Thanks to the internet, a slew of TV home remodeling shows, and the vastness of Pinterest, today it is even easier to get ideas for your dream home remodel project.
But how do you organize and gather all your thoughts together?
While Pinterest is a great way to gather ideas, most of the images are user-generated and don’t always reflect real-world projects in your community. To find photos of projects done by local contractors, consider using Houzz.
About Houzz
Houzz is a social media platform that’s designed specifically for home remodeling projects, with several features that will make your next project easier. Store your favorite room photos, design inspirations, and sample projects in a project-specific Ideabook. Ask a question in the Houzz community and get feedback from homeowners just like you. Browse photos of past projects to identify styles and trends that you like. And, if you find a component you love, like a faucet or light fixture, you can purchase it from the site.
The real strength of Houzz is in connecting with local home improvement contractors. You can see samples of their past projects to learn about their skills and capabilities, ask questions, and read reviews from clients to find a contractor that’s right for you.
5 Tips for Using Houzz
Here are our top 5 tips to make the most of using Houzz for your home remodel project:
- Read the Stories and Advice. Houzz has quickly become an authoritative site online for home remodeling projects. In these articles, you’ll find inspiring tours of completed projects, advice for budgeting and working with contractors, and great guides for bathroom, kitchen, and other remodeling projects.
- Narrow Your Search. Houzz’s search function is very powerful, allowing you to limit your search by geographic location, type of project, cost, and more. Plus, you can search for a specific item (like “farmhouse kitchen sink”) and find thousands of photos that match.
- Share Ideas. When you find a photo you want to show your spouse, a friend, or your designer, use one of Houzz’s sharing options to send it to them. In addition to saving it to your Ideabook, you can email it, send a link to the page, or share it on Facebook and Twitter.
- Ask questions. As you find contractors that you like on Houzz, you might have some questions for them. Sometimes this is about a photo they’ve posted, a general question about the remodeling process, or a specific question about your situation. Asking your questions in a low-pressure environment like Houzz lets you become more informed before you commit to the project.
- Leave a review. After you’ve conquered your remodel project, make sure you write a review for your contractor on their Houzz profile. Be thorough and honest; share what you liked and didn’t like about working with the company. Imagine writing this to your past self and answer any questions you had during the dreaming phase of the project. This will go a long way towards helping your neighbors find the perfect contractor for their own project.
Once you create a Houzz account, be sure to follow Cedars Woodworking on Houzz to see our past projects, get inspiration, read reviews, and ask us any questions you have for your next home renovation project.