If you want to offer to buy a gift for someone, especially an adult who lived on their own awhile, rather than suggest something you think they would want, say ‘I’d like to buy you a present, is there anything you need or have been putting off buying for yourself?’
Due to the cost of living these days, it will be appreciated, and you aren’t buy something they aren’t going to use.
I love practical gifts. But I also love indulgent gifts sometimes that I could never justify spending money on myself. My parents are older, so now they don’t like anything that creates more clutter, they like consumable things or experiences. It’s also worth bearing in mind, if someone lives in a little flat, don’t give them knick knacks, there’s no room for them!