How to write a housewarming wishlist people can actually buy from

The classic housewarming haul for a first flat is four bottles of wine, two scented candles, a doormat that says "Home Sweet Home" and a cheese board. Meanwhile the new tenant does not own a frying pan. A wishlist fixes that in five minutes, and this is how to build one.

Start with what you will use every day

Walk through the flat room by room and write down what you reach for and do not have. In the kitchen that is usually one good chef's knife, a wooden chopping board, a non-stick pan, a set of six plates and a bin that does not tip over. In the bathroom, a shower curtain and four decent towels. In the bedroom, two pillows and a spare set of sheets. In the living room, a lamp and something to cover the window before the neighbours learn your routine.

Add a small toolkit, a few storage boxes and the cleaning basics. None of it is fun to unwrap. All of it is what you will be thankful for in the first month, and it is exactly what nobody thinks to give unless you ask.

Then add the things that make it look like your place

Once the basics are covered, add the pieces that show how you live. A print you have wanted for years, a monstera for the corner that gets afternoon light, a floor lamp that is not from the same shop as everyone else's, cushions in the mustard yellow you would actually pick.

If you cook, put a cast-iron casserole or a big serving platter on the list. If you read, a reading chair or a set of wall shelves. These entries do two jobs: they get you the thing, and they tell your guests what your taste is, so the ones who go off-list buy something close.

Cover every budget from 10 to 400 euros

Your colleague and your parents will spend very different amounts. For people who want to bring something small, list a set of tea towels, a bottle opener you like, a set of coasters, a bag of good coffee. For the middle, a kettle, a good set of bed linen, a bread knife, a rug for the hallway. For close family or a group of friends who want to chip in together, put the sofa, the dishwasher or the drill on the list and let them contribute towards it. Happy Giftlist lets several people pay into one gift, so a 400 euro item is not off limits.

Leave one price range out and someone ends up guessing. The guess is usually a candle.

Plan for the first time you have people over

A new place means guests, sooner than you expect. Add two extra place settings beyond the number of people who live there, a set of wine glasses, a large salad bowl, a coffee machine for the morning after. If there is a balcony or a bit of garden, a pair of folding chairs.

Think about the season, too. A couple of throw blankets for film nights in November, a board game like Codenames that works with six people, a slow cooker so dinner takes care of itself while you show people round. These are the items that turn a flat with boxes in it into a place friends want to come back to.

Say exactly what you mean

"Kitchen towels" gets you whatever was near the till. "Four grey cotton tea towels, 50 by 70" gets you what you wanted. If you need a lamp, say which room, roughly how tall, and whether you want warm or cool light. For anything that has to fit a space, give the measurements. A lovely armchair that does not fit through the front door spends a month in the stairwell, and everybody involved feels bad about it.

The easiest way is to paste the link to the exact product. Happy Giftlist pulls in the name, photo and price, and the buyer just clicks through. It also lets them reserve the item so the next guest does not buy the same pan.

A housewarming list lets the people who like you help fill a place you will live in for years, and it saves them from guessing. Sit down with a cup of tea, create a wishlist, and send the link round with the invitation.