I've Been Using kept for Six Months. Here's What Actually Happened.
Not a review. Just what it's been like.
table of contents
The third time I bought the wrong furnace filter, I decided to do something about it.
It wasn't a dramatic moment. I came home from Home Depot with a 16x25x1. My furnace takes a 20x25x5. Not just a different size, a completely different style of filter. I stood in the garage holding the wrong one for a second, then got back in the car.
By the time I got home I'd downloaded kept and added my furnace. Filter size: 20x25x5. Replacement reminder: every 90 days.
The first week
I spent about 45 minutes one Sunday adding stuff. Furnace. Refrigerator. Washer and dryer. Dishwasher. Water heater. I scanned barcodes where I could — it worked on the washer and dryer, pulled the model numbers automatically. The water heater I had to look up manually because the label was too faded to scan.
I also added three paint colors that same day, because my wife and I had been going back and forth for two weeks about what color we'd painted the living room in 2024. We had three paint swatches still on the wall from when we were choosing. Neither of us could remember which one we'd actually picked. Now it's logged: Sherwin-Williams Agreeable Gray SW 7029, eggshell finish, purchased at the Sherwin-Williams on Main.
That first week: seven appliances, three paint colors, two contractors I already knew I liked. That was it. I didn't try to make it complete. Just the stuff I knew I'd need.
The first time it actually mattered
Six weeks in, a plumber called. Not our regular plumber. A different one, doing some work nearby. He asked when we'd last had the water heater descaled.
I looked it up. March 2024. Two years ago. He said we were due.
The thing is: I knew. I had the date. I didn't have to say "I think maybe a couple years ago?" and look like someone who knows nothing about their own house. I had it. We scheduled it. While he was there, I added the new service date, what it cost, and a note he gave me: descale every 18 months. Set a reminder for September 2027.
I haven't thought about it since. That's the point. A good home maintenance record isn't something you use every day. It's something you're glad exists when you need it.
save your service history now
Water heater, HVAC, plumbing — kept stores what was done, when, what it cost, and when to do it next. Add it once, find it in seconds.
[ try kept free ]The paint color save
October, my wife wanted to repaint the guest bedroom to match the living room. "That same warm gray." I opened kept, read off the color. Sherwin-Williams Agreeable Gray SW 7029, eggshell, that location on Main.
She was impressed. I didn't mention I'd added it specifically because of the argument we'd had eight months earlier about not being able to remember what color we'd used. If you've ever tried to match a paint color you didn't write down, you know how that goes.
The contractor situation
In April I hired an electrician for some panel work. Good guy, explained what he was doing, didn't try to upsell me, came in under the estimate. I added him to kept that same afternoon: name, phone, email, what he did, what it cost, a note that said "would hire again, ask for Mike specifically."
Two months later my neighbor asked if I knew a good electrician. I opened kept and had everything. Name, number, what I'd paid, when he came. Took me ten seconds.
I have three Mikes in my contacts. I would have found the right one eventually. But the kept entry had context my contact card didn't — what he'd done, what he'd charged, whether I'd use him again. That's the part that's hard to reconstruct from memory. It's why a real contractor contact list is worth more than a name in your phone.
What doesn't work perfectly
I don't add things consistently. I'm good about it right after something happens — after a repair, after I buy something, after a contractor comes. But I still have appliances I haven't logged. The oven's not in there. I keep meaning to add it.
The barcode scanner misses on older appliances or anything with a worn label. Those I have to look up manually, which takes a few extra minutes. Not a dealbreaker, just slower.
There was also a stretch of about six weeks where I kind of forgot the app existed. Checked it twice in that whole period. Which turns out to be fine. It's not something you use every day. You use it when you need it. And when you need it, you want it to be there.
Where I am now
Eleven items logged. Four contractors. Four paint colors. Alerts set for the furnace filter, the water heater, and the HVAC service I've been putting off since 2024.
It's not complete. It wasn't meant to be. I just wanted the stuff I'd otherwise lose — the filter size, the paint color, the electrician's number, the date I had the water heater done. All of that is now somewhere I can actually find it, without digging through a junk drawer or searching old texts or asking my spouse if she remembers.
That's a low bar. But it's the bar I kept failing before, so.
start with one thing
If any of this sounds familiar — the wrong filter, the forgotten contractor, the paint color you can't remember — kept is free to try. The furnace filter size, or one contractor. You don't have to add everything at once.
[ try kept free ]Frequently asked questions
Is kept free to use?
Yes. kept is free to try. You can add appliances, paint colors, contractors, and service history without paying anything. A kept+ plan unlocks additional features like unlimited items and multi-property support.
What kind of home information can I track in kept?
Appliances (with model numbers, warranty dates, and service history), paint colors (brand, name, code, finish, room), contractors (name, number, what they did, what it cost), and filter sizes with maintenance reminders.
How long does it take to set up kept?
About 30 to 45 minutes to add the things you already know. Your furnace filter size, a couple of appliances, any contractors you've used. You don't need to log everything at once. Start with the three things you're most likely to forget.
What if I don't add everything right away?
That's fine. The value of kept comes from the items you do add, not the ones you haven't gotten to yet. Most people add things over time, after a repair, after buying something new, after hiring a contractor. It builds naturally.
Does kept send maintenance reminders?
Yes. You can set alerts for recurring maintenance — furnace filter replacements, water heater service, HVAC tune-ups. Set a date and kept will remind you. You can also add notes from the last service so you have context when the reminder fires.