Why I Dig Zillow Digs

DSC04584At some point, almost every one of my buyers asks me about remodeling costs for homes they are viewing. I can give you a pretty good range for what it will cost to replace all the windows in a home but don’t even ask me about remodeling a kitchen. Kitchens are as varied as the cooks who use them. For these types of questions,  introducing Zillow Digs to the rescue!

Zillow just announced it’s new home improvement service, Zillow Digs, which is a database of home photos that include the estimated cost to do a similar remodel in their area of the country. To add to the fun consumers can create boards, a la Pinterest, with photos of remodeling projects and share these photos with others.

But people… this is Zillow, so use your own brain. I like Zillow because it gives a good snapshot of area prices. I don’t like Zillow when people take it too literally. The home valuations are done by an automated algorithm. A robot brain. So what you see is not always what you get. Same goes for these remodeling estimates, they are also derived using robot brain so use them as a starting point for further exploration.

That said, I am sure I will be using Zillow Digs as a tool for those initial inquiries and allow me to call my contractor resources if you need a serious bid.