Good birthday gifts for homeowner

September 12, 2008 12:47 PM

Good birthday gifts for someone moving from a townhouse to a single family home?

What are some good birthday gifts (in the range of $50) for someone who will soon be moving from a townhouse to a single family home? Gift cards to Bed Bath & Beyond just seem so overdone. Anonymous because said someone regularly reads AskMeFi.

posted by anonymous to human relations (11 answers total)

It's your friend's birthday, not a housewarming. Get them something that speaks to them and their personality, not to their living arrangement.
posted by phunniemee at 12:49 PM on September 12, 2008

I don't think a house-related birthday gift is necessarily out of line. One big change between a townhouse and a single-family home is the amount of outdoor/yard care, maintenance and decorating. If you want to do a gift card, how about something to a local nursery? Or else several outdoor containers potted with colorful fall blooms?
posted by handful of rain at 12:59 PM on September 12, 2008

Tools always.need.tools.
posted by Freedomboy at 1:05 PM on September 12, 2008

I'd buy them a young tree for their yard...they can mark time by how many years they've been in the house by each birthday. kinda personal, kinda practical, very pretty and nice for the planet.
posted by ellebe at 1:07 PM on September 12, 2008 [1 favorite]

I'm with Freedomboy. A house is a gigantic pile of repairs waiting to be done. If you want something a little harder to giftwrap, a ladder is massively useful and one of those things that nobody ever seems to have before the first time they really really need one.
posted by Quietgal at 1:18 PM on September 12, 2008

I agree with Quietgal. A sturdy stepladder is incredibly useful. Mr. Sculpin and I got one as a wedding present, five years ago; we've used it more often than all the rest of the wedding presents combined.
posted by sculpin at 1:37 PM on September 12, 2008

A weedwhacker, or even better, a weed dragon (my favorite outside toy tool). Although ellebe's idea of a young tree would be nice, with a shovel & garden gloves.
posted by headnsouth at 2:05 PM on September 12, 2008

As far as tools, a palm-size, chalkline laser-level will be a big help in aligning shelves, decorating walls, painting, etc. (DavidWhite 2LC or similar)

Garden tools: nice pair of Felco pruners.

And, add a couple rolls of duct tape.
posted by artdrectr at 2:06 PM on September 12, 2008

A voucher for your time to help them move.
posted by MiffyCLB at 2:52 PM on September 12, 2008

my wife and i bought our first house in may and i agree that tools and lawn/landscaping supplies are a great idea. our house is on a lot with many trees in many varieties, which i love. however, several of them were getting too close to the driveway and the deck. my father-in-law gave me my favorite yard tool yet, a telescoping ratcheting lopper for pruning smaller tree limbs. i had never heard of this wondrous device before but it's the best thing short of a reciprocating saw that i've used. i don't own the particular one linked, it was just for illustration, but you should be able to find something similar locally.
posted by ashabanapal at 7:02 PM on September 12, 2008

A rose bush. Gives new gifts every year.
posted by docmccoy at 11:11 PM on September 12, 2008