Atlanta home services deal site fills void in bargain industry

Sarah Huttu uses popular collective buying sites like Groupon and Living Social to get deals on restaurants and other forms of entertainment.

But, when it came to increasing her exposure as a professional artist, she quickly learned that type of marketing environment would not serve her well. Huttu couldn’t afford to give up as much as 50 percent of her profits to a middleman, nor could she meet the likely demand for her customized paintings that the sites would generate.

Deal sites have delivered well on spa treatments and family fun, but not on the more essential home services like landscaping, pressure washing and interior painting. That’s a void Atlanta-based Living Space Deals, which launched June 1, hopes to fill.

Huttu turned there to create a buzz around her business. Instead of sharing half her profits with a gallery, or selling one piece at an arts festival, she used a 65 percent discount — or $125 off — on Living Space Deals to attract four clients and will pay the site a much smaller portion of her return.

“If I had to create 300 or 400, it would have been overwhelming,” she said. “I don’t have a team of people creating these; it’s just me. I use the other sites, but they would not have been a great fit for me as an artist. Art is more expensive than a $10 certificate.”

Living Space is co-owned by Ashley Klanac and Dara Jobes, who both work for countertops company, Premier Surfaces. On Living Space Deals, customers generally put 20 percent down and pay the remainder to the company providing the service. The deals run for at least a week.

“We’re reaching a market that never heard of this concept,” said Klanac. “These are customers with nice homes, some with million dollar homes, but they are still looking for a deal.”

Michael Tavani is co-founder of Atlanta-based Scoutmob, a mobile coupon service with 50 percent off deals primarily on restaurants. Scoutmob recently ran a half-off special for Redefined Home Boutique. Owner David D’Amrobsio said his business exposure increased instantly and exponentially.

“In general, high volume retail stores do better in this space,” Tavani said. “There are more opportunities to eat out. Realistically, people may go furniture shopping once a month.”

For more expensive items and services, keeping interest high and demand manageable are key.

“This type of avenue is conducive to the home industry,” Klanac said. “We want to continue to grow this niche.”

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