6 Apps Every Homeowner Should Have on Their Phone

published Oct 4, 2019

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Want to increase the value of your home? There are apps for that. Really, when you think about it, your phone can serve as a remote control that keeps your home running smoothly (and looking good, too!). From those that can help you become an expert DIYer to others that can make your home smarter or prettier or more secure, here are six apps every homeowner should know about:

HomeZada

Don’t do your chores as a kid; don’t collect an allowance. Don’t do your chores as an adult; risk costly home repairs. From clogged gutters that can cause leaks to dirty air filters that can make your HVAC system less efficient, it’s worth staying on top of your home maintenance tasks. HomeZada is a digital home management platform that helps homeowners stay organized, creating a home maintenance schedule of recurring tasks and sending you reminders when they need to get done. “This keeps things running more efficiently, which reduces repair costs and keeps energy costs lower because the home is operating efficiently,” explains John Bodrozic, the company’s co-founder. Another feature helps homeowners create a home inventory to make sure you’re properly insured and prepared in case you ever need to file a claim for damage to your home.

The app is free to download; more information here.

Ring

Real estate experts say upgrades incorporating smart technology are a sure way to increase the your home’s value. Give your home some techy curb appeal with Ring, which detects movements when people approach your door and, via an app, sends you a notification to your phone (or tablet or computer) showing you the live video. You can speak with visitors real-time, even if you’re not home. That means you can tell those package-stealing porch pirates to skedaddle, but also let those Girl Scouts know you’ll take a few boxes of Thin Mints, please and thank you.

Video doorbells start at $99.99; more information here.

DIY Tip Genius

From installing updated light fixtures to trading in outdated drawer handles for newer ones, there are lots of small things you can do to improve the value of your home. But if you need a little coaching, DIY Tip Genius can help. The app gives homeowners hundreds of tips for completing DIY projects, whether it’s plumbing or woodworking or painting. It has a stash of project ideas for every level of DIYer and as well as solutions for common problems you may come across, like how to reclaim crusty paint.

The app is free to download, and there are in-app purchases available; more information here.

Havenly

Don’t have a huge budget to hire an interior designer, but also need more direction than what Pinterest can offer? Enter Havenly. You start by taking a style quiz to help determine your decor preferences, which gets specific (think: modern with a substyle of Scandinavian). Then, browse designer profiles and portfolios to find a professional whose aesthetic best matches your own. From there, you’ll get room renderings from your designer and and learn how to decorate your space.

Basic consults start at $19 and a room transformation is $79; more information here.

Handy

Not super-confident with your handyman skills but want to keep your home running smoothly? You can hire help for one-off projects on Handy, which connects you with background-checked professionals for projects ranging from furniture assembly to garbage disposal repairs to a complete house cleaning.

The app is free to download and the costs of tasks vary, but are a fixed price; more information here.

Pantone Studio

Your home could use a fresh coat of paint. And, instead of giving it the all-gray or all-white treatment, you’re ready to spin the color wheel. Before you invest in cans of paint and spend a weekend on the DIY chore, get a preview of color combos courtesy of Pantone Studio. The app lets you build color palettes from thousands of Pantone colors to get the hues that feel just right for your home. You can also upload inspiration photos and Pantone will extract the colors so you can develop your own palette based on, say, the pastels dotting the Amalfi coast or an eye-popping color combo from one of Apartment Therapy’s house tours. (And if you want the exact Sherwin Williams paint color to use, just click the “see more images like this” under any of our photos!)

Subscriptions cost $4.99 per month or $29.99 per year; more information here;