Angie Hicks '95 Talks Remodeling with the Wall Street Journal

February 1, 2011

February 1, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — "When the housing market was stronger, people were more likely to move when their home no longer suited their needs, says Angie Hicks, founder of Angie's List," reports the Wall Street Journal. "But these days, many people are improving the homes they're in so they don't have to move."

Hicks, a 1995 graduate of DePauw University, is cited in a story headlined "Remodeling Projects Are Back."  It notes that economic conditions have created a buyer's market for those looking to spruce up their homes. Amy Hoak writes, "80% of the 554 home-improvement contractors who participated in a recent Angie's List survey said they would slash prices to win a bid -- with some saying they'd drop their price by as much as 20%. Angie's List is a website that collects consumer reviews of local contractors."

"We really encourage consumers to do an inventory of their houses every year," Hicks tells the Journal, advising people to make a list of priorities.  She says, "don't add a deck when you need to replace the water heater."

Access the complete story here.

In October 2009, Angie Hicks -- who was an economics major and Management Fellow at DePauw -- was honored with the University's Robert C. McDermond Medal for Excellence in Entrepreneurship.  The entrepreneur was featured in the Journal's "How I Built It" column in October 2010.

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