7 housewarming gifts for your friends getting their first HDB flat

If you’re in your late 20s to early 30s, chances are you have friends who have just bought their first homes.

And if they’ve invited you over to celebrate this major life milestone together, you’re kind of expected to bring a housewarming gift.

To avoid giving your friends something that will eventually end up in some dusty corner, or worse, the trash (like a scented candle with an awful smell that they will never finish using), a good rule of thumb is to get them something practical and thoughtful, rather than decorative knick-knacks, in case they don’t have the same aesthetic sense as you.

Here are some gift ideas.

1. [Bundle of 2] SG favourites

Whether your friend is just a light drinker who drinks occasionally, or a frequent drinker who can often be seen at a watering hole on a Friday night, you’ll never go wrong with some alcohol as a gift.

That’s because even if there’s no occasion to celebrate, there’s always a time to wind down and relax, and some alcohol wouldn’t hurt.

If you’re not sure what kind of alcohol to get, you can’t go wrong with some bottles of red – a perfect gift for almost any occasion.

This bundle consists of:

• 1 x Amarone della Vapolicella Classico DOCG Campagnola 2018 750ml
• 1 x Chateau Tessendey 2017 Fronsac 750ml

Original price: S$213

Promotional price: S$157 (26 per cent discount)

Promotion period: Aug. 1 to 31

2. [Buy 1 Gift 1] Kinohimitsu Bird's Nest with Ginseng 6's (LOVESG Edition)

If your friend is not into drinking, or is at that stage in life where they are particularly obsessed with everything healthy, you can gift them some bird’s nest.

There may not be enough scientific evidence to back up claims that they cure diseases like tuberculosis or asthma, but it’s safe to say that bird’s nest can have some anti-ageing benefits for the skin due to the presence of collagen and amino acids that help promote skin cell regeneration.

Kinohimitsu’s Bird’s Nest with Ginseng has ginseng infused in it as well, which is another ingredient that has powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that can help with immunity and healthy ageing.

This product is only available on iShopChangi.

Original price: S$99.80

Promotional price: S$49.90 [50 per cent discount]

Promotion period: Aug. 1 to 31

3. Lao Xie Zhen Premium Boiled Essence of Chicken 10’s + Premium Ginseng Essence 2’s

Another gift idea for your health conscious friend is boiled chicken essence.

Voted the number 1 Essence of Chicken in Taiwan, this product is obtained after eight hours of slow-boiling to extract as much nutrients from the chicken as possible.

With no added preservatives and additives, it’s 100 per cent natural. It’s also rich in protein, amino acids and collagen, without any cholesterol or fat.

Chicken essence can help suppress the reduction in performance level induced by mental fatigue, and contains antioxidants that help inhibit tissue damage.

Lao Xie Zhen’s vitality gift box comes with 10 packets of chicken essence and two bottles of ginseng essence.

For this promotion period, you will receive complimentary two packets of chicken essence for every purchase.

This product is also only available on iShopChangi.

Original price: S$128

Promotional price: S$95.80 (25 per cent discount)

Promotional period: Aug. 1 to 31

4. Disney X Mayer Special Edition Mickey Loves SG 4-in-1

A new home is always in need of kitchen appliances.

While your friend might have already taken care of big-ticket items like the fridge and washing machine, there are still some appliances that you can still get them so their kitchen is more complete.

This Disney X Mayer bundle doesn’t only have an air fryer, which we know is a must-have for households who want to cook their meals with ease, but also includes other useful electronics.

Here’s what the bundle contains:

• 1x Disney x Mayer 3L Air Fryer (MMAF3000-MM)
• 1x Disney x Mistral Mimica Terminator Air Purifier (MAP03-MM)
• 1x Disney x Mayer 1.8L Multi Cooker (MMMC838-MM)
• 1x Disney x Mistral Mimica Cool Breeze Rechargeable USB Fan (MRF500-MM)

Original price: S$435.90

Promotional price: S$199 (54 per cent discount)

Promotional period: Aug. 8 to 14 (Promotional price will only be reflected during this time period)

5. Omknee 2 – Foot & Knee Massager

Featuring a detachable component, the Omknee 2 massager can be used for your arms and all parts of your legs, like your knees, shins, calves, and thighs.

It helps in arm-toning, knee care, and relieving your feet and shins of muscle fatigue and soreness.

While it’s definitely a splurge, perhaps you can gather a few friends to chip in for this gift if you want to reward your workaholic friend with a well-deserved foot and leg massage at the end of a long day.

Original price: S$1,388

Promotional price: S$798 (43 per cent discount)

Promotional period: Aug. 22 to 31 (Promotional price will only be reflected during this period)

6. Nakamichi Heritage 800 Retro All in One audio system

Touted as one of the world’s best manufacturers of high quality audio equipment, this All-in-One audio system by Nakamichi not only boasts superior sound quality, it looks cool to boot too with its retro vibes.

Other than a speaker, it hosts a range of functions, such as a Bluetooth connection, CD player, clock, timer, FM radio, alarm, AUX input, remote control and USB play.

If your friend is into such retro designs and doesn’t have an audio system at their new place yet, this can be a great option.

Original price: S$456.10

Promotional price: S$391.59 (14 per cent discount)

Promotion period: Aug. 1 to 31

7. National Day Exclusive Snack Bundle from Tong Garden

Last but not least, it’s hard to go wrong with snacks.

For some, snacking is a daily pastime, but even if your friend is not the snacking type, they can also offer these delicious snacks to guests.

A National Day exclusive from Tong Garden, this snack bundle consists of 17 different munchies, including chocolate wafer rolls, crunchy peanut butter, BBQ sunflower seeds, dried guava and crispy seaweed almond slices.

Original price: S$70.80

Promotional price: S$57 (19 per cent discount)

Promotion period: Aug. 1 to 31

Alternatively, if your friend is a health freak who regularly consumes nuts as part of their diet, you can get this Premium Nuts Bundle – also S$57 – that’s another National Day exclusive from Tong Garden.

Sitewide vouchers

iShopChangi is having a sitewide promotion now for both non-travellers and travellers. Note that the promotion period lasts till Aug. 31.

If you’re not planning to go anywhere anytime soon, here are the promo codes for non-travellers to apply when you cart out.

• 10 per cent discount, with minimum spend of S$87, capped at S$50 (NATDAY10)
• 15 per cent discount, with minimum spend of S$257, capped at S$100 (NATDAY15)
• 18 per cent discount, with minimum spend of S$557, capped at S$150 (NATDAY18)

Also, do not miss out on this weekly flash voucher every Tuesday at 10pm. Valid for the first 57 customers who cart out.

57 per cent discount, with no minimum spend, capped at S$57 (NATDAYFLASH)

8.8 Flash (Aug. 6 to 10 only)

• 12 per cent discount, with no minimum spend, capped at S$50 (88FLASH12)
• Limited flash promo: S$57 off your total purchase, with no minimum spend for the first 57 customers to cart out at 10am (MAJULAH57) during this period.

And here are the promo codes for travellers.

• 14 per cent discount, with minimum spend of S$457, capped at S$100 (NDAYHOLS)
• 18 per cent discount, with minimum spend of S$800, capped at S$150 (NDAYHOLS18)

Note that prices are subject to change, and that T&Cs apply.

You can also check out their latest deals, new arrivals and giveaways on their Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Happy shopping!

This article is sponsored by iShopChangi.

Top image by Naomi Hébert on Unsplash