Let’s not sugar-coat things, renovations can be gruelling. With all the planning, co-ordination, budgeting, trouble-shooting and liaising needed for renovation projects, home owners need all the help they can get.
The good news is there are an abundance of online tools designed to help streamline and organise your project. By taking advantage of these you will be more productive, efficient and confident.
Read on for our favourite tools and resources for home renovators.
Builders Crack
Builderscrack.co.nz is a nationwide website that helps you select tradespeople for your project. It works like this: you post a job online with details such as your location, budget and project description and tradespeople interested in the job get in touch with you. Instead of chasing tradespeople, tradespeople chase you.
As well as comparing quotes, you also get to compare tradies from previous reviews left by customers.
Houzz & Pinterest
Houzz.co.nz is an online community about architecture, interior design and decorating, landscape design and home improvement. An app as well as a website, Houzz allows you to set up a profile and save articles, photos, products and suppliers to build up a portfolio of reference for your project. Great for inspiration, research and organising your ideas and plans in one place.
Pinterest.com is another great visual bookmarking tool that helps you discover and save creative ideas. You create boards by topic for example Bathroom Renovation and save articles and images from Pinterest and the web.
Archipro
Archipro.co.nz is a New Zealand-focused architectural platform for architects and consumers. A “one-stop shop” for the construction industry, Archipro helps you source styling ideas and building inspiration.
Users browse a directory of 350 architectural brands and companies ranging from well-known brands to lesser-known boutique interior designers. Like Houzz, users save their favourite designs, products and professionals to design boards.
Paint Smartphone Apps
Want to recreate a colour combo that you’ve seen but don’t know how to match the hues? Resene and Dulux have smartphone apps that can help with that.
Both apps allow you to take a snap of a colour you like (for example the sky) and instantly match it to the nearest paint colour. Once you’ve matched your hue, you can find complementary colours.
Mitre10
If you’re trying to save money on your reno the classic Kiwi way – as in doing it yourself – then you can’t go past Mitre 10’s website. The Guides and Advice section is chocca with how-to videos for everything from installing insulation to making a feature door. There’s also an inspiration section which is a great resource for renovation ideas as well. And of course you don’t need to go far to source the products featured in the videos.
Home by Me
Sometimes you need more than just your imagination to visualise a space. Homebyme is a website where you can design and furnish your home in 3D. You begin by sketching a detailed 2D plan which can then be brought to life in 3D. Homebyme also allows you to import floor plans, create rooms, add doors and windows, floors and stairs as necessary.
Kiwibank Renomate
If you watch The Block then you’ll already be familiar with this one! Renomate is a budgeting tool that keeps track of all your reno details – from costs and estimates to photos and paint shades. You can use it on your desktop, tablet or smartphone. Compare quotes, store images and use the inbuilt calculator to work out those per metre costs.
