Glenn Wharton
Spring, TX (USA)
Role(s):
Active Funding Request
This user has an Active Funding Request. You must be logged in as an approved, accredited investor to view this Funding Request. Call us at 888-391-7096 to apply.
Founder/Owner/Principal
ExplodedHome.com
Find More Startups
Startup
Location:
Spring
Industry:
Internet
Year Founded:
2011
Number Employees:
1-10 people
Business Stage:
Creation/Idea
Entity Type:
"C" Corporation
Description:
ExplodedHome.com, is a start-up company to be founded for the purpose of creating the first truly exhaustive homeowner support website, providing home maintenance, general knowledge information, product and referral website. Our idea focuses on meeting the needs of two types of customers - homeowners and Real Estate Professionals.
We are seeking $369,500 in Angel Capital to execute the initial stage development of the site.
As an experienced Professional Real Estate Inspector in the State of Texas, I have conducted over 9000 home inspections. The most common concern held by my clients is a desire to gain as much reliable information as possible without being sold something they do not want or need. I have found over the years that current, neutral information is hard to come by. Print material is often out of date with current trends, too general or, alternatively, too technical. Periodicals like Home Handyman are good, but have finite space for information. You can dig through years of back issues and not find information on your project. Many of the resources provided by retailers and suppliers are thinly veiled sales publications.
While the internet offers sites covering just about any conceivable interest, it is not helpful to homeowners. If you try to find home maintenance, improvement and how to information you find numerous, small sites with limited information or advertising specific services or providers. Try to find an extensive glossary of building terms or usable illustrations and you come up dry. Additionally, those few small sites present are not search engine optimized (SEO) to create the traffic to support advertising and growth. Existing sites also tend to be thinly veiled referral generation systems with little content for homeowners. There are sites on the internet where clients can view neutral ratings on appliances and other sites where they can purchase those items at wholesale, but there is no site where they can do both and research background information on that type of equipment. There is no central site from which they can order consumable products such as air filters.
For the first time, our visitors will be able to access full text, diagrams, photos, codes, manufacturer’s instructions and step-by-step repair instructions on any component, part or system of a home. They will also be able to connect with outstanding repair and improvement specialists that are graded continuously.
Additionally clients will be able to register for home management services and reminders directly though the site. The management services will include an ability to upload receipts and other important paperwork for private storage and future reference. This function will help clients in demonstrating the history of repairs and changes when completing disclosure when the home is being sold.
Marketing will be accomplished by strategic SEO and generating interest via Realtors and Inspectors. Given the nature of the Real Estate industry, the vast majority of practitioners are small, self supporting business people or contractors. They do their own marketing and are always looking for a tool to increase their professional image and better support their clients.
Eventually, we will take advantage of the growing trend among home inspectors to deliver their reports via email and fee based web posting by sponsoring a free report web posting site. By providing clear, neutral amplification of reports and resources to increase understanding of findings, such a site will make the best inspectors look good and direct agents and home buyers to our site. We will create and provide free report writing templates to inspectors. This will further cement inspectors to our site and assist us in making the reports interface with our web site.
Profit will initially be derived from on page targeted advertising, service subscriptions, affiliate associations and site placement advertising. We will add additional profit by linking web sites, web advertising and publications for commission. Eventually, we should be able to charge a per click referral rate and charge for some homeowner management services.
The service proposed for Exploded Home is not currently available anywhere on the internet, and we intend to dominate this segment by being their first with reliable, professional and neutral information that attracts and maintains visiter numbers.