The growing influence of tech novelties has upgraded home improvement industry to unfathomable heights. From greener and DIY alternatives to tech-savvy security tools, technology news is constantly announcing new home improvement ventures. Technology has changed home improvement from being costly and time-consuming to cost-efficient and instantly gratifying. But this is simply the tip of the iceberg, here are 5 ways how technology is changing home improvement industry.
- Eco-friendly residential landscape: escalation of sustainable practices and techniques has become one of the most prominent developments in the home improvement industry. Mobile apps like Sustain Me have enabled environment conscious consumers to reduce their carbon footprint by exploring ways to recycle batteries, meat containers, plastic bags and other items. People are also able to make eco-friendly fashion choices with apps like Good On You that help users explore fashion brands including household names like Abercrombie, Mango, Nike, etc and whether they are creating a positive impact on treatment towards workers, animals, and environment. Technologies such as these have enabled people with the needed information to create a more eco-friendly household.
- Adaptation of smart home technology: People’s need for connectivity is now being transcended to their homes with technologies like Ecobee3 smart thermostat, Amazon Echo, Google Home, Apple HomeKit and others. The emergence of these technologies has simplified tasks like house surveillance, monitoring room temperature, controlling lights in the house, locking or unlocking doors, all with one remote or a mobile app. Home security apps like Reolink and Piper are two of many digital tools for individuals to keep an eye on their house while they’re in office. From motion-triggered recording, ability to create and manage unique access codes for visitors such as the babysitter or dog-walker to arming or disarming your house locks from remote places, smart home technologies are growing in demand.
- Pocket-friendly services: Home improvement has always been a costly affair and despite the cost, an arena of several compromises. But with mobile apps like Thumbtack and HomeAdvisor, customers are now given the power to select the desired professional fitting into their budget, compare two or more and even locate the one nearest to their area. The services diversify to include anything from math tutors, estate planners, makeup artists, songwriters to maids, pest control, plumbers and painters. Transparency is emerging as an added bonus by offering customer reviews of the services available on such home improvement apps. For those who can’t afford to hire a professional, mobile app like iFixit offer a catalog of detailed explanations that show how to fix a roof or even electronic devices.
- Clearer choices: Ambiguity is not a new term in home improvement industry. Customers due to a lack of accurate representation of their ideas often find themselves compromising to a wrong wall color or flooring plan. Technology has changed that with mobile apps like Planner 5D and Tap Painter that offer tools to design their house in virtual reality mode or click a picture of their room and select the paint they want to choose. Tools such as these have enabled people to express their demands more clearly to home improvement professionals and have a stronger voice in the process.
- Social Media influencing home improvement: Just like every other field, home improvement industry too is being influenced by social media platforms like Pinterest. In a survey conducted by SoFi, an online personal finance company, it was found that “More than 28% of the homeowners we surveyed said they made at least one purchase for their home in the last 12 months based on what they’d seen on a friend’s social profile.” The report further illustrated that the trend is more visible in the younger generation of consumers who “turn to social networks like Pinterest and Instagram to help inform their design choices.”
