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Press Release

For more information, contact:
Jane Dalzell 312/ 988-3836

WWW.HOUSENET.COM EXPANDS CAPABILITIES, UPDATES LOOK
Web Site Re-launch Creates Online Home Improvement Community, Bringing Information and Services to Home Enthusiast’s Fingertips

ANNAPOLIS, MD --September 23, 1997 -- The latest in home improvement information and services is now just a few mouse clicks away with the re-launch of HouseNet, www.housenet.com -- the premier home improvement community on both the World Wide Web and America Online. Now with expanded capabilities and a new look, HouseNet is the most comprehensive home improvement community on the Internet, offering:

HouseNet is packed with volumes of advice, projects and how-to articles on everything from fixing a leaking faucet to major home rehab projects. Most of the content is written by HouseNet’s creators, Katie and Gene Hamilton -- the home improvement veterans who have remodeled 14 homes, authored 12 books and produce a nationally syndicated newspaper column.

The unique sense of community HouseNet offers makes it a popular stopover for thousands of home enthusiasts. Serving as a virtual neighborhood with an “electronic back fence,” HouseNet visitors can talk live with professional contractors or exchange tips and swap stories with the Hamiltons and others around the world.

Bulletin boards let visitors send and receive messages on specific topics, and a contest page offers a chance at winning prizes like power tools and hand tools, lawn equipment, and remodeling and design software.

“Throughout the renovation of my home, HouseNet gave me ideas, guided me through the process and let me know what steps to take next,” said Elyse Gerard who used HouseNet to help renovate her Victorian brick row house in Hoboken, New Jersey. “I used the calculator for determining how much paint to use, got ideas on how to strip furniture, posted information on the bulletin board and found the library especially helpful. More than anything, I turned to HouseNet to determine how easy or difficult a project would be. And if I needed a specialist, Katie Hamilton helped me find one.”

Another notable feature of the re-launched site is the maintenance reminder service customized for the specific needs of registrants. By simply entering basic information on the location and type of home, HouseNet visitors can receive personalized maintenance reminders via email. For example, someone who lives in a warm climate will be alerted when it’s time to clean the air conditioning filter.

“HouseNet can be your partner from beginning to end on almost any home improvement project,” said Katie Hamilton. “HouseNet can do everything from calculating the materials you’ll need, to offering step-by-step instructions, to allowing you to buy needed products at the click of a button. HouseNet can also help you determine when you should hire a pro and even help you find one qualified for the job.”

HouseNet registrants can also receive a weekly newsletter via email, offering quick tips and stories from other HouseNet “neighbors.” In addition, HouseNet now features a database of more than 60,000 contractors, so that home enthusiasts can find help for jobs they can’t do themselves, as well as online listing of classified connecting visitors to products and services across the country.

Navigating the information is made easy with robust search capabilities that let visitors quickly and easily find information on a specific topic. By entering a search word, visitors get immediate access to everything from tips and how-to articles, to tools and products, to bulletin board discussions on that topic.

“What really makes HouseNet valuable as a home improvement resource is not only the wealth of information it offers, but also that the information is accessible 24 hours a day from all over the world,” said Gene Hamilton. “The content is organized and sorted so that visitors can quickly and easily find information on whatever they need whenever they need it.”

HouseNet is an evolving site, updated daily to offer new content to visitors. Forthcoming additions to the site include:

Bureau and sample contracts.

HouseNet, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company, is the premiere home improvement community on both the World Wide Web (http://www.housenet.com) and America Online (keyword: HouseNet). More than 400,000 “neighbors” visit HouseNet each month for information and services relating to home repair and remodeling. With hundreds of articles on home related topics, HouseNet has received “hot site” honors from numerous online sources and has been praised extensively by national and local media.


Facts About HouseNet

HouseNet is the premiere home improvement community on both the World Wide Web and America Online offering timely, accurate and complete information, as well as access to other home improvement enthusiasts.

HouseNet started as a computer bulletin board system six years ago when veteran home writers, Katie and Gene Hamilton, decided to take their knowledge of home repair and remodeling to the online arena. Due to tremendous popularity among homeowners and contractors, the Hamiltons moved HouseNet to the Internet in 1994 and launched the site on America Online in 1995. The Web site, www.housenet.com, launched a year later.

Now on both AOL (keyword: HouseNet) and the Internet (http://www.housenet.com), HouseNet is visited by more than 400,000 people per month. The site hosts hundreds of articles on home-related topics.

HouseNet offers:

HouseNet is a continually updated site. Expanded content on lawn and garden and home decorating, as well expanded online commerce capabilities will soon be added to the site.


The Hamiltons

For Katie and Gene Hamilton, creators of HouseNet, home improvement is a “hobby gone wild.”

After graduating from college, (Katie from Loyola University in Chicago and Gene from John Carroll University in Cleveland), the Hamiltons became school teachers, taking on home renovation projects during their summers off. Quickly learning the tricks of the trade, the Hamiltons soon made home improvement their full-time careers.

Since then, they have remodeled 14 homes inside and out and have written twelve books. They’ve been featured on many national television shows and in numerous national magazines. They also produce a weekly syndicated newspaper column called “Do It Yourself Or Not...?” which offers readers advice on a range of home improvement projects.

In 1991, the Hamiltons decided to bring their expertise to the electronic world by launching HouseNet as a computer bulletin board system (BBS) out of their home office. Interested in computers, Gene created the system using a 2400 baud modem hooked to a Toshiba portable with floppy disks. Intrigued with the idea of leaving computer messages for other people interested in home projects, Katie began pulling together their wealth of home improvement articles to add to the system.

HouseNet steadily developed a loyal following. By 1994 the Hamiltons moved the BBS to the Internet and then launched HouseNet on America Online in 1995. The Web site www.housenet.com launched a year later making HouseNet the premier home improvement community on both the World Wide Web and America Online. Today more than 400,000 people visit HouseNet per month.

HouseNet was recently re-launched with a new look and expanded capabilities, which includes a growing database of reference material, improved interactive services such as project planners and calculators, an email maintenance reminder service, and a database of contractors.

Married for 31 years, the Hamiltons live on the eastern shore of Maryland where they continue to provide information and services to home enthusiasts through HouseNet.


House Proud: The Story of a HouseNet Makeover

After living outside of New York City for 12 years in a tiny two-bedroom condo, Elyse Gerard had completely run out of space. She knew she wanted a change. So she went house hunting and finally found her prized Victorian brick row house in Hoboken, N.J., an 8-minute commute across the Hudson River from Manhattan. But a dream house it was not.

In extremely poor shape, the home needed massive renovation. Elyse turned to HouseNet for advice. This is her story:

I think I had lost my mind when I bought this house. The walls were covered with caked-on nicotine, every bit of wood was losing its paint, and 60 years' worth of garbage was piled high from floor to ceiling. An engineer friend helped me inspect the house, and essentially surmised that everything had to be replaced. Just the same, I could see the potential of this old Victorian.

But to make it work, I knew I needed help. So when I was on America Online one day, I went to HouseNet and had my first encounter with Katie Hamilton, one of the site's creators.

Soon I started asking questions, and Katie immediately starting giving answers. After I explained it was a whole-house makeover, she began giving me all kinds of ideas. Together, we created a checklist to help me plan my approach. That checklist, called "Project Manager," is now available to all HouseNet visitors.

Throughout the renovation of my home, HouseNet gave me ideas, guided me through the process, and let me know what steps to take next. I used the calculator for determining how much paint to use, got ideas on how to strip furniture, and did research in the library. More than anything, I turned to HouseNet to determine how easy or difficult a project would be.

In the end, I put in an apartment on the first floor, created two completely new kitchens and three new bathrooms, added a giant walk-in closet, and did just about any home improvement project imaginable - wallpaper, sheetrock, restoration, painting - the works. I cut costs whenever I could, but I really splurged on a two-seater Jacuzzi bathtub for myself!

I really owe a lot to HouseNet and Katie, in particular. She has been an incredible support, and I can't thank her enough. Now that it's done, I've got a fantastic investment. The value of my finished is approximately $390,000 and it's in a fabulous neighborhood. Katie's amazing support really helped me achieve my goals. I have my whole house to show for it!

For an interview with Elyse Gerard or for pictures of her home, please call Jane Dalzell at 312/988-3836.


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