If youre contemplating a design or remodeling project, but the weather has hampered your efforts to leave the house, get a head start with some help from houzz.com or their mobile apps.
The site is not just for inspiration, but about taking the next step and finding professionals that can help with your projects now and in the future, says Liza Hausman, VP of community for Houzz, the largest residential remodeling and design community online.
Your free account enables you to store photos and to create an idea book that is accessible anytime, anywhere. With everything from general contractors and builders to designers and architects, Houzz has something for everyone.
It is a huge collaboration tool for existing clients because professionals can create an idea book for them to see what they like in a picture and what they dont like, says Hausman.
A design professional can take an idea book to a job site or a showroom to get exactly what their client wants.
In addition, Houzz allows homeowners to get a feel for someones work, read reviews and get advice directly from a professional.
Its fascinating how many people are discovering professionals they want to work with, says Hausman. Theyre hiring U.S. professionals from out-of-state and even overseas.
You can get very specific with your search, whether youre trying to find a design professional within a 50-mile radius or view a particular kitchen, such as a U-shaped, L-shaped or galley style.
Surveys are among the many other perks, like the one from 2013 that showed the most popular renovation projects were bathrooms and kitchens followed by landscaping.
Also interesting is that more homeowners are choosing to leave the tub out of the master bath remodel equation.
Houzz can guide you through tough design decisions.
Paint color is a perennial question, Hausman says.
The product section lets you see whats popular.
People are looking to discover new products and get away from the usual suspects, she adds.
When you post your design dilemmas, responses come from the pros and from homeowners whove been through a similar situation.
So many people are overwhelmed at the start of the process. People on Houzz give them the support they need to really move forward, Hausman says.
People help each other and they have a sense of humor. They have fun and they enjoy talking about homes. It really is a friendly community, she adds.
The polls can be humorous, too, like one that showed more think the toilet paper roll should go over than under.
New tools are always in the works, like Real Cost Finder that shows you real cost data for your projects.
Houzz first came about when the husband-and-wife founders, who still run the company today, were frustrated with their own renovation project.
Today, the site has more than 300,000 remodeling and design professionals on its platform, along with more than 2.5 million high-quality images of professionally designed homes, making it a great motivator to take any space to a whole new level.
For information, go to houzz.com.
Speak Your Mind