Five Holiday Gifts for your Home

When it comes to holiday gifts, don’t forget your house this year.

Home is where the heart is, they say. If that’s the case, shouldn’t you be shopping for a gift for your house this holiday season?

After all, our homes are like part of the family. Here at Luetgert Development, a custom luxury home builder in Ocala, Florida, we know how fond our clients are of their homes. It only makes sense to add a present or two for your home this holiday season.

With that in mind here are five gifts your home and your family are sure to enjoy.

Smart Home Start

Consider Belkin’s WeMo switch devices to help ease you into the whole smart-home concept.  The WeMo switch outlet just plugs into any of your home’s electric outlets. Download the free WeMo app to your smart phone and then you can remotely control whatever you plug into it – a lamp, television, radio and more.  Who likes coming home to a dark home? Use WeMo to turn the lamp on prior to your arrival. WeMo also makes a switch that allows you to control the light switches in your home. Easy to use and easy to program, these are great starts for anyone looking to convert their home into a smart home. ($39.99)

Digital Assistant for your Home

Don’t think of this as just a Bluetooth speaker because the Amazon Echo is so much more. Think of it as Alexa, a digital assistant for your home that can search the Web for information, tell you the weather, set calendar events, play your favorite music and even adjust some of your smart-home devices upon your request, like the WeMo we just mentioned. Recent updates include Pandora radio, sports scores and real-time traffic! Once you have it, join your Wi-Fi, then it’s good to go. Just start your command with “Alexa,” and it starts working for you. ($179.99)

Home Security Camera

So of course you like the idea of a security camera system for your home, but you are not really that tech savvy. Good news, there’s a Wi-Fi video camera just for you. At $149, the Oco lets you keep an eye on your home, its contents and your loves ones from any Adroid or iOS tablet or smartphone.  Set up takes less than a minute and the app interface is very easy to understand. This can be great for monitoring your kids in a room or your pets at home alone. You can set up motion or sound alerts that notify you on your phone. You can even engage in two-way audio chats with those you’re monitoring: “Bailey, get off the couch, now!”  You can mount the camera anywhere there is electricity and Wi-Fi. The app supports up to 16 cameras and there is not monthly monitoring fee required.

Video Doorbell

With the SkyBell Wi-Fi Video Doorbell, no one will ever know you’re not home. You can answer the doorbell whether you’re in the backyard or in another state. When someone pushes this doorbell, it sends a live video feed of the entryway to your smart phone. That way you can see who’s at your door and video chat with them if you’d like. This is great for package deliveries as well as unwanted door-to-door solicitations. For all they know you could just be busy inside your home, unable to take time to come to the door. You can even receive an alert if someone doesn’t press the doorbell. ($199)

Robot Vacuum

Doesn’t everyone need a Roomba 980?  Really now, what home would not want a semi-autonomous robot vacuum? Sure it’s on the expensive side at $899, but everyone knows vacuuming doesn’t come cheap. With the latest version and the iRobot HOME app, you can schedule it to start cleaning at specific times even when you’re not at home. That’s perfect when you’ve having unexpected guests. The Roomba 980 cleans under chairs and sofas and all floor types, automatically adjusting to clean carpets, tile, hardwood and laminate floors. It also docks and recharges itself. With the new app, you can schedule it to vacuum up to seven times per week.

Have you tried any of these home gadgets? Which is your favorite? Comment below or reach out to us on any of our social media channels. We’d love to hear from you.