With property maintenance and repair an ongoing headache for many of us, we had a five-minute chat with the man behind HomeX Online Services, a new app connecting householders with professional tradespeople.

Please tell us a bit about your educational and business background?

I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from the University of Westminster, London. After completing my studies in 2006, I returned to Bahrain and joined the family business, which is predominantly in the real estate and hospitality sectors.

Are you involved with any other businesses and, if so, what are they and how – if at all – do they synergise with the app?

I remain involved with the family business, but during the past two years, my focus has shifted to the creation and development of the HomeX App. My background in real estate management gave me valuable insight into the world of property maintenance and improvement. This experience helped me realise the importance of the proper upkeep of properties to ensure their longevity, appeal, and value retention.

How did the idea for the app come about?

I needed some emergency maintenance work to be done at my house on a weekend. The service provider that I usually deal with was unavailable at the time, so I ended up having to ask friends and search online. Out of all the companies I called, only two responded! The first was not interested in the job and the second was not available until after the weekend. I found the process extremely outdated and inefficient, especially in this day and age. This frustrating experience inspired me to create an app that would instantly connect people looking for any kind of property maintenance and improvement service with willing and qualified service professionals.

What are the features that make HomeX better than the conventional alternatives?

HomeX provides customers with a platform that connects them with 60-plus specialised and professional service providers who can offer more than 50 different kinds of maintenance and improvement services that specifically match their requirements. These range from electrical and plumbing to painting and wallpapering services as well as cleaning and sanitation, handymen, and locksmiths. Users can also benefit from the 24/7 emergency services that are available on the app. No upfront membership fees are required to use the app. Additionally, customers are not charged any service fees by HomeX. Users simply have to pay for the service they need when they need it. Up to three quotes can be requested from three different service providers for any given job. This gives users the flexibility to select the most suitable option for them.

How long has the app been operational and do you have any further developments planned for the future?

We launched the app in October 2020 and will soon be adding some new features and updates that will make the user experience even more streamlined. Additionally, we are soon going to roll out a web portal that will cater to property owners/managers for leased properties. Our short-term plan is to gain more market awareness and build an active user base in Bahrain and our long-term plan is to scale HomeX regionally by penetrating other GCC markets and beyond. ✤