HOUZZ.com, Porch.com, hgtv.com, homeadvisor.com, diynetwork.com.
In The Old Days
Before the internet people needing home improvement work presumably looked in the yellow pages for contractors and then went to a brick and mortar store to decide on the specifics. To find style ideas, I suppose people walked around looking at other houses. They knocked on doors and asked to see neighbors’ kitchens to get some inspiration. They flipped through piles of magazines and sample catalogs. There are also these things called model homes, which are tiny houses showcasing the different types of house you can buy. However research was done, the available options for samples and inspiration were fairly limited due to the fact that most information was stored on paper or some other physical medium.
In The Age Of Instantaneous Everything
Now in the age of instantaneous everything, the home remodeling website business has changed the industry in some fundamental ways.
Finding a good contractor has become much easier because a major function of these websites is to connect homeowners with contractors. The contractors are pre-screened and forced to be responsible by the websites’ reviewing process. There is usually a “request a free quote” option where customers can compare different prices along with a contractor’s reputation. On Houzz for example, Tashman Home Center has a gallery of our jobs so anyone can see the quality of our work. This allows the homeowner to make a very well informed decision.
Do They Have A Niche For You?
Each website has its own specialties to suit every niche. HGTV for example is affiliated with the cable channel of the same name, so a lot of the media is related to its TV shows. Houzz specializes in high quality photos and forum discussions while Porch and Homeadvisor focus on finding the right contractor. All these sites have various pictures and videos showing thousands of different jobs, products and installations. They also have an advice/blog section where writers and professionals share advice and ideas.
Angie’s list used to be the go to for finding a professional but with the rise of similar websites that expanded the services Angie’s list offers, the website is on the decline. The issue for many people is the fee you must pay to belong to Angie’s list when so many free options are available. For contractors the deal is even worse, as a business who buys advertising gets put at the top of the list and if you don’t advertise, you get lost in the heap.
Installation Masters
A good resource for all manner of contractors, besides a license and a good reputation is InstallationMasters™. Prompted by the Building Environment and Thermal Envelope Council (BETEC) through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and development by the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA), InstallationMasters™ is a nationwide training and certifications program for new construction and replacement installers of windows and exterior glass doors in residential and light commercial markets. The InstallationMasters™ Training and Certification Program is an important and exciting tool being offered to installers of windows and doors all across the country. So if you’re having windows and doors installed, it would be a good idea to make sure your contractor or installer is an Installation Master.