More than 77 percent of people own a smartphone.1
The average person checks their smartphone 46 times a day, with people under
the age of 24 checking it an average of 74 times a day.1 We check it
while we’re waiting in line and during our leisure time, whether we’re
scrolling through social media, reading emails or getting up-to-date on the
latest news.
(Be sure to check out my own "AskMary" Home Search app below! It's a great way to get the most up-to-date info on homes for sale in SE Coastal North Carolina.)
Apps For Homeowners: Get Renovation
Inspiration
These apps not only offer ideas for your next
remodel or home décor project, some of them even give you a preview of what
your home may look like once it’s finished.
1.) Houzz (Free)
The Houzz app is the number one app for home
design and it’s no wonder; the app gives you access to all the inspiration,
blogs and design ideas from the Houzz site on your phone or tablet. The app
features View in My Room 3D, which allows you to view products in your home before
you buy. Just take a photo of the space and a 3D version of the product will
appear. Browse products, save photos of designs you’d like to view later and
connect with local professionals in your area. Whether you’re gathering ideas
for your next renovation and décor project or you’re just browsing, the Houzz
app will satisfy all your design needs.
2.) iHandy
Carpenter ($1.99)
Make sure the photos, shelves, mirrors and other
artwork you hang are even and aligned with this helpful app. It’s an all-in-one
tool kit that features a plumb bob, surface level, bubble level bar, ruler and
protractor. No need to purchase these tools separately; just hold your
smartphone up to the wall and the app will take care of the rest.
3.)
Color911 ($3.99)
If you’re thinking of changing the color scheme
of your home or want to find the right shades for lamp shades, rugs or throw
pillows to match your vintage sofa, the Color911 app provides pre-selected
color palettes to match any color scheme. Take a photo of the room or the
furniture and the app will create a custom palette full of complementary
colors. Write notes about your palette and organize it all into folders to
share with family, friends or your design professional.
(iOS)
Bonus Apps for Homeowners:
AroundMe
(Free)
Hungry and looking for a local hotspot? Meeting
friends at a coffee shop nearby? Or just need to find the closest ATM? AroundMe
allows you to search for the nearest restaurants, banks, gas stations, book a
hotel or find a movie schedule close to where you live. Open the app and start
learning more about your neighborhood. (iOS, Android, Windows)
BrightNest
(Free)
From keeping things clean to making them
colorful, Brightnest, developed by Angie’s List, is loaded with suggestions on
how to make your home a better place to live. With categories of customized
tips (money-saving, cleaning, eco-friendly, healthy, cooking, and creative)
there are plenty of great ways to pull inspiration from the app. BrightNest
will help you tackle important home tasks with easy-to-follow instructions, a
personal schedule and helpful reminders. (iOS, Android, Web)
Apps For Sellers: List & Sell
Your Home Quickly
Are you a homeowner who is thinking of selling?
If you’re preparing to sell, you know there are a lot of tasks to complete
before putting your home on the market. These apps help you manage your to-dos
so you can list and sell your home more efficiently with fewer distractions.
4.)
Homesnap (Free)
Using the Homesnap app, you can snap a photo of any home, nationwide, to
learn more about it. When you’re ready to sell, snap a few of the homes in your
neighborhood to find out their valuation. This app isn’t perfect, which is why
you should always consult with a local real estate agent. However, it can give
you a general idea of the value of your home compared to others in the
neighborhood. (iOS and Android devices)
5.)
Docusign (Free)
Use
the DocuSign app to complete approvals and agreements in hours—not days—from
anywhere and on any device. Quickly and securely access and sign any documents.
The benefit to using the app (over your desktop computer) is you will receive
push notifications when a document is waiting for your signature and you can
view and organize all your docs on-the-go. Using the easily downloadable app,
receive and sign documents for free. You can receive and sign documents for
free, but will need a paid account to send documents; pricing starts at $10 a
month. (iOS, Android, Windows, Web).
6.)
Wunderlist (Free)
Designed for use on the Web and mobile devices,
Wunderlist is a well-designed to-do list and task management program that makes
it easy to create a list and add tasks, due dates and reminders. Organize your
ideas or focus into separate lists or create tasks within one list. You can
also email them with whomever you collaborate, such as a spouse or your real
estate agent. (Android, iOS,
Windows Phone, Web)
Bonus App for Sellers:
Real
Estate Dictionary (Free)
Not sure what all those industry specific terms
mean? Search thousands of words and phrases from real estate, mortgage, and
financial dictionaries for clear, in-depth definitions. This is a handy app for
anyone who’s buying or selling and wants to learn more about the process. (iOS, Android)
Apps For Renters: Get Ready to Buy
Not ready to buy a home just yet? These apps will
help you get into the perfect rental while you save money, build a budget and
get on track for homeownership.
7.) Mint
(Free)
Do you know where your money goes each month?
Manage your bills, budget and credit score all in one place. Mint is a free app
that helps you view your complete financial picture and track your spending. We
recommend this app to anyone, but it’s especially useful for renters who need
to crack down on their spending in order to save for a down payment. Use Mint
to look for areas you can cut spending in order to save a little extra each
month. (iOS, Android)
8.) Acorns
($1 a month to start)
Acorns is modernizing the practice of saving
loose change with their automated savings tool. The app rounds up your
purchases on linked credit or debit cards, then sweeps the change into a
computer-managed investment portfolio. Acorns is free for four years for
college students and everyone else pays $1 a month until their account balance
hits $5,000, then 0.25% of their account balance per year. This is a useful
tool for those who have a hard time saving. (iOS, Android)
9.)
Neighborhoods & Apartments
Built for the on-the-go apartment hunter, this
app from Walk Score takes the hassle out of finding your next home or apartment
and helps you live near the people and places you love. They collect listings
from top rental listing sites and we like them because they share how walkable
each address is, determined
by access to public transit, things to do, bike trails, shorter commutes, etc. (iOS, Android)
Bonus Apps for Renters:
Wally (Free)
Wally
is a personal finance app that helps you compare your income to expenses, so
you can understand where your money goes each month, and set and achieve goals.
Wally lets you keep track of the details as you spend money: where, when, what,
why, & how much. We love how simple it is to set a personalized savings
target and scan receipts. (iOS, Android)
Credit Karma (Free)
If you’re preparing to buy, boosting your credit score is likely a goal you’ve set. Credit Karma is a free app that allows you to safely monitor your score and receive updates on ways you can improve it over time. They provide financial calculators and educational articles to help you better understand what credit is all about. Check as often as you want, and it doesn’t hurt your score. (iOS, Android, Web)
If you’re preparing to buy, boosting your credit score is likely a goal you’ve set. Credit Karma is a free app that allows you to safely monitor your score and receive updates on ways you can improve it over time. They provide financial calculators and educational articles to help you better understand what credit is all about. Check as often as you want, and it doesn’t hurt your score. (iOS, Android, Web)
Apps for Buyers: Find the Perfect Home
When you’re ready to buy, there are several apps
that can help you stay on top of the process. Whether you’re browsing online at
different neighborhoods and homes and can’t seem to remember where all your
saved data and information went or you want to save an important task or a
neighborhood or listing clipped from the Web, these apps help you keep it all
straight.
10.)
Dwellr (Free)
Dwellr is run by the U.S Census Bureau and
provides demographic information about the neighborhoods you are considering moving
to. You get a variety of education/school, real estate, transportation, and
population statistics to give you an idea of what it would be like living
there. If you want to get the feel of a potential neighborhood, then Dwellr may
just be the app to help you find the best home. (iOS, Android)
11.)
Evernote (Free for the Basic version, $34.99 per year
for Plus and $69.99 per year for Premium)
Collect ideas, notes and images in one place to
access later on your computer, tablet or smartphone. Categorize your notes so
you can find them quickly and easily and share them with others in a group
notebook. Add the Web Clipper feature to your browser and clip and save
articles, blogs and images from the Web. Whether you’re collecting research on
a business idea or you’re looking for inspiration for a home renovation, Evernote
can help you keep it all together. (Web, iOS, Android)
12.)
Mortgage Calculator (Free)
There are a lot of free mortgage calculators
available for download that will help you quickly determine what your monthly
payment will be while you’re house hunting. We recommend picking your favorite
and using it to help you shop in your price range. These numbers should be used
as a guide, work with your agent and mortgage professional to learn exactly
what type of loan you’ll qualify for. (Web, iOS, Android)
Bonus Apps for Buyers:
This is my own app (designed with Coldwell Banker Sea Coast) -- and an awesome way to get the most up-to-date property listings for SE Coastal North Carolina right on your smart phone. There are two easy ways you can get this app:
1) just text AskMary to 87778, OR
2) go to http://app.seacoastrealty.com/askmary/
1) just text AskMary to 87778, OR
2) go to http://app.seacoastrealty.com/askmary/
(If you think you see your dream home, give me a call and we'll take a closer look. I'll help you write that offer!)
Google Maps (Free)
Google
Maps is a must-have for anyone who’s house hunting. When you’re ready to visit
a property or check out a neighborhood, you can use Google Maps to give you
turn by turn directions to the house. You can use their satellite view to get a
good idea how far important things like schools, parks, shopping, bus stops,
and restaurants are to a home you are interested in and check out the other
houses on the street. (Web, Android, iOS,)
Ready to
move beyond the app?
If you’re thinking of buying or selling your
home, or know someone who is, keep me in mind because I'm happy to help!
Source: 1. Pew Research Center, January 12, 2017
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/01/12/evolution-of-technology/
2. Deloitte, 2016 global mobile consumer survey: US edition
https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/technology-media-and-telecommunications/articles/global-mobile-consumer-survey-us-edition.html
3. Gallup, July 9, 2015
http://www.gallup.com/poll/184046/smartphone-owners-check-phone-least-hourly.aspx
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