Geeky Gadgets For The Home Improvement Guru

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.