Dan DiClerico

Our Healthy Home Checklist gives you a plan to give your home the cleanest air, purest water, safest layout and more.

Biophilic design is the idea that “the presence of natural, outdoor elements like plant life provide measurable benefits to our mental and physical well-being.”

Smart home technology is great, but it can also drive you nuts if your home or devices aren’t compatible. Check out these tips from an expert smart home integrator.

If you want to know where home design is headed in 2020 and beyond, the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), which took place January 21-23 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, was the place to be. More than 600 manufacturers, including legacy brands like GE Appliances and Whirlpool, alongside plucky startups looking to shake…

Thinking about a home addition? You’re not the only one.  In a typical year, some 750,000 U.S. homeowners tackle a home addition, according to Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. Adding on to your home, as opposed to remodeling an existing space, has several advantages, starting with the fact that you get to design…

You’re probably familiar with the whole trend around “gift experiences,” for example giving his-and-her cooking classes to a happy couple in your life, or online guitar classes to the aspiring musician. Those gift ideas are all well and good, but for an experience that will truly keep on giving, why not think about home services…

Future casting is good fun, but the American home actually evolves quite slowly over time. Even revolutionary innovations, like indoor plumbing and central heating, took decades to reach full adoption. And so, when we put on our futurist’s cap and imagine how homes will change in the next ten to fifteen years, the truth is…

Here are the five categories of service pro that should top every homeowners’ list, based on the latest data from HomeAdvisor.

Nine times out of ten, construction project problems can be traced to an issue between the homeowners and their GC. Don’t hire the wrong GC. Here’s what to avoid.

What’s the next big thing in real estate? A few hundred industry experts gathered in Austin, Texas recently for the National Association of Real Estate Editor’s 90th annual conference to try to answer that question. Here’s what they found.

Here are five of the biggest myths debunked by 2019’s State of Home Spending report—and what the reality could mean to you.

The classic instance of Murphy’s Law applies to homeowners insurance too. You only learn about a gap in your coverage when it’s too late—with the flood waters rising; or after the thieves are gone. It’s a costly discovery that thousands of homeowners make each year. Indeed, the average homeowner loss is approximately $12,500, according to…

By the year 2022, the sale of smart home devices in the U.S. is expected to top 520 million units. Considering that a few years ago, before the age of Alexa, most Americans had little to no connectivity in their homes, that’s a pretty meteoric growth rate. So what will the smart home look like…

Americans are spending more than ever to keep their homes in good working order. Home improvement spending is at a record $424 billion, according to the latest data from Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. The nation’s aging housing stock is the main driver for the surge. In fact, of the 137 million U.S. homes, roughly…

If you’re considering rooftop solar for your home, there’s no time like the present! Because the most generous government incentive, a federal tax credit covering 30 percent of the project, will start to be phased out at the end of 2019. Given the national average solar panel installation cost of $23,000, that’s $7,000 in savings…

Here are the top five home renovations, along with tips from HomeAdvisor’s remodeling pros on ways to add even more value to the upgrade.

The integration of technology into the home has been going on for decades, but it’s kicked into high gear in the last few years, thanks to the boom in connected devices, from thermostats to door locks to smoke alarms. As we roll into 2019, the smart home trend is only going to intensify, a fact…

The only thing harder than setting a realistic remodeling budget is sticking to it. The secret? Knowing when to splurge and when to save on materials and services. I asked HomeAdvisor pros (including the architects and designers who draw up plans, contractors who do the work, and repairmen who get called when things go wrong)…

From rising energy costs to the aging population, seismic shifts throughout U.S. society are changing the way Americans think about housing. As we turn the corner into 2019, the final year in a decade that’s already seen massive change and disruption, we checked in with the pros at HomeAdvisor to identify the biggest buzzwords in…

You scraped together the down payment, endured the gauntlet of the house hunt, and signed enough documents at closing to cause a serious hand cramp. Welcome to homeownership! Now the real fun starts. Owning a home is one of life’s great accomplishments and a source of endless pleasure and pride. But it’s also a huge…

May 1, 2018 With home improvement season in full swing, homeowners are looking at much-need upgrades and repairs. For most of us, though, there’s no such thing as a bottomless remodeling budget. That’s why it’s essential to get a handle on what things costs and then set your priorities accordingly. To help in that process,…

You’ve figured out your home improvement to-do list for the year—hopefully using HomeAdvisor’s True Cost Guide to ensure there’s room in the budget to tackle the various projects. Now you’re ready to start lining up pros to do the work. Of course, hiring a general contractor for a whole-house renovation is more involved than finding…

If you’re not sure where to get started with your smart home, try beginning at your front door with the installation of a video doorbell. The device is loads of fun — allowing you to greet visitors from the office or other remote locations – and is easy to install and incredibly practical to boot….

Smart home technology is now everywhere you turn, from home centers to the home page of your favorite online retailer. And that’s great if you’re a whiz with technology — but for the rest of us, knowing where to begin can be a challenge. New to smart home technology? Here are two great places to…

Hoping to stay in your home forever, no matter your age or ability? Technology — more specifically smart home technology — is becoming a big part of the Aging in Place holistic home improvement strategy that allows you to do just that. “We’ve seen a huge uptick in business as more people look for technology…

I’ve written about home remodeling and design for decades. But the renovation of a nineteenth century Brooklyn brownstone, — my home, where I live with my wife and kids — was my first chance to put that knowledge and experience to a personal test. Our goal was to create an elegant home that would also…

Not every Millennial knows how to code or is a home improvement DIYer, just like not all Golden Agers need help setting up an email account. Still, it’s true that younger Americans tend to have a better handle on technology than their parents and grandparents. That mastery extends to smart home technology, even though the…

What’s the must-have holiday gift for 2017? Smart money is on smart home devices, which consumers everywhere are embracing in a big way. A recent HomeAdvisor survey found that home service professionals are getting requests for smart home installs on a weekly, if not daily basis. And major retailers like Best Buy, Home Depot, and…

The holiday season is just around the corner, which means your kitchen is about to go into overdrive. But cooking for a crowd can be much less stressful with the latest smart appliances and gadgets. Here are five ways to take advantage of the smart technology to help keep your holiday kitchen under control. 1….

The smart home surge is gathering steam. About thirty million U.S. households already have at least one connected device, like a doorbell camera that can be an answered remotely or a smoke alarm that alerts them to fire even when they’re away from home. That’s double the number from two years ago, an encouraging growth…

Why a smart home? In answering that question for consumers, the industry has focused on things like convenience, security, and comfort. Consider the results of a recent HomeAdvisor survey of smart home professionals: When we asked nearly 1,500 pros for the most common reasons they’re installing smart home technology, three responses rose to the top….

Cold weather is just around the corner, bringing higher energy costs for many homeowners, especially if fuel prices skyrocket the way they did last year. A smart thermostat is one of the best ways to keep these costs in check. The device replaces the traditional thermometer on your wall, and enables you to program your…

HomeAdvisor recently surveyed 1,500 US consumers about their experiences with smart home technology. When we asked about the smart products they’ve installed so far, kitchen appliances rose to the top, beating out smoke alarms, thermostats, and security systems. It makes sense: appliances are generally easy to install, so there’s no need to call in a…

August 21, 2017 Lennar, one of the country’s largest homebuilders, announced that it will begin building homes with whole-house wireless coverage, along with a slew of smart home products, from thermostats and cameras. The news added fuel to the “wired versus wireless” debate surrounding the smart home. The bigger question is this: with so many…

The market for smart smoke alarms, like so many smart home products, has gotten red hot. Competition is good for consumers, since it forces manufacturers to improve and innovate, while keeping costs in check. But the more models on the market, the harder it is to comparison shop. We’ve got you covered with this comprehensive…

Every home seems to have one—the room or area that’s always ten degrees warmer or colder than the rest of the house. Besides making living spaces uncomfortable, these temperature variations can really drive up energy costs. Flair, a San Francisco start up, recently launched a suite of smart home products that could solve the climate…

July 13, 2017 With all the talk of the “dawn of the smart home,” you might think the technology is only a few years old. In fact, it’s been around since at least 1984, the year the National Association of Home Builders formed a “Smart House” task group to explore ways to integrate technology into…

June 27, 2017 Grilling is the hassle-free way to entertain. Minimal prep work, no messy pans to clean, plus you can keep the fire going throughout the day, as guests come and go. But planning a blowout barbecue can turn into a real pressure cooker, with all those mouths to feed. That’s especially true if…

June 15, 2017 What to give the dad who has it all this year for Father’s Day? Chances are he’ll be surprised—and stoked—by some of the latest and greatest smart home products. The category has grown red hot and is brimming with connected devices that deliver a range of benefits dad will appreciate, whether it’s…

I was one of four children growing up. Now that I have a couple kids of my own, I often wonder how my parents raised us without modern technologies like mobile phones and GPS. Sure, technology has given rise to some new parental challenges—controlling screen time, for example, or managing social media—but on balance it’s…

The latest in smart home technology lets you give your home’s security a major overhaul for only a few hundred dollars. Here are three security-boosting devices perfect for you home. Extended Version: Your home is a sanctuary, but it’s also an accident waiting to happen. In fact, more than 28 million Americans end up in…

Professional athletes have long relied on technology and data analysis to reach peak performance. Think of the Olympic swimmer using motion tracking systems and underwater cameras to maximize his kick movement. You might not be training for gold, but today’s technology can have a positive health impact by making you aware of what’s happening inside…

If you want to know the future of the smart home, a nondescript hotel on a lonely stretch of highway near San Francisco International Airport might not be the first place you’d look. Unless, that is, said hotel was the scene of CONNECTIONS, an annual gathering of industry’s insiders and influencers that’s billed, rightly so,…

March 20, 2017 If you’re a whiz in the kitchen, you might dismiss the latest smart kitchen technologies as more dumbing down of the American cook. It’s true, mastering essential cooking skills is the best way to eat and drink well at home, whether for pan-seared scallops, a perfectly blended vinaigrette, or a cup of…

March 17, 2017 The Architectural Digest Design Show, which runs from March 16-19 in New York City, has always been about smart design. More and more, it’s about smart technology as well. You wouldn’t know that just from walking the floor, however. That’s because the technology has become pretty much invisible, allowing the allure of the…