A tech worker shared his 'housewarming registry' online, and people he'd never met bought him $600 worth of plates and plant stands
Courtesy of John Anderson
- When John Anderson, 37, moved to a new house in September, he made an Amazon housewarming registry.
- He shared it with his followers online and got $600 worth of presents from people he'd never met.
- "Buying a house is a big milestone and normalizing having registries for them online would be a good thing," he said.
John Anderson was driving his RV around the country, living campground to campground, until he bought a home in New Orleans in September.
When it was time to move in, all he had was a bag of clothes. He created an Amazon gift list, selecting several items he'd love to have, from plastic Adirondack chairs ($139.99) to a 73-piece silverware set ($49.99). He then shared it with his 54,000 Facebook followers, asking if they'd want to "be a part of making this house a home."
He ended up with about $600 worth of gifts from people he had never met, including a terrarium for plants, a cheese grater, and a mirror that says "Shut Up, You Look Good."
John Anderson
"I was surprised that so many people actually participated," Anderson, 37, told Insider.
He's not alone: Some new homeowners are setting up housewarming registries with wish lists of items to furnish their new pads. The registry may align with an in-person party, but it doesn't have to. (Anderson said he didn't know anyone in New Orleans when he moved so didn't plan to have a party.)
People with housewarming registries believe that buying a home is its own milestone nowadays, on par with getting married or having a baby. It's also expensive, they hold, so any little bit helps. They also think their friends and family appreciate the convenience of an online list with links, rather than defaulting to yet another candle or dish towel that the homeowner may not want or need. Others, however, have levied a range of complaints about the practice: Some say that it is impolite, while others maintain that housewarming registries are at best presumptuous and at worst tacky.
Lizzie Post, the great-great-granddaughter of legendary etiquette expert Emily Post, told Refinery29 that a housewarming party is about "warming your house with the presence of your family and friends," not acquiring items to decorate your new place.
Anderson said he didn't think creating and sharing his registry was rude. He added that the feedback on his post was mostly positive and that he ignored the few "trolls" who, as he described it, expressed frustration that he has the means to travel but was still asking for a handout.
Anderson penned a follow-up Facebook post thanking the people who sent gifts, showing off some of them: a set of kitchen knives, coasters, and a $71 coffee table.
John Anderson
"I just saw an opportunity, honestly, in the resource that is all those connections," he said. "I obviously don't know them all, but they get invested in my life. So if I have a big moment like that, then it's a way for them to share in that in a real way — as opposed to just all the comments and likes and stuff."
A Target spokesperson told Refinery29 in 2019 that the store had added a housewarming registry option a few years prior: "It's been a popular choice for guests, with a steady growth of registered users."
John Anderson
Anderson said he thinks more people should consider creating housewarming registries.
"It makes total sense to do," he said. "It shouldn't be viewed as a negative thing. It should be viewed as a positive thing, as an opportunity for people to help. I feel like something like this really should be a normalized thing."
Did you have a housewarming registry? Do you have strong feelings about the etiquette of the practice? Email reporter Jordan Pandy at jpandy@insider.com?