Home improvements

Take advantage of Boxing Day specials to give your home an upgrade. Deals abound on items that promise a cleaner, comfier, more efficient household. Here’s a roundup of the best, writes Jaclyn Tersigni

No house key, no problem Install this smart-lock system and you won’t ever have to worry about being locked out again. Or hiding a key for your cleaning service. Or whether you remembered to lock the door behind you. The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock Pro + Connect gives you the ability to lock and unlock your door with your smartphone, provide keyless access to friends and family, and check the lock’s status from anywhere. Plus, you can still use your key if you want to go old-school. August Wi-Fi Smart Lock Pro + Connect, regularly $324.99 (Boxing Day deal: $85 off); Best Buy, bestbuy.ca The vacuum to end all vacuums This vacuum sucks. In the best way possible. With 20 per cent more suction power than the Dyson V8, the Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute Extra is the esteemed brand’s most powerful cord-free vacuum. It works on both carpet and hard flooring, can convert to a handheld vacuum for vehicles and other smaller services, and charges on a neat, wall-mounted dock. One charge offers 60 minutes of cleaning. Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute Extra vacuum, regularly $849.99 (Boxing Day deal: store-wide sales; check website for details); dysoncanada.ca Frustration-free snow clearing Commit to less back pain in 2019 by (finally) trading your shovel for a snowblower. This Snow Joe model is ideal for mid-sized driveways and walkways. It moves up to 295 kilograms of snow per minute and lets you throw snow up to six metres in the direction of your choosing. A scraper bar protects the ground surface and an LED light keeps you blowing after the sun goes down. Snow Joe 18-inch 14.5 amp electric snow blower with light, regularly $198 (Boxing Day deal: take $30 off); Home Depot, homedepot.ca The simplest washroom upgrade The bidet is experiencing a renaissance of sorts; proponents say the bathroom fixture offers a healthier, more hygienic alternative to toilet paper. You don’t need a full bathroom renovation to take advantage of a bidet’s cleaning capabilities; the TUSHY is an easy-to-install toilet attachment that doesn’t require electricity or plumbing work. TUSHY classic bidet, regularly $91 (Boxing Day deal: 10 per cent off); hellotushy.com A better night’s sleep The mattress-in-a-box you see advertised everywhere is worthy of the hype. Endy fans love its medium firmness, pressure relief and breathability. And the shopping experience can’t be beat; order online and, if after 100 nights you decide it’s not the right mattress for you, Endy will pick it up from your home and issue a full refund. Endy mattress, regularly $675 to $950 (Boxing Day deal: $65 off with code UNBOX65); endy.com