Houzz online platform dedicated to home renovation and design that 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.
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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.
Houzz says it is “an online platform dedicated to home renovation and design”, and as a platform which you can use to “create the home you’ve always wanted”. It advertises with the tagline “Get Inspired. Shop Products. Find Pros”.
The big question is whether you can really use Houzz to create your ideal home. Can Houzz really arm you with all the design ideas you’ll need as suggested by “Get inspired”? Can Houzz really connect you with all the professionals you’ll need as suggested by “Find Pros”? Does Houzz really hold all the home products you’ll need for your home improvement projects as suggested by “Shop Products”?
If Houzz does offer the promised three (design ideas, home professionals, and home products), what is the quality served; are the designs available any good, are professionals in the platform any better and are products of high quality? What about its service; does it offer the top services that you’ll expect of the ideal online store (such as easy ordering, fast delivery, hassle-free returns, effective customer support service, etc)? In the first place, is Houzz legit, or is it just another scam platform?
Yes, Houzz is legit. It is one of the most popular platforms online. Continue reading this review to know why we said Houzz is not a scam.
This Houzz review will examine this website and provides you with answers to all your questions.
Is it legit? With so many cyber fraudsters around that’s a question you really should ask of any online platform if you don’t want to be ripped off. In this regards, there’s no doubt that Houzz is a legit online platform. This is because it is 100% legal, has industry-wide recognition, and has a rich operating record of providing satisfactory services to users.
Our first check of a legit online platform is usually legality, which is because the stores that are 100% legal are less likely to be a scam. Thankfully, Houzz ticks this box. The website is operated by Houzz Inc, which is a 100% legal company duly registered in the US. Suffice it to say that scam stores do not pursue incorporation
Another check of a legit online platform is visibility and industry-wide recognition, which is because the scam stores largely operate in the shadows. Thankfully, Houzz ticks this box.
First, thanks to its social-like operating model, Houzz has a large user base consisting of millions of home improvement professionals and millions of home enthusiasts, making it one of the biggest destinations for home options.
Secondly, being a legal company, it’ growth plan has seen some very public product releases and acquisitions (such as 2015 acquisition of Garden Web from NBC Universal).
Thirdly, Houzz has been featured by top publishing and media houses which include: The Wall Street Journal, Architectural Digest, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, and more.
Also, Houzz has earned a few awards along the way. One is “Best App” in the 2016 Google Play Awards; Houzz was also named number 40 in the 2018 “Entrepreneurial Company of the Year” by the Harvard Business School Association of Northern California.
Suffice it to say that a scam platform cannot grow into the large community that Houzz currently is, and definitely cannot gain the recognition of major industry watchers and followers.
Another check of a legit online platform is the test of time, which is because the scam platforms are generally short-lived. With time, scamming activities are exposed; and with such exposure, the platform generally dies out. Thankfully, Houzz passes this test of time, as it has been live since 2009. Suffice it to say that a scam platform just cannot continue ripping people off using the same front for a full decade.
However, the ultimate check of a legit online platform is the fitness of purpose, which is because the scam stores (set up to rip people off) do not live up to their promises. Houzz’s promise is to be a destination where you’ll get (i) design ideas (ii) right professionals (iii) products.
Thankfully, Houzz lives up to these promises. With millions of photos in its design photo database, you’re sure to get the inspiration for your home design. With millions of home professionals in its “Professional directory”, you’re sure to find the right persons for your project. Lastly, it holds millions of home products in its “shop”, and customers who place orders, most often than not, get delivery of real products that they are satisfied with.
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.
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, Shabby-Chic 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:
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:
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.
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.
Promotions allow customers to get items for significantly less than the items listed prices. As a result, destinations that run lots of promotions attract. In this regards, you’ll always find a variety of products on sale in the platform.
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.
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.
So that receiving delivery of your online order will not be unnecessarily difficult, you’ll need a shopping destination that ships directly to your location. In this regards, customers turn to world-facing destinations, so that their location is more likely to be covered.
At the time of writing, Houzz ships merchandise to only locations in the US. Items listed by Sellers are by default available to all customers within the 48 continental US States; but sometimes, Sellers can make settings to also serve Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico and Canada. So while international users can use Houzz for design ideas or connecting with the right professional, buying merchandise is not possible, except through the meandering route of a freight forwarder.
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 option will depend on the product.
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 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.
It’s not news that sometimes customers are not totally satisfied with their online purchase, and will want to return them to the retailer, and get a replacement of refund. Thus, shopping destinations that allow returns are to shoppers are sugar to ants. Thankfully, Houzz allow returns.
Just as it is with every e-commerce platform, not all items are eligible for returns. However, you won’t want too many return restrictions. Houzz doe relatively well in this regards, as you only a few items are non-returnable. These include: items shipped to Canada and sold directly by Houzz; gift cards; and items marked as Final Sale or Non-returnable on the product page.
All items that are exported outside the US using any means (freight forwarders, etc) are also not eligible for returns.
However, you don’t have forever to return an item. If you wish to make a return, and the item is eligible for returns, you have to contact Houzz about it and initiate the process within 30 days of delivery. This is a relatively long return window; so you won’t be pressed with time if you have to return an item. However, if the item shipped by freight carriers, and is damaged, you’ll have within 5 days of delivery to make the report and initiate its return.
You’ll want a hassle-free process when making returns. In Houzz, it is relatively easy. You’ll need to go to the “Your Order” page and select the “Return or Replace Item’ button. It should be mentioned that if the 30 days return window has closed, you’ll not find the “Return or Replace Item’ button; which means you’ll be unable to return the item.
In submitting your request, you’ll need to upload photos verifying your claim; you’ll also need to choose the resolution you want, whether replacement or refunds. After submitting your request, you’ll get an email confirmation. Houzz or the Seller (depending on who sold the item to you) will usually reply within 1 – 3 business days. Sellers are advised to send return labels, so you’re very likely to get a prepaid and pre-addressed Label which further eases the process.
You don’t want to be forced to hold on to something you don’t like because return costs are prohibitive. So the ideal shopping destination will feature return costs that are as low as possible. Though Houzz does not charge restocking fees, return shipping cost applies, so it does not offer a free return. It is only when the item was received defective or damaged that the seller is responsible for return fees. For every other “returns”, where the Seller provided a return label, its cost will be removed from the refunds.
When using any platform, there’ll be those that’ll have questions and others that’ll have issues. Thus customer questions and complaints are inevitable. The ideal online platform will have an effective customer support service for handling these.
Houzz does very well in this regards. There’s a self-help resource that’ll answer many of the questions that you may have. The Help Center is beautifully arranged in the following sections: Customers, Merchants, Professional, Account Help, Website Help, and Mobile App Help.
Entering the Customer’s section, you’ll find helpful articles under the following subjects: General Purchase, Placing an Order, Contact Us, Order Status, Shipping & Delivery questions, Returns, Replacements & Damages, Promotions, and Billing.
However, if you’ll want direct contact, Houzz operates a Message Center. Being that Houzz is a marketplace, the Message Center is a direct line of communication between the customer and the independent Sellers. Simply click “Contact Seller” from the “Your Purchases” link.
If the Seller replies, Houzz will send you an email notification. You can view the message using the “Messages” link. Where an issue between a customer and a Seller remain unresolved, Houzz can come in to mediate. For this, you’ll find an online contact form. Houzz promises a response time of 1 – 3 business days.
You’ll always find complaints. However, complaints should not take over an ideal company. So the volume and frequency of complaints about a company can be used to gauge its health. For this section, we checked the top customers’ reviews platforms to find out what real users of Houzz have to say about its product and services.
Unfortunately, Houzz is not highly rated in such top review platforms as Trustpilot and Sitejabber. At the time of writing this review, in Trustpilot, it has an average rating of 2.8/ 5 (rated by 6,830 reviewers); and in Sitejabber, it has an average rating of 1.6/ 5 (rated by 788 reviewers). While the ratings do not give much confidence, at least there’s comfort in that there seem to be more complaints from Sellers (persons who offer services and products) in the platform than from Buyers.
Some of the complaints from buyers centred on poor quality products, and ineffective customer support. That is, there were just too many buyers complaining of receiving delivery of items that they were not satisfied with. Since Houzz is simply a marketplace, it will not have any control over the product’s quality.
And with marketplaces, you’re sure to find Sellers with not-all-great quality rating. That said, when buying any product or service in Houzz, it will be fine to read the reviews in the description page; and also to use due diligence.
With quality issues, customer support will be inundated. However, the customers’ reviews seem to suggest that many customers do not get the satisfactory resolution.
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.
However, Houzz is simply a marketplace. Thus, you’ll find that many of the products and services being offered in the platform come from independent “Sellers”. However, Houzz charges its Sellers for actions that result in a poor experience for its customers.
Thus, Sellers have more reason to provide a great experience for “buying users”. Thus, apart from the site being easy-breezy to use, you are very likely to have fast delivery, qualitative products, and more. What is more, if you do not like your order, there is a 30 days window (from delivery date) for making a report and initiating a return process.
However, Houzz can only be used by “Buyers” in the continental US, as only a few “Sellers” serve Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and Canada. However, products going to Canada cannot be returned.
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