As the baby boomer population continues to age and stay in their homes longer and longer, one Chattanooga-area couple plans to be there for the routine home maintenance that can sometimes become a nuisance, or just plain dangerous, for the elderly.
Husband-and-wife team Jae and Janie Yu recently launched BuiltWell, a company that offers home maintenance subscriptions. Three times a year, or as often as a homeowner would like, Jae and Janie come out to their home and perform usual maintenance items, like checking the heating and air unit, changing out air filters, checking for water infiltration and more. For $49 a month, or just under $600 a year, it can be a simple way for a homeowner, specifically an older homeowner, to stay on top of maintenance that can turn into a bigger problem and headache if not taken care of properly.
The Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University reported in 2016 that by 2035, one in three households - compared to one in five today - will be headed by someone older than 65 years old.
Jae Yu uses an infrared camera while inspecting the roof of a home on Tuesday, March 19, 2019 in Chattanooga, Tenn. BuiltWell charges customers $49 a month for routine maintenance and home inspections.Jae, 42, says he sees what aging in place can look like for his own parents, recalling how he helped them install a camera in front of their stove because they would often leave the house and not remember if they turned it off.
"(Janie and I) met at church, so our heart was always in the place that the important thing of life is being able to help people," he says. "And at the end of the day, as our parents start getting older, I'm finding myself being more concerned about certain things."
Jae and Janie, who is 30, both describe themselves as people who enjoy making things and working with their hands. BuiltWell is a unique service in the Chattanooga area that marries the experience they gained from working at their parents' businesses.
Both children of Korean immigrants, Janie's parents own a commerical maintenance business that services big names in the city such as University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and EPB. Jae's father has spent over 40 years in the home painting and carpentry business.
Jae, who used to work with church youth, went back to school at Chattanooga State Community College and received a degree in heating and air. With professional certifications in water remediation, home building and inspection and Level 1 infrared thermography, Jae checks for mechanical and structural issues in homes. Janie, who attended Lee University for business and accounting, left the field after a few years and earned her real estate license three years ago. She now works for Real Estate Partners as well as helps to manage BuiltWell.
Included in the subscription is annual mechanical maintenance, home inspection, simple handyman services and contractor management. If they can't do it, the couple said they'll find a trusted contractor or licensed professional who can. For an extra fee, homeowners can have the Yu's assemble and install furniture, help with water remediation and flooding, set up smart home devices, gutter cleaning and more.
By coming out at least three times a year, the couple said they can check what problems a home might have in different seasons. Janie describes a home much like a story with several chapters.
"What does your house do in the winter, summer, spring and fall? There's different stories for each," she explained. "Your house might not be affected by something in the winter that you'll have a problem with in the summer."
Whether it's a homeowner who can no longer climb a ladder or someone who doesn't have the time to keep up with home maintenance, Jae said they just want to be that trusted expert for a homeowner.
Their tagline: "Your home protects your family. BuiltWell protects your home."
"Our ultimate goal is to help," Jae says. "We want to empower homeowners and keep them out of harm's way."