Housewarming registries are the new wedding registries

Written by Amanda Oliver

Updated March 17, 2021

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As a single person in my late 20s, I'm always slightly jealous of my friends who are getting (or who have gotten) married. But it's not necessarily for the reasons you'd think—a.k.a it's not because they've found "the one" or because now they'll never have to change another tire by themselves again.

It's because they get to make wedding registries and I don't.

Until now, that is, thanks to a new trend of single people creating housewarming registries. While some people think it's an etiquette faux pas, others (like myself) are all for it. In fact, according to a study reported by Refinery 29, 70 percent of people between the ages of 18-34 prefer having a wishlist when they're shopping for gifts for someone.

Besides the obvious question (why has no one thought of this before?!), I have a lot of others. What exactly goes on a housewarming registry? Where do I make one? How do I make one? And is it overkill to ask for that super popular but super pricey KitchenAid stand mixer I've always wanted?

One of our shopping editors weighs in on the trend—and answers my most pressing questions—below.

Why are people making housewarming registries?

"I think it makes sense because people are buying homes and having other big life events before they're getting married," our Senior E-commerce Writer, Courtney Campbell, explains, adding, "There are items on traditional wedding registries like a KitchenAid stand mixer or Staub Dutch oven that people are going to want/need before they get married."

And while she understands some of the backlash, she thinks that housewarming registries actually make a lot of sense for both the new homeowner and the gift-giver. "I can see how people could be offended about breaking tradition, but if you're going to get someone a housewarming gift anyway, you might as well get them something they actually want via a registry!" she says.

Where can you register?

Target, Ikea, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Wayfair all offer housewarming registries while Amazon has a "non-specific" wishlist category. Additionally, some people who have made housewarming registries admit to having used wedding registry sites and simply tailored the list to fit their situation.

How to make your own housewarming registry

Campbell recommends thinking like a newlywed: "I would honestly stick to the items you would typically see on a wedding registry," she says, adding that you should "keep it to things you know you're actually going to use" to avoid going overboard or ending up with impulse buys that will just sit in the closet.

That being said, don't be afraid to put some big-ticket items on your registry (like the iRobot Roomba i7+), too. "If there is something pricer on the list, you can always see if multiple friends and family would contribute to one item," Campbell says.