Getting Started
Why HomeNog?
Because your home deserves a "noggin" to remember where you put that spare filter or which fuse goes to the microwave. It's about organized peace of mind—giving your home's data a dedicated, intelligent storage space.
What does 'Nog' or 'Noggin' mean?
"Noggin" is commonly used English slang for your head or brain. So HomeNog literally means 'Home Brain'. We built it to remember things so you don't have to!
Where do I see what's new?
We're constantly evolving! Check out our Release Notes to see the latest 'State of the Noggin' updates and recently added features.
AI & The Assistant
What is "Ask Your Home"?
It’s like a group chat with your house. Our AI knows every item you’ve added, when it was built, and what maintenance it needs. Just ask "When do I change the AC filter?" and get an answer instead of a search results page.
Can I ask the AI anything?
Pretty much, as long as it's about your home. It’s great at "How old is my fridge?" or "What brand of paint is in the hallway?". If you ask it for stock tips or relationship advice, the brain might freeze.
Is "Ask Your Home" private?
Totally. The AI only looks at the data you’ve stored in your own HomeNog. It doesn't share your "secret 3 AM snack" fridge model with anyone else.
Is the AI Assistant free?
Powering a brain this smart takes a lot of computing juice. We offer a limited amount of AI assists to every user, with higher limits for those who support us via a subscription.
Health & Safety
What are Usable Life Meters?
Think of it like a health bar in a video game, but for your dishwasher. We use manufacturer data and AI to estimate how many years your appliances have left, so you can save for a replacement before the flood.
How accurate are the life estimates?
They’re educated guesses. If you treat your HVAC like a rental car, it might die sooner. If you pamper it with quarterly filter changes, it might live forever. We give you the average lifespan as a baseline.
How does Safety Recall Monitoring work?
We automatically cross-reference your items with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) database. If there's a match, we'll flag it on your dashboard. It’s better to find out from us than from a news segment.
What should I do if my item has a recall?
Don't panic. Check the recall details we provide—it usually involves a free repair or replacement from the manufacturer. We’ll link you to the exact page to fix it.
Dashboard & Organization
Rooms vs. Categories?
Rooms represent WHERE the item is located (e.g., Kitchen, Garage), while Categories represent WHAT the item is (e.g., Appliances, Tools). You can filter your dashboard by either to find things quickly.
What are Room Notes?
Hover a room card (or on mobile, tap the “Details & upkeep” strip at the bottom of the card) to open Room Details. You can store paint colors, breaker assignments, renovation history, cabinet hardware specs, free-form notes, and that room’s recurring maintenance — anything that belongs to the room itself, not a specific item.
How do I move or delete multiple items at once?
Long-press (or click the checkbox icon) to enter select mode. Pick the items you want, then choose Move or Delete from the action bar. You can reorganize an entire room in seconds.
How do I add my first item?
Just click the ‘Add item’ button on the dashboard. You can type in the details manually or use our AI Auto-Capture by taking a photo of the item’s label or model number.
Maintenance & Reminders
How do recurring maintenance tasks work?
Create a task (like "Replace the water filter"), tell us how often it repeats and when you last did it, and HomeNog calculates the next due date for you. Attach it to an appliance, a room, or leave it as a general home task.
Where do I see what's due?
Overdue and due-soon tasks show up in the Needs Attention area on your dashboard — mark one complete right there and the next due date rolls forward automatically. Upcoming tasks live on each item and room, and any room with something due also shows a little badge.
Will HomeNog remind me before something is due?
Yes. We email you a heads-up before a task is due (7 days ahead by default). Don't want them? Toggle "Maintenance reminders" off from the email preferences link at the bottom of any HomeNog email.
How is the next due date calculated?
It's your last-completed date plus the interval — so "every 6 months" from January 1st lands on July 1st. Want a specific date instead? You can override the next due date on any task.
Selling Your Home
What is the Home Sale Report?
A clean, print-ready summary of your appliances, upgrades, repairs, and warranties over a window you choose (24 months by default). Open it from Settings → Export, then hand it to your realtor or buyer instead of building a spreadsheet at the last minute.
What are Home Systems?
The permanent fixtures that don't move when you do — roof, siding, windows, HVAC, water heater. Open the Home Systems tile on your dashboard to track the installer, the warranty provider, and whether coverage transfers to a buyer.
What does "Conveys with home" mean?
It's a flag for the things that stay with the house when you sell (the fridge, mounted brackets, the smart thermostat). Anything you mark shows up on your Home Sale Report so buyers know exactly what's included.
Membership & Subscription
What's the difference between Free and Plus?
Free is great for starters—up to 25 items and 15 monthly AI assists. Plus is for power users: unlimited items and 200 AI assists per month. It's the difference between a noggin and a supercomputer.
What happens if I downgrade?
We don't hold your data hostage. If you have 50 items and downgrade to Free (limit 25), you keep all 50 items. You just won't be able to add NEW items until you're back under the limit.
Why was my item's "Usable Life" recalculated?
Our AI models get smarter every day. If we find better data on a specific appliance series or if you update the "Year Manufactured" field, we'll re-calculate the meter to be more accurate.
Suggestions & Shopping
What is "Stuff You'll Probably Need"?
That’s our deep-linking engine. Based on your item's model number, we find the specific consumables (bags, filters, descalers) that fit your unit. No more standing in the hardware store staring at 400 identical looking lightbulbs.
Do you make money if I buy this stuff?
Full transparency: Sometimes. If you click a link and buy something, we might earn a small commission. This costs you nothing extra and helps keep the lights on. We prioritize finding the RIGHT part over making a quick buck.
Why is it suggesting the wrong part?
Our AI is smart, but it's not a licensed plumber. It makes an educated guess based on public data. Always double-check your manual before buying. If we missed the mark, hit the 'X' to banish that suggestion.
Manuals & Privacy
What is Manual Discovery?
HomeNog automatically searches the web for your item's instruction manual based on its brand and model, providing you with a direct link to the PDF.
Is my data safe?
Absolutely. We encrypt everything. And if you ever want to leave, the 'Wipe My Data' button in Settings actually deletes everything. When it's gone, it's gone for good.
Import & Migration
Why is the Centriq Import a premium feature?
Importing your life's inventory is complex work. We use advanced AI to read, clean, and re-categorize every single item from your CSV export to ensure it fits perfectly into the HomeNog brain.
Why didn't my images transfer from Centriq?
Centriq's export tool only provides a text spreadsheet (CSV); they do not allow you to export your photos in bulk. Unfortunately, this means you have to manually save those files from their app before they shut down.