With summer knocking on our doors, home renovation projects seem to have taken priority for homeowners across the country.
In 2014, U.S. home improvement stores reported revenues close to $144 billion. The pace will be even faster this year especially from the third quarter on. According to the Residential Remodeling Index (RRI), every metropolis in the country will be witnessing increasing remodeling activity this year with an average growth of 4 percent.
With so much activity, it is only natural that the industry features lots of new innovations and ideas to help users get the most out of their plans. Like everything else we do today, home improvement projects can be a lot easier with the right apps to help us. With these smart apps on hand, changing renovation plans to successful projects will be fun and easy.
1. Lowe's
For generations, Lowe's has been an institution for home and construction projects. It is also known as one of the most user-friendly places to go for DIY and home improvement projects. Now, this ease and popularity has been seamlessly transferred on to a handy app.
The Lowe's app allows you to do lots of things — search the store's inventory, scan UPC symbols, find prices, and find the store and even the aisle where the product will be. Users can even watch how-to videos and get valuable information for their home projects readily.
Even if you are not too specific about the brand and just have a product type to go with, the app provides exhaustive options for you to choose from.
2. ColorSnap
ColorSnap is an app by Sherwin Williams that helps you literally (or rather digitally) visualize the room before they commit to a paint color. A great app for the novice home renovator, this smart tool lets you scan a color chip so that a sample scene can show up on the phone.
You can match up multiple color combinations to the project on hand without having to bring home paint samples. If you are not sure which colors are going to work best, you can use this app and select paint for one room at a time. The brilliant mix of augmented reality and smartphone camera is all that is needed to achieve unbelievable results for your home improvement project.
3. iHandy Carpenter
With a brilliant combo of plumb bob, surface level, a bubble level bar, protractor and a ruler, this app is a superstar in the making. iHandy Carpenter is your digital man Friday for all kinds of home improvement projects. This 5-in-1 app allows you to get measurements or check project levels in a jiffy.
The plump bob helps verify the straightness of vertical lines or walls, the surface level helps you ensure that any surface in the project is flat and level, while the bubble level bar is a new-and-improved digital tool for better project accuracy. The ruler, of course, offers handy measurements in both inches and centimeters, and the protractor here is a cool digital tool to measure angles from 0-180 degrees.
4. Fountain
Now not every home improvement project is about grand designs. Some maybe just repairs and fixtures that you want to do yourself. Either you don't have the patience to contact and follow up with a handyman or don't want to pay those extra dollars every time. Well, with this app you may not have to anymore.
Fountain lets you search for help from among the large number of home improvement/maintenance experts listed in there. You don't have to wait too long either, just about two minutes, to get help on any problem you may be facing with your project, even if it is a minor repair. With voice, video or texting all available, this is the easiest handyman to have around.
5. MyContractor
The MyContractor App from Crawford Contractor Connection is one of the freshest tools in the market. With this app, homeowners can now get connected with a local contractor easily and quickly. They can request qualified contactors for any home improvement project that they have in mind, and the app will match them with professionals who have the relevant skills and experience for their job.
Once the project starts, consumers can track the progress for free and manage the project even remotely. It has handy tools for setting up a budget and also to help users visualize their finished project right at the onset.
