Today’s Hottest Home Maintenance Apps

women looking at home app

The responsibilities of new homeownership might seem overwhelming at first. After all, remembering to change AC filters, clean out gutters, and repair household appliances were probably tasks you left to your landlord. 

Since home maintenance has a cumulative effect on a home, keeping up with regular home maintenance could mean the difference between owning the nicest house in the neighborhood or the shabbiest one on the corner after a few years. 

Putting your home maintenance tasks on autopilot is just one way you can ease into homeownership with confidence. In this article, you’ll learn about nine of the highest-rated apps that will help you care for your new property.

1. Best DIY App

Putting a unique stamp on your home may send you searching for how to paint a bedroom mural or how to plant a front garden bed. Whatever DIY skills you’re looking for, you can start your search on WikiHow.

Pros: WikiHow uses industry experts to write its articles and how-to guides, plus their articles include pictures, videos, and detailed descriptions. They also take article requests, so if a topic is not covered thoroughly enough, you can ask for additional information and the writers will comply.

Cons: Many users prefer the desktop version to the mobile app because the app doesn’t present the information in the same easy-to-follow format that WikiHow users have come to expect.

Cost: Free

2. Best App for Home Repairs

When the home repair you’re faced with eclipses your DIY skills, it’s time to call in the professionals. Angi.com, previously known as Angie’s List, provides homeowners access to local painters, plumbers, and handymen. Homeowners can narrow their search for pros by filtering out unrelated professionals.

Pros: Angi will ask you a series of questions that they then send on to potential contractors. You’ll then be connected with contractors who understand your project and are prepared to give you a competitive bid.

Cons: Angi sells your name to a contractor who pays them for the lead. The site does not vet any of the contractors and does not offer any guarantee that the contractors are licensed, bonded, or insured. It is up to the homeowner to do the research before hiring an Angi-recommended local contractor. 

Cost: Free

3. Best App to Connect with Your Community

Curious about why the garbage service is so late today? Reach out to your neighbors on Nextdoor. Nextdoor makes it easy to ask neighborhood-related questions, get local recommendations, or keep aware of suspicious happenings in the area.

Pros: Nextdoor makes it easy to keep current with what is going on in your neighborhood, which is especially useful if you’ve recently moved. Questions about the homeowners association (HOA) fees or quality of the school system are sent directly to locals who are in the know. 

Cons: Be prepared for a lot of comments on any particular subject. Maybe it’s the quasi-anonymity of the internet, but sometimes neighbors feel free to say things online that they wouldn’t say at a block party. 

Cost: Free

4. Best Budgeting App

Whether you’re starting to save for a home or just trying to level up your budgeting skills, a budgeting app can help you get in financial shape. You Need A Budget (YNAB) puts all of your financial information in one place and gives you a clearer picture of where your money is going.

Pros: YNAB users rave about the product. Testimonial after testimonial share how the app’s unique approach to budgeting one month ahead broke the cycle of paycheck-to-paycheck living. 

Cons: There is a learning curve to the app, and some users complain that it’s not as intuitive as it could be. While the app is free, many users recommend paying the subscription fee for a better experience. YNAB does provide videos and customer support to help customers learn how to use their budgeting app.

Cost: Free, but also has an upgraded paid version

5. Best Reseller App

Get a little cash with your spring cleaning when you resell your gently-used items on sites like Poshmark. Whether you have an overflowing closet, a shopping addiction, or have recently lost weight, Poshmark can help you recoup some of your money while also decluttering your home. 

Pros: Users love how easy it is to list items on the app. Just snap a quick picture and post it. Poshmark is receptive to suggestions and is constantly working on improving the user experience. 

Cons: Shipping expenses can add up for the buyers, and Poshmark’s selling fees are a little higher than other resell apps.

Cost: Free

6. Best Home Security Monitor

Home security monitors have come a long way since the days of grainy closed-circuit cameras. You can now monitor the cameras from your smartphone from pretty much anywhere in the world and even communicate with the delivery person on your doorstep. With 159,000 reviews and an average of 4.5 stars, Vivint Home Security helps protect your home from intruders, vandals, or delinquent teens. 

Pros: Rather than just being notified of an intruder, Vivint’s camera system lets you get a good look at what triggered the alarm. This recorded data can then be turned over to law enforcement as evidence in the event of a crime.

Cons: As the app upgrades, users comment that they must also upgrade their security equipment or the app no longer syncs. This unexpected expense can be frustrating when old equipment is still technically functional, but no longer supported by Vivint.

Cost: Free

7. Best Gardening App

Trying to identify a neighbor’s gorgeous blooms? Snap a picture to find out what it is so you can plant it in your own yard. PictureThis makes plant identification easy, especially for the homeowner who is living in a new area and is surrounded by unfamiliar flora. 

Pros: PictureThis is 95% accurate at identifying plants, with professional biologists and gardeners weighing in on the veracity of the app in the reviews. Users can comment on your pictures, and the app tracks the location of the plant so that you can compare your results against other user’s pictures in different seasons. 

Cons: The app does require Wi-Fi access, so if you’re hiking and outside of cell service, you won’t be able to identify the plant until you’ve returned to civilization. 

Cost: Free trial, and $29.99/year for the premium membership

8. Best Password Keeper

Keeping track of dozens of passwords can be challenging, but using the same password over and over again for the sake of convenience is a security risk. A password keeper is like the best of both worlds. Install Bitwarden and create unbreakable passwords that you never have to remember. 

Pros: Enjoy increased security on banking transactions, credit cards, and online purchases. With one in four Americans reporting themselves as a victim of cybercrime, it’s not a matter of if you get hacked, but when it’s going to happen.

Cons: A factory reset on your device can erase all of the stored passwords. You’ll need to remember a few of your key passwords to get back into your device and reinstall the app.

Cost: Free

9. Best Internet of Things (IoT) App

Do you have a smart fridge? A smart thermostat? An Alexa? A smart home security system? With every new smart appliance, you add another icon to your phone, and it can be confusing to keep track of them all. SmartThings corrals all of your smart devices into one app, so you can control the temperature of the fridge and the volume of the TV from the same place.

Pros: You’ll save energy by teaching your home when to turn up the heat, turn down the AC, or when to turn off unused appliances. 

Cons: A recent upgrade is tanking the app’s online reviews. Users are complaining about difficulty connecting older devices to the app, and are asking for a rollback to the previous version. Check back with this app to see if SmartThings has fixed this bug.

Cost: Free

The Bottom Line

Leaning on home maintenance apps to navigate homeownership is a smart way to keep on top of your new responsibilities. Whether you need an app for home security or to connect with a larger community, technology makes it easier than ever to be a responsible homeowner.

0 Shares:
You May Also Like