It’s no news that mobile devices and the web are transforming almost every corner of our lives; however, some of their applications can still be surprising at times. Who would have guessed that a phone could ever sit next to the hammers, nails and tape measures in the very physical world of home improvement?
Here is a list of some of the very best offerings in home improvement apps, demonstrating how in areas as far-reaching as picking up nuts and bolts to crafting the grand design, the smartphone can transform into a toolbox all by itself.
1. Magic Plan
Making huge interior changes, such as reflooring or a dramatic furniture upgrade, can be a nightmare from the get-go. For those of us who are less-than-spatially inclined, the free Magic Plan gives you a robust model of any room without the hassle of a tape measure. Rather than break your back moving sofas, cabinets and the like, just snap a few pictures. Your phone will then blend these pictures into a surprisingly accurate composite of the room’s dimensions.
2. Nest Egg
Another “big picture” application, this home inventory download is a hoarder’s dream as well as a windfall for the rest of us. With scans and photos, Nest Egg gives you a handle on everything you own, building a storehouse of serial numbers and warranty dates. Not only is this indispensable for insurance claims, it will prevent you from re-buying things already buried somewhere in the attic.
Deciding on a new color scheme is yet another challenge for DIY decorators, whether it’s because the palette of today’s paint offerings is infinite or because we can be just plain indecisive.
Paint Tester’s magic is simple: you simply attach a color sample to the wall you’re about to paint, snap a picture and then smile as you see your potential future hue digitally imposed on the walls. Because the app lets you scroll between numerous candidate colors, even the most fickle of us will avoid choosing the wrong shade.
Its name says it all: Drywall Calculator juggles lengths, heights and window/doorway allowances when tackling one of the biggest home-improvement challenges for the non-professional. This app not only spits out accurate square footage tabulations, it also allows for ceilings and inclined walls, letting you avoid making a messy jigsaw puzzle when its time to make the final cut.
5. Home Budget
Though it may seem trivial and obvious to mention, no home improvement blueprint would be complete without an app that tracks the budget financing your renovations, no matter how large or small. Home Budget is a basic funds management system made quick, efficient and simple. It has a place to track all transactions and calculates how much money you’ve spent, and most purposefully, how much money you have left to spend. It allows for multiple debit and credit accounts to be set up within the app, and allows for pictures to be taken of a receipt and associated with a purchase for further organization. The app also links with desktops, making it the ideal finance app to coordinate with your home improvement plans.
6. iScrew
No, it doesn’t turn your Smartphone into a Swiss Army knife; however, what it actually does is even more miraculous. A crash course in the universe of screws, bolts, fasteners and where to put them, this app is a must-have for anyone who gets panic attacks in the Home Depot hardware aisle.
Even in the sea of today’s wonder-technology, some gadgetry still feels like a dream of an old science fiction movie…or in this case, a couch potato. This all-in-one remote app turns your iPhone into a command center for everything, including your heating, cooling, alarm system and even your pool.
8. Home Watch
After you’ve gone through all the trouble of making your house into a dream home, you want to make sure it stays safe and secure. Home Watch allows you to turn your Mac into a motion-detecting security camera that sends images of any activity to a cloud provider, allowing you to check-in for peace of mind from anywhere you have web access.
These eight apps for your smartphone are sure to make any home improvement project easy and doable. If you are planning on doing some renovations in the near future, you will definitely want to consider at least one of these apps to help you out.
Do you have any home improvement apps you’d like to add? Please leave them in the comments below!
And if you have any questions about selling or buying a home in metro Albuquerque, be sure to contact me today!
biz page or profile.