The online real estate site Zillow.com launched a remodeling estimation tool today, called Digs.
Zillow has three other real estate sites -- the popular home-value estimator with map of for-sale homes, a rentals site and a site that focuses on the mortgage marketplace.
Zillow Digs is a compilation of photos taken from the company's vast images database. The images, supplied by owners or Realtors, are taken from the pages of the 110 million homes in Zillow's database. On an iPad, Zillow visitors can view images of remodeled home spaces, such as kitchens and bathrooms, and see the estimated cost to execute the project. The estimates are generated by contractors and designers consulting with Zillow.
Users may collect the images, and costs estimates, in an online scrapbook and use them as references when working with contractors.
Photos are available of remodeled bathrooms, kitchens, bedrooms, gardens and living rooms.
Digs has an iPad app, but it also works on a standard laptop or desktop. Go to Zillow.com/digs and peruse the photos, which have the estimated cost of the room in the top left-hand corner. Click on the photo and scroll down to see the cost estimates for labor and materials. The estimates are weighted for cost differentials among various regions of the country.
Zillow cautions users that the cost estimates are a "starting point" and are not guaranteed. A similar caveat is stated on its home-valuation site, which, like Digs, gives a range of costs or values (Zestimates) and not a fixed amount.
