Intro

Good morning 👋

Our own home is the biggest investment most of us will ever make, and part of the fun is creating a property that reflects our needs, taste and personality. But how do we decide which renovations are likely to prove an investment, and which will remain just a - possibly expensive - personal indulgence? Read on for the answer …

Today’s update is 305 words, only 1.5 minutes.

Startup of the Day

Plunk, Seattle (USA)

Source: Plunk

What’s the deal: How do you decide which home improvements will add value to your property, and which ones may bring pleasure but not monetary returns? It’s tricky.

Stealthy startup Plunk gives you the answers. To assist homeowners with the planning and execution of home improvements, Plunk offers a platform that can assess the value of renovations.

Funding: $6.5M seed funding.

Why it matters: The key question when renovating a home: How likely am I to get the money back when I sell my house? Using AI and machine learning, Plunk offers a mobile app that recommends home renovation projects that provide the best returns and increase property values. All suggestions are based on local, real-time data, personalized to each individual home.

Our take: Helping homeowners to make the right decisions when planning renovations takes the pain out of home improvement.

But: Plunk competes with the advice of builders and real estate agents. Convincing people to trust AI data over personal recommendations requires marketing and education.

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