‘Tis the season for giving, especially to those we love. And who doesn’t love their home, especially after spending so much time there this year?
Home is what we’re all about at Offerpad. If you love yours as much as we love ours, here’s a little list of last-minute gift ideas your whole household will enjoy, culled from the wish-lists of a few of our own holiday helpers.*
1. Multipurpose Multicookers
No health-conscious household is complete without a multi-functional electric pressure/slow cooker and air fryer. With one of these all-in-one countertop culinary wonders, you may never use your oven or microwave again. A handy hybrid appliance for one-pot meals, there are many models and manufacturers to choose from depending on the size you need to feed your family and budget. ‘Fry’ up your favorite holiday treats like fried pickles, bacon wrapped asparagus, pizza rolls and chicken nuggets. (Sure beats the sogginess of 60 seconds in a microwave.) Pictured: COSORI Smart WiFi Air Fryer for under $100
2. Wireless Robot Vacuum
And speaking of multipurpose, how about this idea for keeping yourself entertained and cleaning your home clean at the same time? You’ve seen those funny memes of cats, dogs, even parrots riding around on robot vacuums. Get your own pet in on the action and give your floors a customized cleaning with popular models featuring Wi-Fi wireless remotes and mobile app integration. Program your new cleaning toy to vacuum any room from anywhere, whenever you want. Want a robot vacuum for under $200? This Roborock E4 Robot Vacuum Cleaner is on sale right now on Amazon.com.
3. Digital Thermostat
If you’re thinking of putting your home up for sale in the new year, here’s an easy way to upgrade and add to its value. Replace those old round manual dial-style or plastic push-button thermostats with a smart Wi-Fi-based digital system. A programmable thermostat can help make your home more comfortable and keep energy costs under control by turning your HVAC system on when you anticipate being home and off when you’re not. A smart thermostat lets you create schedules for every room or your whole house, and gives you complete control over your HVAC system, even when you’re away from home. The Smart Thermostat shown here is on sale on Amazon.com as well and works with Alexa.
4. Video Doorbell
Another great item to help increase the security and value of your home is a video doorbell. Look through these popular virtual peepholes from an app on your phone from anywhere inside or outside of your home. Check on package deliveries and see who’s coming and going even when you’re not there or before you answer the door. You can install these in-home security devices yourself with a screwdriver. Some even come with professional installation services, a good option if you’re not the handiest do-it-yourselfer. This popular 3rd Generation Ring video doorbell is currently available on Amazon.com for $99.
5. Coffee Machine
America runs on coffee. If you’re part of the 42% of the U.S. labor force now working from home full-time, you’ve probably figured out having your own coffee machine is a lifesaver, and a budget-booster. But if you’re still visiting your local barista to buy coffee every day, we’ve done some quick math to show how adding a nice coffee maker to your last-minute gift list can save you some big bucks.
If a cup of coffee costs $4 on average, at 30 cups a month, that’s $120. Multiplied by 12 months, that’s $1,440 a year. Now, let’s compare costs with a $100 coffee machine (like the Hamilton Beach 2-Way Brewer Coffee Maker pictured here, or even some of the less expensive espresso machines). Using the same 30 cups a month and adding the cost of the coffee/pods (you can get two months’ worth with a 60 count of K-Cup pods for $35 on Amazon.com), that’s $35 multiplied by six months for a total of $210. Adding the coffee and new machine together, you’ve only spent just over $300, a savings of more than $1,000 a year (give or take a few bottles of creamer).
6. New Cookware Set
Being at home means more of us are eating in, too, so it may be a good time to update your cookware. You can find a wide variety of cookware sets with 5, 8, or 10+ pieces for <$200 depending on what you need. Here is an example of some upgraded non-stick cookware: Gotham Steel Pots and Pans 10 Piece Cookware Set.
7. TV Backlighting
Okay, we’ll admit it – these are pretty cool. If you wish you could keep your holiday lights burning all year-round, this is the gift for you. Adding backlighting to your flat screen TV can completely change the ambiance of your living room (or any room where you have a television). These LED light strips plug directly into the USB port in your TV. Many come with remotes and phone apps so you can change colors, and some even change colors synched to your set’s audio.
8. TV Streaming Device
Popular streaming devices such as Roku, Amazon Fire Stick and Apple TV make a perfect gift for enjoying home movie nights or binging your favorite TV shows on major streaming networks like Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video. With most devices coming in under $100 (not including the monthly fee for the streaming service), you can activate your new device on any of your smart TVs to begin binging in minutes.
9. Jigsaw Puzzles
Activate your brain power and save money while you’re home for the holidays with an old-fashioned jigsaw puzzle. Make putting puzzles together a family affair, or work on one when you need some ‘alone time.’ Turn them into framed pictures when you’re done by taking your 500 pieces of cut up cardboard and gluing them together to hang on your walls for decor. The Peanuts Together Time puzzle shown here would be a great one to do for the holidays.
Tip from the author: Instead of puzzle glue, use packing tape on the back of the puzzle to hold the pieces together – it’s less messy and easier to ensure every piece stays connected.
10. Bathroom Scale
If you, like many of us, have packed on a few pounds during the pandemic this year, a new bathroom scale can help you stick to that New Year’s resolution to lose weight and improve your health and fitness. Depending on your budget, weigh in with a standard, low-tech step-on model, or ‘smarter’ Wi-Fi- or Bluetooth-connected scale that can track your weight, body fat, bone density, water percentage, heart rate, body mass index (BMI) and more. Many smart scales are smart enough to know the difference between a few different users and can track their weights separately. The Sinocare Bluetooth Bathroom Wireless Scale shown here measures weight, BMI, and you can even track it all on a phone app.
And if you’ve been looking for a new house this year, we have a ton of great last-minute deals on beautiful new homes – search available homes for sale, and give yourself the gift of the easiest way to buy or sell a home with Offerpad.com!
Happy Holidays!
*The information provided in this article is for general informational purposes only. The information in this article may not be the most up-to-date information. This website contains links to other third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the reader, user or browser; Offerpad does not recommend or endorse the contents of the third-party sites or products.