Valentine’s Day Gift Guide for the Restless Homeowner

Valentine’s Day is meant as a loving tribute to the important people in our lives. But settling on the perfect gift can be tricky. As the homebuyers with heart, our team at Sundae put together this unique gift guide meant for homeowners who may be thinking about selling their house in the near future. Whether you’re an agent showing appreciation for clients, or just looking to shower a special someone with love this Valentine’s Day, we hope this list of thoughtful gift ideas will inspire you.

1. Cleaning supplies

Admittedly, you can’t get much less romantic than buying your sweetheart a box full of cleaning products on Valentine’s Day. But don’t laugh. This can be a thoughtful gift that will help anyone needing to keep their home spick and span in case a prospective buyer drops by. If you’re worried about aesthetics, think about assembling a package of cleaning supplies into a charming gift basket. Bonus points for using eco-friendly products.

2. Restaurant gift card

No matter how you slice it, selling a house is a chore. Whether you’re cleaning, renovating, or holding an open house, your schedule as a home seller is going to be extremely unpredictable. Such a predicament can really throw off your eating and food prep routines. For this reason, a gift card from Restaurant.com, which is redeemable at more than 187,000 locations nationwide, makes for a thoroughly practical gift. It comes in handy after a sale and during a move, too.

3. Space saver bags

If they’re looking to sell their house, chances are pretty good that they’re going to need to move to someplace new. This means the grueling logistical process of organizing, packing, and moving will soon come into play. What better way to save space and pack up items more efficiently than with the help of a set of inflatable space saver bags? The relative affordability doesn’t hurt, either.

4. The gift of logistics

Speaking of logistics, the UPS Store is a one-stop-shop for all things shipping, boxing, and sending somewhere else. Whether it’s to purchase moving materials or mail important documents, a gift certificate to UPS is sure to come in handy for anyone going through the process of a house sale. If the store itself doesn’t have what you need, the company also offers storage on demand, letting customers place items in storage that can be quickly delivered back to their doorstep by a UPS employee.

5. Personalized stationery

On a related note, whenever someone changes residences, there’s bound to be some dealings with the postal service. If your special someone is thinking about selling their house, they’re going to need to keep others in the know about changes in their living situation, in addition to filling out paperwork for change of address and setting up mail forwarding. Consider gifting them a set of lovely stationery to communicate to others in style and make those trips to the post office a little more pleasant.

6. A sketch of their house

In some cases, a restless homeowner may be looking to sell for reasons that have nothing to do with how they feel about their home. Perhaps they raised a family in the house and will have fond memories of their time there, even after new residents have moved in. For these homeowners, a hand-drawn sketch of the house will give them a beautiful keepsake to hang in their new residence paying tribute to the house they loved. MyDavinci offers traditional artistic renderings from photos, and they have Valentine’s Day discounts, too!

7. Amazon Kindle

If they’re looking to sell the house, it’s possible they’d like to downsize, too. Nothing beats a Kindle when it comes to reducing clutter and saving space. Forget about moving all those heavy, dusty books. With this gift, your loved one can consolidate their reading materials into one tiny device, and perhaps make a little extra money by selling their personal library or donating it to charity.

8. Inflatable mattress

The applications of a comfortable, portable bed are endless. If you’re dear one needs to leave the house, travel, or sleep in a vacant room, a good inflatable mattress gives them options. It’s easy to set up and deflate, and can be quickly stowed in a duffel bag, making it a useful tool to stow in the back of a car. Consider shopping for one from this list of some of the best blow up mattresses on the market today.

9. Amtrak train voyage

With the cleanings, house showings, dealing with paperwork, and then the move itself, anyone selling a house could use a vacation when it’s all said and done. A gift that offers a one-of-a-kind experience will provide a mental break for the homeowner, while not contributing to the additional material stuff they’ll need to move. Consider giving them a trip on Amtrak, which has more than 500 destinations in 46 states and Canada, including some unique and relaxing scenic trips they’ll remember forever.

10. A lasting keepsake

Another meaningful experience-related gift that may be appropriate for the moment is setting up a StoryCorps conversation. A StoryCorps conversation is a way to honor a loved one by scheduling time to interview them, following a script, and then uploading a recording of it to the Library of Congress. The StoryCorps app walks you through the process, which takes about 30 minutes. The final recording is stored with hundreds of thousands of other American voices, and can be revisited time and time again. There’s no better way to establish a record of their legacy, including memories of the house they’re planning to sell.