Houzz Review

What is Houzz? – About

Houzz was founded in 2009 by Ali Tatarko and Alon Cohen. Like many businesses start stories, it was
inspired after a failed personal experience. The founders were into remodeling their home but they
couldn’t get the resources to make the project a reality.
There was no shortage of home magazines or referrals for home professionals, but they just couldn’t get
the right design and construction professionals. So they created Houzz, to be a place where you can go to
find the right design and construction professionals.
Houzz started as a side project; but has grown into a robust community for connecting with over 40 million
homeowners, home design enthusiasts, and home improvement professionals around the world.
Thus, Houzz is more than a shopping destination where you’ll go to for that furniture, lamp, or other home
product. It is also a place where you can get design ideas. Persons can go there to browse and save
beautiful home pictures.
This collection has grown to over 18 million photos. As such, Houzz is a wonderful resource if you want
ideas for remodeling any part of your home. Also, when you need that perfect architect, designer, or other
contactor that’ll help transmit those your dreams to reality, you’ll find them in Houzz. It has over 2.3 million
home professionals in the community.
However, it must be said that Houzz is just a platform, and not an online store. Professionals in the
community are persons who have home improvement services to offer or have home products to sell. In
layman-speak, Houzz is your typical marketplace.
It does not own or stock any merchandise. When shopping in the platform, though some of the items are
sold directly by Houzz, most of the items you’ll find are listed by independent Sellers; and it is these sellers
that are responsible for fulfilling orders.
However, this review is aimed at persons using Houzz as buyers – those who need house improvement
designs, professionals, or products. For a review aimed at Sellers (persons who have home improvement
services or products to offer), keep an eye on this blog.

Is House safe?

Houzz is safe. Online platforms also need to be safe in ensuring that the sensitive information that your
share with it is protected and prevented from leaking out to third parties. In this regards, Houzz says that it
uses reasonable and appropriate measures to protect users’ data.
One such measure is SSL encryption which is the industry standard for ensuring private connection
between buyers’ devices and the platform’s servers. With the use of SSL amongst other measures, it is safe
to say that Houzz is safe.

Services/ Products

Houzz is more than a shopping destination. The first part of the Houzz tagline is Get Inspired. In this
service, you can visit the website for design ideas. Houzz holds over 18 million photos that’ll inspire you

However, you won’t be overwhelmed. It provides different filters for helping with your search. You can filter
by “Room” where you’ll find design ideas for Kitchen, Bath, Bedroom, Living Room, Dining, Outdoor, Baby
and Kids’ Rooms, Home Office, Storage and Closet, Exterior, Basement, Entry, Garage and Shed, Gym,
Home Bar, Hall, Laundry, Staircase, and Wine Cellar.
You can filter by Style, where you’ll find styles bothering on: Contemporary, Eclectic, Modern, Traditional,
Asian, Beach, Craftsman, Farmhouse, Industrial, Mediterranean, Mid Century, Rustic, Scandinavian, ShabbyChic Style, Southwestern, Transitional, Tropical, Victorian, and more. You can also filter by location, size,
color, and budget.
Another part of the Houzz tagline is “Find Pros”. If you’re not satisfied with looking at photos for ideas, but
need that professional help, Houzz has you covered. It has over 2.3 million Home Pros waiting to help.
However, searching for and finding the right professional for your needs is relatively easy. In the “Find Pros”
section of the menu, the professionals are put into four categories as follows:
Design & Remodeling – Architects & Building Designers, Design-Build Firms, General Contractors,
Home Builders, Interior Designers, Kitchen & Bath Designers, Kitchen & Bath Remodelers, Landscape
Architects & Landscape Designers, Landscape Contractors, Swimming Pool Builders
Home Improvement – Building Supplies, Cabinets & Cabinetry, Carpet Dealers, Deck & Patio Builders,
Door Dealers, Fireplaces, Garage Door Sales, Handyman, Hardwood Flooring Dealers, Paint & Wall
Coverings. Siding & Exteriors, Tile & stones & Countertops, Window Dealers
Home Services – Air Conditioning & Heating, Electricians, Furniture Repair, Garage Door Repair,
Gardeners and Lawn Care, Movers, Painters, Pest Control, Plumbers, Roofing & Gutters, Spa & Pool
Maintenance, Tree Services
Cleaning Services – Carpet Cleaners, Chimney Cleaners, Exterior Cleaners, House Cleaners, Stone
Cleaners, Window Cleaners
Another part of the Houzz tagline is “Shop Products”. This is the online shopping destination part. That is,
Houzz is a place you can go to buy whatever item you need to create your dream home. Houzz has literally
tens of millions of products. When shopping for products, you’ll not be lost in the ocean, because these are
grouped in various categories. The product categories and some items you’ll find in each are:
Furniture – Livingroom (tables, chairs, sofas, etc); Kitchen & Dining (bar stools & counter stools, dining
chairs & tables); Bathroom, Storage & Vanities (Bathroom vanities, cabinets, and shelves); Bedroom
(beds, Headboards, Dressers, etc); Storage (Bookcases, Buffet & Sideboards dressers); Home Office
(desks, Office chairs, Bookcases); Entryway (Benches, coatracks & umbrella stands, console tables);
Outdoor (lounges, furniture, dining, bar)
Kitchen & Dining – furniture; Kitchen fixtures (sinks, faucets, pot fillers); Tiles (Mosaic tiles, Wall &
Floor tiles, tile murals); Cabinet & Drawer hardware (Knobs and Pulls); Major Kitchen Appliances (Bear
and wine refrigerator, Cooktops, dishwashers); small kitchen appliances (blender, bread machines,
coffee and tea makers); kitchen storage & organization (carts, wine racks, food containers and
storage); table tops (dinnerware, cups and glassware, serveware); kitchen & cabinet lighting (island
lighting, under cabinet lighting) Cookware & Bakeware; Kitchen tools and gadgets (can openers,
colanders and strainers); Kitchen & Table linens (aprons, dish towels, oven mitts, pot holders)
Bath – Bathroom Vanities; Vanity lightings, Tiles, Showers; Bathtubs; Faucets; Sinks; Accessories
(Mirrors, Towel bars & holder, shower curtains); Medicine Cabinets; Bathroom cabinets; Bathroom
Shelves; Bath Linens (towels, Bath mats)
Lighting – Ceiling Lighting (Chandeliers, Pendant Lighting, Flush Mount Ceiling lighting); Wall Lighting
(Wall Scones, Display & Picture Lights); Lamps (Table lamps, floor lamps, desk lamps); Bathroom
Vanity Lighting; Ceiling Fans; Kitchen & Cabinet Lights; Outdoor Lights; Lighting Accessories
(Lampshades, light bases, light bulbs)
Room Décor – Pillows & Throws; decorative Accents; Lamps; Rugs; Mirrors; Wall Décor; Artwork;
Window Treatment (Blinds & Shades, Curtains, Curtain Rods); Clocks; Holiday Décor; Game Room &
Bar Décor; Fabric (Upholstery fabric, drapery fabric, outdoor fabric)

Bedroom – Beds & Headboards; Bedding; Bedroom Décor; Lamps; Dressers; Nightstands & Bedside
Tables; Accent Chests & Cabinets; Closet Storage
Storage & Organization – storage Furniture; Office Storage; Media Storage; Shelving; Bathroom
Storage; Kitchen Storage & Organization; Decorative Storage; Wall Organizers; Closet Storage;
Housekeeping & Laundry; Outdoor storage; Storage Bins & Boxes
Home Improvement
Outdoor – Outdoor Furniture, Lighting, Lawn & Garden, Pool & Spa, Fire Pits & Accessories, Outdoor
Cooking (Grills, Cookers, etc), Outdoor Structures (Sheds, Gazebo, etc)
Baby & kids – Kid’s Furniture, Kids Décor, Nursery Furniture and Décor, Toys, Backyard Play, Bedding
(Kids, Toddler & Baby), Kids’ Rug, Kid’s lighting, Baby & Kids’ Tableware,
House Keeping – Laundry Hampers, Irons, Ironing Boards, Ironing Board Covers, Drying Racks,
clotheslines, Laundry Room appliances, Trash & Recycling, Vacuum & Floorcare, Household Cleaning
Supplies, Ladders & step Stools, Sewing Machines
Pet Supplies – Cat Supplies (Liter boxes & covers, Cat Beds, Cat Furniture); Dog supplies (Dog Beds,
Dog bowls & feeding Dog Gates); Pet Bowls & Feeding; Pet Doors

Using Houzz

You’ll need an account to use Houzz. However, creating an account is relatively easy. You can register with
your Facebook account, or you can proceed by submitting your email address and a password.
In the next page, you choose what describe you best, whether that is home owner (owns a home or
interested in home designs), or a professional (offer home improvement services or sell home products).
With your account created, you can then proceed to browse photos, browse the professional directory, or
visit the marketplace to shop products.
When searching for design inspiration in the photo database, you can save photos into a personal
collection called ideabook. Clicking on the photo, takes you to its description page, where you’ll find
information about the designer, and the product in the photo. When searching for the right professional;
the Pros directory gives you a short description of each listed Pro, and the person’s location. After landing
on a particular Pros’ page, you can view the previous projects of the designer, typical job costs, and awards.
You’ll also find reviews of the designer dropped by other consumers. If you like what you see, there’re
provisions for contacting the designer (telephone and contact form).
When searching for products, from the “Shop” link on the menu, you’ll find the product categories.
Alternatively, you can use the search bar in the website; enter a keyword into the bar, and it’ll bring out
products related to your enquiry. If you find a product that you like, clicking on a product will take you to its
detail page where you’ll find its description, specification, shipping details (delivery times and costs) and
return policy. You’ll also find other customers’ reviews of the products. If you like the product, you can
proceed by simply clicking “Add to Cart”. Then you can “Keep Shopping” or “Check Out Now”. If you continue
shopping, you can go to your cart anytime by clicking the cart icon at the top of the page. To checkout,
you’ll need to enter your shipping address, and then select your payment method to complete payment.
Many times, customers have a change of heart after placing an order and will want to cancel it. Thus,
platforms that allow order cancellation are appealing. Houzz does very well in this regards, as it allows
cancellation after order placement.
Not only does it allow a cancellation, but you (the customer) can cancel from your own end. Many other
online platforms that allow cancellation will have you contact customer support for cancellation request,
and as we know it’s usually not as rosy as it is presented.

But in Houzz, if you wish to cancel an order, you can simply visit the “Your Orders” page and select the
“Cancel Order” button for the order.
However, the option to cancel will only appear for 30 minutes after your order placement. If you would
want to cancel, and this window has closed you’ll have to contact Customer Support to request
cancellation. But when going through this customer support route to cancel an order, Houzz makes no
guarantees that cancellation will be possible

Pricing

Everyone wants the best deal possible. Thus, consumers are attracted to shopping destinations that
feature competitive prices. Because Houzz is simply a marketplace, prices are determined by the
independent Sellers. However, you’ll find that prices are competitive

Payment Methods

Hassle-free service that e-commerce platforms promise should extend to payments. Thus, you’ll want a
platform that supports a range of convenient payment methods. Houzz definitely does not come out
excellent in this regard. It supports PayPal and the major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and
American Express). However, it accepts only credit cards issued by a US bank, and with a billing address
based in the US or Canada.
When an order is placed, an authorization is placed on your credit card; you are charged only when the
item ships.

Shipping

When making online purchases, shipping is an important consideration, as the item(s) have to be moved
from the Sellers’ fulfilment center to where you’ll take possession of the item(s). Important things to
consider include: shipping destinations, delivery times, and shipping costs.

Delivery Times

You don’t want placing an order and waiting forever for your products to arrive. Thus, the ideal online
shopping destination should feature fast delivery.
Delivery times in Houzz differ, depending largely on the particular product and the delivery option selected.
Houzz offers different delivery options which Sellers can choose to offer; but most times, the choice of

However, options include Standard Shipping and Freight Shipping. When using freight, you’ll have different
options to choose from that include: Standard delivery (where the item is delivered to your sidewalk), inside
Your Door delivery (where the item is delivered just inside your front door), Room of Choice delivery (where
items are delivered to a room of your choice), and White Glove delivery (all-inclusive delivery that delivers
item to room of choice including unpacking, product assembling, and removal of packaging). Actual delivery
times will be shown in the product description page when making a purchase.
Buyers have many reasons to expect fast delivery when making purchases in Houzz. This is because Houzz
has policies that punish Sellers for actions that result in poor shopping experience for customers; and this
includes delays in shipping, providing customers with an invalid or missing tracking number, and cancelling
orders because of out-of-stock

Shipping Cost

Shipping costs are important consideration in any online purchase, because where shipping costs are high,
even items that are acceptably priced can easily become too expensive to acquire.
In Houzz, the independent Sellers set their own shipping costs. This means that shipping costs vary
depending on the Seller, as well as on other factors such as the type of item, the location it is shipping to,
and the delivery option selected. You’ll find the actual shipping costs during check out after entering your
shipping address and selecting a delivery option, before you are asked for payment.

Conclusion

Houzz advertises as a destination to: get Inspiration for you home remodeling project, to find the right
professionals to help with your home project, and to find products you’ll need to create the perfect home.
It does live up to this. You’ll find millions of design photos, millions of home professionals, and millions of
home products.