The Best Apps for Home Maintenance

Have you heard the phrase, “There’s an app for that”?  We’ve all heard of Angry Birds and who could forget Alec Baldwin being removed from an American Airlines flight for his refusal to stop playing Words with Friends.  On top of the never-ending list of game apps being released each month, there are also a number of apps available that can make life at home easier.  Apps are available that can give you design ideas, assist you with budgeting your construction project & even find out what type of wood something is just by scrolling through a library.  Below, we’ve laid out some of the features of our favorite apps to make life at home easier.

Houzz Inc.

Price: Free

Rating: 5 Stars

Features: Wishing you had a library of design magazines at your fingertips?  This app has over 400,000 photos of rooms categorized by style and city.  Gain inspiration as you browse through the photos.  This app also includes a list of contractors, interior designers, etc.  (Just be sure to double check with your local Better Business Bureau to ensure that the professional you select is reputable.)  See examples, pricing & user ratings of products such as flooring, window treatments, lighting fixtures and furniture.  You have the ability to “like” things and refer back to them in the “my houzz” section.

Our take: App is aesthetically appealing.  Set aside a few hours (or an entire weekend) and enjoy!

 

Photo Measures

Price: $4.99

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Features: Ever been shopping and fall in love with a piece of furniture or a fixture and wonder if it would fit into the room you’d like to place it?  This app allows you to take photos of rooms in your home and write measurements as they correlate to items in the photo.  It’s also handy for seeing the exact colors in a room.

Our take: You still need to manually measure everything but this app can be a lifesaver when questioning whether or not to make an impulse purchase.

Wall Painter

Price: $0.99

Rating:  4.5 Stars

Features: This app allows you to determine what the walls would look like in your house if they were painted a different color.  You can pick colors from other images on your camera or samples on the app.

Our Take: Not a bad price at 99 cents.  The paint brush in only 1 size so you may spend some time erasing color in spots it shouldn’t be.  However, if you’re just curious if you can pull off a specific color in a room, it’s a fast & easy way to give you an idea.

 

 

Moving Van

Price: $1.99

Rating: 3 Stars

Features: App allows you to name each box as you pack and detail the contents of the box with text & photos.  This way, when you’re trying to find something that hasn’t been unpacked after the move, you can do so quickly.

Our Take: There’s nothing worse than needing a specific item and having no idea which box it’s in.  We’ll gladly pay $1.99 to make this problem go away.

I.D. Wood

Price: $4.99

Rating: 3 Stars

Features: 200+ wood sample photos that discuss each type of wood’s common uses, hardness, sustainability, etc.

Our Take: Remember the episode of Home Improvement where Tim & Al play “Name that Wood”?  (Click here for a refresher: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2K6P8DbluQ)  It’s not quite as good as impressive as Al’s ability to smell wood and tell what it is, but it’s a great app for those who are amateurs.  Professional woodworkers might be disappointed with the lack of information on exotic species.

Remodeling Magazine Cost vs. Value Report

Price: Free

Rating: 3 Stars

Features: Remodeling magazine gives a brief overview of what the investment is for home improvement projects.  A comparison is made between how your city stacks up against the national average.

Our Take:  Projects are a little vague.  Example: Kitchen area has the following options: major kitchen remodel-mid-range, major kitchen remodel-upscale& minor kitchen remodel mid-range.  The only true way to gauge what it’s going to cost is to call a few professionals and explain your vision to them.  This way you’ll be getting a realistic idea of what YOUR project is going to cost is what you’re after in the first place.  Reputable construction companies are willing to put out no obligation estimates free of charge.

Tune into AM 830 WCCO on Saturdays from 9:00-10:00am hosted by Denny Long and Andy Lindus to ask questions regarding your home improvement projects. Call us now at 1-800-873-1451 or check us out on the web at www.lindusconstruction.com to schedule a free in-home estimate for your home improvement needs today!