener
There’s nothing worse than going to crack open a beer and realising there’s no bottle opener to be found in the house – especially after a long day unpacking boxes. Stop your friend experiencing this annoyance with Pivot’s bottle opener.
The design is inspired by their Hugs Soon Bookmark (another cute gift) and, like all their products, is made by people experiencing homelessness through programmes helping them to ‘pivot’ their lives.
Elvis & Kresse Keyring
Finally, how about something for them to hang those shiny new keys on? Made from super durable decommissioned fire-hoses, this Elvis & Kresse keyring will no doubt last them until their next move and beyond.
The keyring is one part of a collection that ensures not a single out-of-action London fire-hose goes to landfill anymore, instead ending up as beautiful accessories like this one. Oh, and the classic fire-hose red or the rarer yellow colour it comes in is pretty handy when struggling to spot misplaced keys…
