"Like an Online Review on Steroids"

Remodelers luv Houzz. At least that's the sense from many of the remodelers I speak with.

(Ummm, what's Houzz? It's not too late to get on board. Here are two d5R articles providing an overview: Remodelers on Houzz: a "Case" Study. Also: Houzz Party, Remodelrrss Invited.)

This week the site has awarded its 2013 "Best of Houzz" awards to some of the many thousands of contractors that have profiles on the site. One winner is Renewal Design Build of Atlanta, which won two awards, for design and customer satisfaction. Here's a screenshot of the company's Houzz profile.


Peter Michelson, Renewal's CEO (and also featured in this d5R article about online reviews), sent me this email last evening:

In many ways these two awards are like an online review on steroids. It's Lance Armstrong in his prime! Now don't quote me out of context, but if you think about it, winning this award is a highly respected third party that is heavily followed saying:  "You guys rock!" So I am absolutely thrilled to have my amazing team recognized for their excellence in design, craftsmanship, and customer service. 

We have been using Houzz for at least two years.  We direct almost every one of our clients to the site to create and share an inspiration book.  This allows our designers to understand and appreciate our clients' sense of aesthetics.  Conversely, our designers also create inspiration books to share ideas with clients, to ensure during the design and selections process that we are all in alignment.

As a business owner, I am deeply awed and inspired by the brilliance of the Houzz.com site. They have monetized an idea that is a free service to both consumers and professionals. They have found a way to motivate thousands of builders and designers to spend large sums of money (we spend about $1,000/project) on gorgeous architectural photography, upload it to the sight, and remain engaged with the general public. I was at a Houzz event last month in ATL. The room was packed with designers and builders, all begging to offer high quality content to the site with the hopes of using it as lead generation. What they have created is profound.  Truly brilliant.

What about the rest of you, remodelers? Do you have a profile on Houzz?



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Remodelers: Houzz About a Question?

Put it out there -- to a massive audience of home-design enthusiasts

Houzz, that incredible source of home design and remodeling ideas (and many remodelers' number-one marketing tool these days), is launching its second annual survey of on Monday and welcomes suggested questions from d5R readers.

"Last year we had 30,000 responses," says Liza Hausman, a VP for the company. "We're expecting more than 75,000 this year."

You've got questions, remodelers. This massive community of homeowners, designers, architects, remodelers, etc. has answers. Share your questions by posting them below, or email them to leah@daily5REMODEL.com.

By the way, consider attending an "Open Houzz" event if you're in Texas. Three are scheduled for January, and you're all invited. I went to the DC event recently and it was funnn. And fascinating. Click below to RSVP.

Austin Jan. 22
Houston, Jan 23
Dallas, Jan 24




Also in today's d5R Update:

• Today's number 
• 10 questions on the new mortgage rules 
• Death of an architecture critic 
• These remodelers are resolved. 

Go to the main site of daily5REMODEL.

Go to the home page of this blog.

Today's Number: 1,684

First, a correction :

Yesterday's eletter provided a very bad link for a very, very good blog. Click here for Michael Stone's "Paying Yourself" commentary, on what should be in a proper P&L statement. Sorry about that.


Now, today's 5:

Today's Number: 1,684
Where the mortgages aren't (and the money to remodel is?)
In 1,684 counties around the U.S., there's a higher percentage of homeowners who own their homes free and clear -- no mo' mortgage -- than the rest of the country on average. In Louisiana, nearly half of homes are owned outright, and the numbers aren't far behind in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Montana and Wyoming. Home values are lower in many of these areas, perhaps also reflecting lower disposalb eincome, but it's interesting to wonder how much home equity is just sitting around, waiting for the right reason to remodel.

The heat map below, from Zillow, shows the "free and clear homeownership rate" for each of 2,159 counties. Click on the link to zoom in.

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Also in today's d5R Update:

• Houzz about a question? 
• 10 questions on the new mortgage rules 
• Death of an architecture critic 
• These remodelers are resolved. 

Go to the main site of daily5REMODEL.

Go to the home page of this blog.