Remodeling? Get Advice Online

Remodeling? Get Advice Online

Have you ever wanted to step inside other people's homes so that you could steal some decorating and design ideas? Of course, you can spend days, even weeks, traveling around neighborhoods and attending open houses just to see how other people set up their homes or you can visit Radcribs HomeTour online at hometour.radcribs.com.

"The idea behind it is to provide a website where anybody can showcase their home," says, founder Howard Yen.

Whether it's remodeling, redecorating, or showing off fancy architecture, HomeTour gives visitors the opportunity to see what others throughout the world are doing to creatively make their homes comfortable.

"Visitors can go to the site and log on and discuss their ideas with others," says Yen.

Social networking on the Internet is growing tremendously. Radcribs HomeTour capitalizes on the popular elements -- uploading videos and photos -- that have made websites such as Facebook, YouTube, and Flickr Internet community gathering spots.

"On television you can watch all kinds of shows that talk about remodeling and that sort of thing and I thought it would be good to have it online as well so that it's more interactive," says Yen.

"Traditionally, when you want to remodel, you go buy a magazine and then flip through the pages to get ideas," says Yen. He says one of the major benefits is to be able to communicate to others through the social networking aspect so that you can have a better idea if you really want to begin your project. "Now, it's going to be millions of users and you can see what they're doing. You'll be able to get more ideas, share ideas, and talk to others about your project," says Yen.

The HomeTour portion of the website launched earlier this month, so some categories on the site are still a little sparse. However, the architecture site is very interesting and features some fun-to-view and funky-looking homes.

Yen first launched Radcribs.com in 2005. "It's an online real estate research site so you can get title records, foreclosure records, and that sort of thing," he says.

You can view, without signing up, the categories in HomeTour which include architecture, baby nurseries, laundry/mud rooms, pools, floor plans, media rooms, and even dorm rooms (but as of the writing of this column, no photos were uploaded). To post photos and videos, you are required to sign up but it's free.

Certainly looking through magazines, watching remodeling TV shows, and visiting websites such as Radcribs HomeTour will give you a little more peace of mind before you begin a major and often costly project. If you're planning to remodel or redecorate keep in mind that browsing is only part of the necessary work. The National Association of the Remodeling Industry offers these important tips.

Take time to pre-plan your project. Put your ideas about the type of remodel and the outcome you're hoping for in writing. Make a list of things you like and the things you don't like.

Know what features of amenities are on the wish list and which ones are on the must-have list. Also, have an idea who is going to use the new space that's being created and in what capacity.

Hire the right team of professionals. Without this critical step, the whole project can flop. Also, make sure you secure financing for your remodel, which can sometimes take months to do. Also, seek out professionals ahead of schedule as often they are booked well in advance and might not be able to start your project right away.

Don't put down a large deposit. After securing your final remodel plans and signing a contract, you should only put down a small percentage of the total amount. Then be sure you're completely satisfied before you pay-in full.


Written by Phoebe Chongchua
May 30, 2008