Seattle’s Porch.com Simplifies the Home Renovation Process

By Lauren Mang June 20, 2014

0714porch_0

This article originally appeared in the July 2014 issue of Seattle magazine.

Tackling a bathroom renovation? Want to see what your neighbor did with hers—and what she paid? Sign up for the Eastlake-based home improvement site Porch.com, the brainchild of CEO Matt Ehrlichman, to search a database of more than 1.5 million professionals—plumbers, carpenters, interior decorators—to find the right person to take on your task. In grand “keeping up with the Joneses” fashion, your gratis membership to Porch gains you access to pictures, project cost, experts chosen and other details about home-improvement jobs completed in your area (including your neighbor’s reno), not to mention LinkedIn-style endorsements of those experts from other Porch users. Scour the site for advice and how-tos, maintenance reminders and plentiful project photos that you can then save to your “scrapbook” for inspiration. And look for the handy-dandy service inside Lowe’s Home Improvement stores, too, where you can browse its online bounty of pros via Lowe’s employee mobile devices and in-store terminals.

 

Follow Us

Water World Wonder

Water World Wonder

Unique artistic collaboration invites water into stunning Lake Washington home

Swivel Interiors founder Kathleen Glossa lured five innovative local artists to a newly purchased vacation property perched on the northern edge of Lake Washington. Photo by Andrew Giammarco

Minecraft Motivation

Minecraft Motivation

Couple uses video game for renovation inspiration

They had a hard time visualizing what their new home might look like, so they turned to Minecraft, a hugely popular video game Microsoft markets as a tool for creative types to “battle mobs, construct shelter, and explore the landscape.” They had been playing the game for years, and didn’t need to consult the box

Trees, Whales, Wine

Trees, Whales, Wine

Browne Family Vineyards takes on climate change

Since late last year, Walla Walla’s Browne Family Vineyards has planted more than 120,000 trees in a reforestation effort to mitigate climate change on vineyards and grapes.

A Light-Filled  Oasis

A Light-Filled Oasis

Mercer Island residence embraces natural beauty by drawing it inside

When Kent and Lisa Sacia decided to put a bow on their latest remodeling triumph, they turned to a trusted collaborator, Sander Groves Landscaping President Dan Groves. He was more than happy to take on the project, a reimagining of a 1972 Northwest contemporary by a noted Mercer Island architect. “I am in a position to…