Modifying the home may not be at the top of your
list, but chances are that you know someone who is a natural at making
improvements and modifications to their house. When it comes to altering your
living quarters, some tasks are relatively easy to accomplish, while others
require lots of manpower, money and dedication. Regardless of circumstance,
those handymen in your life often love receiving gifts that allow them to
tinker and modify elements of the home – whereas most of us would just be happy
with a gift card. For that special DIYer in your life, we've put together a
list of gadgets you can consider for their next birthday, holiday or as a
special gift for any time of the year.
Nest Thermostat
Installing a new thermostat is not only good sense when it comes to reducing those utility bills, but it can also create a more welcoming home environment. The Nest Programmable Thermostat costs around $250 and has a sleek look to it that resembles that of a kill switch in a doomsday bunker. The thermostat actually learns when you use energy and when you do not, creating an intuitive schedule to keep the house cool and warm whenever you are there – and turning things off when you are not. Reportedly, this thermostat can reduce heating and cooling costs by up to 20%.
Mail Chime
For
a less invasive procedure, gadget freaks will enjoy the Mail Chime – a wireless
device that alerts you whenever your mail has arrived. This can be a great
addition for someone who lives too far away from the street to hear the mailman
come up, as well as those with mobility issues. The product comes with two
pieces: one goes on the inside of the mailbox lid, while the receiver can be
plugged into any outlet inside the home. Whenever the box is opened, a chime
will go off to alert the home that mail has arrived – or at the very least,
that someone has opened the mailbox. The range on this product is approximately
150 meters and costs around $50 from the manufacturer.
Moxie
Bluetooth Showerhead
Singing
in the shower is a favourite past-time for many, but with the Moxie Bluetooth
Showerhead, you can now make it a formality. This removable shower head ($200)
can be synced with any Bluetooth compatible device to stream music directly into
the shower for your listening pleasure. The battery on the device will provide
audio for up to 7 hours before needing a recharge and fits most standard shower
heads without any difficulty. So whether you are at home or heading on
vacation, this little DIY home project can be a part of your daily hygiene
anywhere.
The U-Socket
Charging
mobile devices can be a pain when you do not have a free adapter, but the
U-Socket aims to change all that. For just $25, you can grab one of these
modern electrical outlets that come complete with 2 USB ports. For those who
hate having to use an extra adapter to charge their USB powered products via a
traditional outlet, this mod is a godsend. Even better: this outlet is much
smarter than an old-fashioned outlet and can detect when a full charge has been
achieved, shutting off power flow to the USB ports and reducing the amount of
wasted electricity.
Author Bio:
Sasha
Kiric is a stay-at-home dad. He is technologically very sound and uses it to
good effect while doing home improvement activities like garage cleaning, roofreplacement etc. A music lover, he likes to unwind by listening to his
favorite sound tracks.