How to write a housewarming wishlist while still unpacking

Half the kitchen is still in bubble wrap and the first "what do you need for the housewarming?" message has already arrived. A useful wishlist takes one evening and a walk through the house with your phone. It does not need to be finished, only shared before the party.

Walk through the house and note what is actually missing

Before you think about anything decorative, do a lap of the new place. The old shower curtain is 20 cm too short for the new bath. The coffee machine lost its jug somewhere between the two addresses. There are two sockets in the living room and both are behind the sofa. Write down the things that will annoy you every day this week; the piles you are still sorting can wait.

Group them loosely into kitchen, bathroom and general. That keeps the list readable for guests. A doormat, a basic toolkit with a decent drill, a couple of long extension leads and storage boxes measured for the new cupboards all belong on it.

The new home has its own quirks

Moving from a flat into a house means a lawnmower, a ladder and garden chairs you have never owned. Moving the other way means the garden is gone and the windowsills want plants, and every cupboard needs something that folds or stacks.

Where the house is matters too. A south-facing living room needs blinds before it needs a rug. A draughty old terraced house needs a wool throw and a door snake. A house with a lawn needs a hose; a flat above a busy road needs an air purifier. The list changes with the postcode.

Add what you need to host and settle in

You are throwing a housewarming, so you clearly like having people round. Add the things that make that easier: two serving trays, a few floor cushions for when the chairs run out, a string of lights for the terrace, a big jug for summer drinks.

Then the things that make a house feel lived in. Two table lamps, because overhead light in a new place is unforgiving. Frames for the photos still in a shoebox. A monstera for the empty corner. Or the piece of kit for the hobby you had to put down during the move, like a new roll of canvas or a decent set of bike tools for the shed.

Give guests a range to choose from

Guests come with different budgets, so mix €10 items such as tea towels or a good candle with bigger ones: a stick blender, a small chest of drawers for the hall, or an armchair that four friends can contribute to together.

Be specific enough that a guest knows what you mean, and loose enough that more than one product fits. "A table lamp for the living room, warm white bulb, brass or black" gives someone room to shop and still gets you a lamp you like. Where you have a specific item in mind, paste the link; the photo and the price come through and nobody has to guess.

Leave two or three open categories for the guests who would sooner surprise you: a print from a local artist, plants, a bottle from the neighbourhood wine shop, a book about the town.

Keep it organised and easy to find

Sort the finished list by room so it can be scanned in a minute. Then make sure people can get to it. One link in the invitation message does the job; a printed copy on the fridge at the party catches the guests who never open links.

Update it as you unpack and find out what you actually need. The bathroom hooks that seemed urgent on day one turn out to be in a box, and the hallway turns out to need a bench. A list that looks different a week from now is a list that is working.

You can create a wishlist this evening, add the ten things from the walk-through, and share it with everyone coming to the party.