Put your home on holiday gift list, too

You have your holiday gift list handy?

Have you forgotten what has been serving you day in and day out, what is keeping you warm and cozy on those frigid evenings and rarely complains about rain, heat, sleet or snow? Your home! It’s easy to take a good home for granted so how about adding your home to your holiday gift list?

It’s really giving yourself a present with benefits that can last for years. The Spokane Association of REALTORS® suggests that by providing your home with one or more of the following, you would be giving the house and its occupants one of the best gifts of all — SAFETY!

•One of the best buys is inexpensive and one of the most important and that is a smoke detector. They are usually battery-operated and can be checked to see if the battery is up and ready to go. It’s a good idea to check the system and it is very easy. Just push the button on the unit and listen to it screech!

Fire safety experts say that many lives could be saved each year if every home had at least one smoke detector. They should be in the bedroom areas, in the basement and on the main floor. They are easy to install with just two screws.

•Another great gift is a home fire extinguisher. This is an especially smart buy for homes that have fireplaces or wood-burning stoves. Unlike industrial models, home fire extinguishers are compact and attractive. More importantly, they are easy to use so don’t be in your home without one.

•Police say lights around the home at night discourage prowlers and break-ins. Inexpensive motion lights automatically snap on when there is movement within their range. These lights not only slow down the bad guys and gals but they also add additional safety by illuminating your driveway at night. Motion lights also do a great job in the back yard.

•Another good investment is an automatic timer to help keep your home in the limelight. An unlighted house is an open invitation for uninvited visitors. To solve this problem when you are away, use an automatic timer that can turn your houselights off and on at predetermined times to give your home that “lived-in” look that could discourage thieves and vandals.

Be honest now! How well-stocked is your home should a power outage strike the area? As we know, winter weather can cause power failures that could leave you and your family in the dark for hours or even days. Not fun.

•However, simple items that help in such an emergency make great holiday gifts for your home. Good buys to handle an emergency include an ample supply of candles, matches, flashlights, extra batteries, hurricane lamps and fuel as well as a battery-powered radio and a good first-aid kit.

•Families that enjoy camping know that summertime gear such as a camp stove, heaters and lighting devices are good to have on hand all yearlong.

•Don’t forget food. Freeze dried camping meals are good to have on hand. Also good are staples such as lentils, beans and rice — which keep for a long time when properly stored; and they sure taste good, too.

•Also, don’t be afraid to buy your home a checkup. Have your home’s heating and cooling equipment and electrical wiring system inspected by a professional.

So, don’t forget to put your home on your gift list. Whatever you choose will be of value for a long time to come. Besides, it is really smart to be prepared.