I recently spoke with Derek Smith, CEO of HomeSpot (www.homespothq.com).  HomeSpot is like an online user manual for your house.  Helping homeowners maintain, protect and manage their property.   HomeSpotHQ has had a lot of attention in the news lately and I am happy Derek made the time for this interview.

Derek Smith, CEO of HomeSpotHQ.com

CHUCK: Tell me a little about your background and training.

DEREK:  I am originally from Spokane, Washington, and I’ve been doing software development in some form or another as long as I can remember. My first ‘product’ was developed in high school as a flash card system for basic Japanese characters. In college I developed a system to manage our college’s radio station, and also did internships for a multinational chemical company as well as a regional gold mining company. Since then I have worked for privately held and publicly traded companies, non-profits, state government, and had a 6 year season doing freelance software development and consulting.

CHUCK: How did you come up with the idea for HomeSpotHQ?

DEREK:  When I bought my first home in 2005 I immediately started doing various projects. Everything from replacing light fixtures, repainting rooms, and plenty of landscaping. I had always had in mind creating some type of electronic knowledge base so I could have a record of before and after pictures or just notes about some little oddity that occurred when doing a project. In 2009 I was working for a software company that was having a lot of trouble bringing a product to market, which led to a very tumultuous work environment. A co-worker and I would end up having regular brainstorming sessions for new businesses that we could start on the side. HomeSpot was probably the 3rd or 4th idea that we tossed around, but after getting some feedback on the idea, we decided to move forward to start building the product and see if we could get it to market. Our first release occurred 4 or 5 months later, and within a few months we had several hundred registered users. That was enough validation for us to keep pursuing it.

CHUCK: Please explain how you came up with the name HomeSpotHQ.

DEREK:  Well, we knew we needed some variation on home or house in the name. We mostly just brainstormed and then would check to see what domain names were available to register. We added the HQ to make it a bit more distinct.

CHUCK: Any big challenges in developing or testing HomeSpotHQ?

DEREK:  As it turned out, I started the development of HomeSpot HQ the same week that my 2nd daughter was born, so in those early days the biggest challenge was fatigue. I would stay up late coding and go to bed right about the time my wife would wake up to feed the baby.  So lack of sleep was a big challenge.

CHUCK: Who is the typical user of HomeSpotHQ?

DEREK:  Our typical user is a home owner that is oriented towards  organization.  Many also enjoy  do-it-yourself home repair and improvement. We have users from nearly all 50 states as well as a handful of other countries. They recognize the importance of routine maintenance for their home, and like having a system that will help them plan and organize the work that needs to be done.

CHUCK: Can you offer a preview of new features planned for your product?

DEREK:   Sure – we get almost all of our feature suggestions from our users, and we try to incorporate as many as we can in each release. Probably our biggest request is the ability to manage multiple properties under one account. This feature is under development now and will be released in 2012. We also are looking at ways to incorporate the routine maintenance tasks for vehicles into the product as well.

CHUCK: Any plans on the drawing table for new products?

DEREK:  We have been working on planning out apps for the various mobile and tablet platforms like Android and the iPad and iPhone. Also we’re working with remodeling and handyman contractors on a platform they can use to offer HomeSpot HQ to their clients called HomeSpot Pro.

CHUCK:  Anything else you would like to share?

DEREK:  I always love to take the opportunity to thank our users. Every time you use HomeSpot you encourage us to keep developing new features and ideas. Without our users, we would not have the story to tell that we do. So to the more than 5,000 homeowners who have joined HomeSpot, I personally offer my sincere thanks.

CHUCK:  Thanks Derek for taking the time with me!

Learn more at www.homespothq.com.

With a Lowe’ s credit card, you can save 5% on all your home improvement materials.  This is an ongoing discount and applies to homeowners with a Lowe’s credit card or for contractors that have a business Lowe’s credit card.

Learn more at www.Lowes.com

I am developing a new model to better help homeowners care for their home and am seeking input.  The survey takes about five minutes to complete and can be found at this link.

The purpose of the survey is to help me research a new business model I am developing.  This model is specific to those that own their own homes and how they handle their maintenance and repair needs.  The  survey is a beginning step in helping me prove (or not) my theory.

Please follow this link to take survey.

If you use social media, please click on the buttons below to share this survey with your networks.

Tips for Prepping Your House To Go Away During The Holidays

The Holiday Season is upon us. Many of us will be traveling to visit family and friends. Below is a checklist of items to take care of your home while head out of town. Some of the suggestions are done ahead of time and some on the day of departure. Happy Holidays!

Items to do at least a week ahead of time:

• Suspend newspaper delivery.

• Have the Post Office hold your mail delivery.

• Contact your neighbors and give them your contact info on how to reach you and look after your house. For an extended period, consider having someone check your house each week. Have contact info for all the people that you have work on your home available for the person watching your house (handyman, plumber, electrician, hvac etc.)

Items to do the day you leave:

• Turn off the water supply within your house.

•  Turn down the hotwater heater thermostat.

• Adjust your thermostats.

• Unplug un-needed electrical gadgets.

• Set timers on lights for safety.

• Clear out refrigerator for items that will spoil.

• Run the disposal.

• Take out your trash and recycling.

Happy Holidays!

Winterizing exterior hose faucets can help save money by preventing freezing and avoiding the plumbers bill to replace a damaged faucet!

This video displays how to install an insulation cover for a hose bib. A simple task any home handyman or DIYer can do to help get their home ready for the winter months.  Insulating you exterior spigots and hose faucets helps to insure they don’t get damaged if they freeze during the winter.

See video tip below.

Seeking established residential remodeling contractors to participate in a survey for a new project I am working on.  The survey maybe done anonymously and takes less than 10 minutes to complete.

Click here to  Take Survey

The purpose of the survey is to help me research a business model I am developing. This model is specific to remodelers,  small home builders and residential general contractors.  The  survey is a first step in helping me prove (or not) my theory.

The next steps will include more in-depth surveys/interviews with remodelers and selecting a small number of remodelers to actually test the model in the field. Then final testing in the field will be with a larger group.

I am looking for favorable results at each stage to decide whether to continue or not to the next stage. My hope is that if the research and testing go well, I will publish the results and remodelers can decide if they want to adapt the model with their own business.

Click here to Take Survey

Thank you for your input and please forward this to other quality remodelers you know.

The maker of the Fringe Screw has recently launched a new website.   Back in April,  I highlighted the Fringe Screw with an interview I did with its inventor (link to posting here).

Visit the new website and see their  other products   at www.fritantechnology.com.

According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the EPA is stepping up its enforcement of the RRP lead paint rule.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stepped up its enforcement of the Lead- Renovation, Repair and Painting rule (RRP) with inspections that focus on company certification and other records required under the rule governing the renovation of older homes, according to remodelers and contractors who have been subject to the inspections.

Under the EPA’s lead paint regulation, remodelers and other contractors working in homes built before 1978 must take precautions to contain lead dust — including using lead-safe work practices, establishing dust containment areas and containing dust during the renovation, cleaning up after the project and maintaining detailed records.

See full article on the NAHB site.

Lead was used historically as paint additive up until it was banned from use in the United States in the 1970′s.  Lead poses a serious to adults and children, especially as a result of dust made during various home renovation projects.

If you own or work on a home that was built prior to 1978, please scan previous posts on RRP and lead paint hazards on this blog and also visit the EPA website for full details.

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For you Seinfeld fans, you may recall George Costanzas’ infamous wallet.  Yes, that wallet that was so big it had its own zip code!  George’s wallet is now the object of a new advertisement that is promoting Google Wallet.  Google Wallet is a new way to pay for purchases by using a smart phone.

Enjoy the video below and learn more at http://www.google.com/wallet/

Here is a link to the video above

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Watch the transformation of this North Carolina home as it goes through a whole house remodel.   I have had the pleasure of documenting the progress of this total house renovation and turned it into a brief video you can watch below.  To start, the house was stripped down to the bare studs, some work was needed to sure up the foundation and flooring system.  It was re-roofed with metal roofing, and re insulated with a ‘green’ foam insulation. The house is nearing completion and I hope to add some updates when it is 100% complete.  The remaining work includes redoing the wood floors, completing the bathroom remodel and installing the new kitchen cabinets and counters.