Usually, my tips are directed at finding tech solutions to better your overall business. But today, I’ve decided to do something a bit different. Because we are in the midst of home improvement season, I wanted to showcase a couple of helpful phone apps that have made my 2015 fixit-yourself projects run a LOT smoother. Below I describe the 5 essential iPhone apps for home improvement DIY projects. Let’s call it the iPhone DIY suite.
To get started you probably will need an application to figure out how to implement the projects on your To-Do list. Get started by checking out: WikiHow and iFIXIT.
WikiHow will tell you how to do anything from tenderizing chicken to building a frame wall in your basement. I use this app often.
iFIXIT specifically focuses on how to fix things (appliances, electronics and even computers). Even if you opt for a handyman, it will give you a good idea what work needs to be done—this app can help to gauge whether quoted work seems reasonable.
Now that you have a game plan, you are going to need tools. My favorite is iHandy Carpenter. This inexpensive app (costs approximately 3 dollars) gives you all of the tools you need to hang pictures, put up a wall, etc. It turns your iPhone into a level or a plumb. Basically everything you need to replace a level (which I can never seem to find). In addition to my iPhone, the only basic tools that I keep around the house are a hammer, a handsaw and a cordless screwdriver.
My last big find this summer was an app that picked out the perfect combination of exterior and interior paint colors. There are just too many paint chips to choose from and sometimes my inner interior designer is on a coffee break. Luckily, there’s an app for this:
Benjamin Moore Color Capture app not only matches a color you like from a photo (say the green color of a granny smith apple) to paint colors, but also gives you suggestions of complimentary colors selectively chosen by professional interior designers. Makes picking out colors easy and surprisingly fun!
If you want to test your chosen colors in a room or on your house, but don’t want to go through the mess of testing multiple colors, download the TapPainter app (costs about 4 bucks). Just take a picture of what you plan to paint and add the colors you were thinking about and TADA! You have a solid idea of whether these colors are the right ones.
One additional comment: use Angie’s List to pick your contractors when the job gets too big. For about $5 (gets you a basic month subscription) you can get a list of contractors, their customer reviews and often deals on project work.
Happy DIYing from your friends at DE!
