Apps We Love, October 2018 - House and Home

Everybody’s got to live somewhere, and once there, we’ve got all kinds of issues to deal with including security, renovation, repairs, maintenance, design, and so on. If you haven’t settled yet, then there’s the additional issue of home searching. No matter what you need home-wise, we’ve got you covered with a collection of apps! We surveyed members of the CPA Practice Advisor community to find out what home-related apps they like to use, and here’s what we discovered.

Jeffrey Moskowitz, CPA, partner at CohnReznick, says Houzz is, “a great house & home app! This app allows you to view various ideas within one’s home in terms of layout, design and much more. It is very easy to use and a great tool for those who are looking to renovate within their home.”

Another vote for Houzz comes from Richard-Roppa Roberts, owner of Quasar Cowboy Consulting. “For home design and ideas, I use Houzz. It covers it all – great ideas for whatever theme or design style you love, you can view your rooms in 3D with pictures of actual furniture or design ideas, and you can get sucked into all the design ideas very quickly. The first time I picked up the app, I used it for six straight hours ignoring all other sensory input around me. Five stars from me for sure.”

Christine Boeckel, deputy editorial director, state tax at Bloomberg Tax, told us, “For interior design and decoration I peruse the HGTV suite (TV, mobile site, app). I love the before and after shots for renovations and tips for transitioning your space between different seasons. For home repairs and maintenance I do my shopping via the websites for Home Depot and Lowes, and occasionally Amazon.com if needed for a rare item. In terms of pulling off a DIY project, I have found in more than a couple instances it has been most helpful to go directly to the manufacturers’ website to review their instructional videos.”

“My family got a Nest thermostat this year I love the Nest app!,” said Blake Oliver, senior product marketing manager at FloQast. “One of the best features is that it automatically adjusts to save energy based on your location. That means my wife and I don’t have to remember to change the temperature when we leave the house. It’s a small thing that has turned into a big convenience and saves us money, too.”

Kacee Johnson, founder/CEO of Blue Ocean Principles, agrees. “I use Nest for home security. I like not only the video feature but the ability to talk through the camera at visitors to my door (or my dogs that are on the couch!).”

Mark Brooks, associate director of innovation & strategic partnerships at the AICPA, recommends Thumbtack. “It’s a great app to help you find and get bids from service providers like plumbers, cleaners, landscapers, etc.”

Randy Johnston, executive vice president and owner at K2 Enterprises and CEO of Network Management Group, Inc., introduced us to ColorSnap by Sherwin Williams. “This app lets you match colors and recommends the appropriate paint color in the Sherwin Williams line.” Johnston joined the others who recommend Houzz. “It’s augmented reality house design ideas. This app lets you see the furniture you intend to buy and place in your living spaces.”

Looking for new digs? Damien Greathead, vice president of business development, North American, for Receipt Bank, shared his recommendation for RadPad. “When I first moved to DC I would explore the neighborhoods to find which ones I liked, would then open the app to see rental availability and prices in the area.”

Whether you’re renting or buying, be sure to take a look at Zillow. “I’m a huge Zillow fan,” said Melisa Galasso, owner of Galasso Learning Solutions. “I sometimes even use it when on vacation to get pricing estimates for homes in the area!”

“Apartment searching in San Francisco can drive a person crazy, so when I recently moved I used PadMapper to find a place in the neighborhoods I liked. It made it incredibly simple to find the place that I ultimately picked out and moved into!” said Matt Donaldson, head of channel sales for Expensify.

Sandra Wiley, president of Boomer Consulting, uses Wayfair – “It’s the best place ever to order items for the home,” and Room Planner – “It helps me see new ways to move things around without actually moving until I’m ready.”

Jackie Meyer, owner, Meyer Tax Consulting, recommends Modsy interior design. “Snap some pics, take some measurements, then they do the rest to give you several fab chic designs of your room at only a few hundred versus thousands.”