The average person checks their smartphone 46 times a day, with people under the age of 24 checking it an average of 74 times a day.
Smartphones are not only a useful tool for communication, they also are useful in planning the future and getting organized. You may not think of using them to plan fixer projects or to get your home ready, but they can help you map out a strategy (whether you plan to buy or sell), save money, learn about the homes in your neighborhood and get inspired for your next renovation project.
Apps For Sellers: List & Sell Your Home Quickly
Are you a homeowner who is thinking of selling? If you’re preparing to sell, you know there are a lot of tasks to complete before putting your home on the market. These apps help you manage your to-do’s so you can list and sell your home more efficiently with fewer distractions and hassles.
1 Houzz (Free)
The Houzz app is the number one app for home design and it’s no wonder; the app gives you access to all the inspiration, blogs and design ideas from the Houzz site on your phone or tablet. The app features View in My Room 3D, which allows you to view products in your home before you buy. Whether you’re gathering ideas for your next renovation and décor project or you’re just browsing, the Houzz app will satisfy all your design needs.
2 iHandy Carpenter ($1.99)
Make sure the photos, shelves, mirrors and other artwork you hang are even and aligned with this helpful app. It’s an all-in-one tool kit that features a plumb bob, surface level, bubble level bar, ruler and protractor. No need to purchase these tools separately; just hold your smartphone up to the wall and the app will take care of the rest.
3 Color911 (Free 30-day trial and free for people starting the Pomodoro technique; Subscriptions start at $3 per month)
If you’re thinking of changing the color scheme of your home or want to find the right shades for lamp shades, rugs or throw pillows to match your vintage sofa, the Color911 app provides pre-selected color palettes to match any color scheme. Take a photo of the room or the furniture and the app will create a custom palette full of complementary colors.
4 Homesnap (Free)
Using the Homesnap app, you can snap a photo of any home, nationwide, to learn more about it. When you’re ready to sell, snap a few of the homes in your neighborhood to find out their valuation. This app isn’t perfect, which is why you should always consult with a local real estate agent. However, it can give you a general idea of the value of your home compared to others in the neighborhood.
5 Docusign (10$+)
Use the DocuSign app to complete approvals and agreements in hours—not days—from anywhere and on any device. The benefit to using the app (over your desktop computer) is you will receive push notifications when a document is waiting for your signature and you can view and organize all your docs on-the-go. You will need a paid account to send documents; pricing starts at $10 a month.
6. 360 Panormama Camera (Free)
This app isn’t specifically geared toward people who are selling their homes but it can certainly come in handy if you want to jazz up your online listing with panoramic photos. The app will cost you a couple of bucks to download on iTunes. But the minimum investment could be worth it, especially if you want some compelling photos of your home for potential buyers. This is especially helpful if you’ve decided to list your home as for sale by owner. Real estate agents like me these days are using all the tricks and advanced technology we can to maximize interest in the homes they are selling and if you dont’ do the same then you might not garner the same amount of attention.
Apps For Renters: Getting Ready to Be Future Homeowners
Not ready to buy a home just yet? These apps will help you get ready while you save money, build a budget and get on track for homeownership.
7 Mint (Free)
Do you know where your money goes each month? Manage your bills, budget and credit score all in one place. Mint is a free app that helps you view your complete financial picture and track your spending. We recommend this app to anyone, but it’s especially useful for renters who need to crack down on their spending in order to save for a down payment.
8 Acorns ($1 a month to start)
Acorns is modernizing the practice of saving loose change with their automated savings tool. The app rounds up your purchases on linked credit or debit cards, then sweeps the change into a computer-managed investment portfolio. Acorns is free for four years for college students and everyone else pays $1 a month until their account balance hits $5,000, then 0.25% of their account balance per year. This is a useful tool for those who have a hard time saving.
9 Evernote (Free for the Basic version, $34.99 per year for Plus and $69.99 per year for Premium)
Collect ideas, notes and images in one place to access later on your computer, tablet or smartphone. Categorize your notes so you can find them quickly and easily and share them with others in a group notebook. Whether you’re collecting research on a business idea or you’re looking for inspiration for a home renovation, Evernote can help you keep it all together.
10 (Various) Mortgage Calculators (Free)
There are a lot of free mortgage calculators available for download that will help you quickly determine what your monthly payment will be while you’re house hunting. We recommend picking your favorite and using it to help you shop in your price range. These numbers should be used as a guide, work with your agent and mortgage professional to learn exactly what type of loan you’ll qualify for.
11 Fetch (Free)
With the Fetch app, users scan receipts from anywhere you spend money, like gas stations, stores, and restaurants. Then, you earn points from each receipt, which can be redeemed for gift cards to stores and restaurants (I always go for Chipotle). Then you can put the money you would normally spend on going out or shopping into savings.
If you are thinking buying an investment property or wondering if your purchase makes sense to be an investment property… you can check out this next app.
12 Deal Check: Analyze Real Estate (Free: Has in app purchases)
It is one of the leading property analysis software that is specially built for real estate investors, agents, wholesalers, realtors, and others. Due to the innovative features, property cost or rental cost calculation is straightforward. From the business point of view, it is suitable for small, medium scale, large scale businesses, and freelancers. It is based on the concept of BRRRR, which is bought, rehab, rent, refinance, and repeat.