A home improvement matchmaking service that connects homeowners and tenants with skilled trades people will soon launch online in Bermuda.
The BDA Home Pros website is owned by the husband-wife team of George Andrew Simons and Pauline Juneann Cameron-Simons.
Keeon Minors of Lead X Design is the web developer of www.bdahomepros.com and is responsible for its maintenance.
Mr Simons said his plan is to have the business fully operational online by year-end.
Anyone seeking home improvement help will be able to post the job they want done on the Home Pros website, including detailed requirements, budget and time frame for completion.
Trades people who are interested in taking on the project will reply to indicate their interest and provide a quote for the work.
Mr Simons said: “If you’re struggling to find a professional for your home repairs and renovation, BDA Home Pros will be the right place for you.
“We will help homeowners and tenants to choose the right professional for their work. No matter how small the work is, we will have experts specialising in each job.”
Once the work is complete, clients will be able to leave feedback and give ratings online for each professional who contributed to the job.
Mr Simons said: “This will give prospective future clients an idea about the services and quality of work of each professional.
“Trades people will be able to increase the chances of someone choosing them for a job by posting previously completed projects on the BDA Home Pros website. That way, potential clients will see their work and become inspired to hire them.”
He said the organisation’s vision is to be the “go-to platform” in Bermuda for all professionals who serve the homes market on the island. The service will also be available to the managers of commercial properties.
Mr Simons said trades people have begun to register on the BDA Home Pros website, which is live for people to view but has not fully launched.
A wide range of memberships are available for professionals, from a one-day option for $5 to a 12-month package for $120.
Membership in BDA Home Pros is free for homeowners and tenants, who will be able to post their home improvement needs on the site in six languages: English, Portuguese, French, Spanish, Filipino and Cebuano, the latter two of which are spoken widely by citizens of the Philippines.
If needed, contractors will be able to translate a message into any of those six languages.
A forum on the website provides articles with tips and hacks about home improvement. Current article topics include the importance of creating a seasonal home maintenance checklist, how regular exterior painting can protect your home, home improvement projects that add value to your property, and more.
Mr Simons said he and his wife, Pauline, came up with the BDA Home Pros idea some years ago after seeing the popular HomeAdvisor site in the United States. They have been working steadily on getting the business up and running ever since.
He said: “We just thought that Bermuda needed a hub: a bridge between contractors, homeowners, tenants, and office managers. BDA Home Pros has been received quite well by the people I have spoken to about it. Now, it’s a matter of getting it fully launched and out in the wider public eye.
“Right now, we are focused on getting our brand out there, and building trust in it with contractors, homeowners, tenants and office managers. We are creating something that has never been done before in Bermuda that we believe is marketable.”
He said BDA Home Pros has become a member of the Construction Association of Bermuda, the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce, and the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation.
