INDIANAPOLIS  – Angie’s List founder Angie Hicks doesn’t want you to be surprised by emergency home repairs next year. That’s why she’s calling on homeowners like you to take the Angie’s List Pledge to get their houses in order in 2014.

Because that’s much easier said than done, she’s providing free and useful tools to help homeowners keep their pledge. The pledge and its information are free and available to all consumers – not just Angie’s List members.

“It’s easy to ignore those small projects that could keep your house in the best shape possible,” Hicks said. “But doing that basic work can save time, trouble and potentially tons of money. Fixing small things is always cheaper than scrambling when the furnace breaks down in the middle of a cold snap or the water heater explodes all over the basement.”

Need an example? About 75 percent of the time a furnace or air conditioner breaks down, it’s because the homeowner didn’t properly maintain the system, according to HVAC contractors who are highly rated on Angie’s List, Hicks said.

The Angie’s List Pledge is easy as the Texas Two Step. Step one is taking the pledge to commit two hours to inspecting your home and identifying its problem areas. Step two is putting together a list of what projects to tackle first. If you don’t know where to start, Angie’s List offers a downloadable pledge checklist.

Angie’s List will send helpful information to those who take the pledge to keep them on track and accountable. Participants will learn how best to accomplish the projects on their checklists regardless of whether they plan to hire a professional or do the work themselves. Information is based on insights from highly rated service companies and home improvement data collected by Angie’s List for nearly 19 years.

So far, the most popular projects planned include basement, bathroom and kitchen updates, along with painting and carpet cleaning or replacement.

“I’m particularly pleased to see some homeowners pledging to install smoke detectors,” Hicks said. “Aesthetics are important but safety should always come first and I’m happy to see people realizing they need to pay attention to projects that can prevent tragedy.”

Angie’s List is asking pledge participants to share updates and pictures on Facebook and Twitter as they cross off projects on their checklist. Just use #AngiePledge to share your progress or ask questions along the way.

Angie's List helps consumers have happy transactions with local service professionals in more than 720 categories of service, ranging from home improvement to health care. More than 2 million subscribers across the U.S. share their consumer experiences and use Angie's List to gain unlimited access to local ratings, exclusive discounts, the Angie's List magazine, the Angie's List complaint resolution service and information about how to make the most of their home improvement projects.

Source: Angie's List