Know what’s worth buying — and what to skip.

Take a photo of any room. Your free Alder Check comes back with Buy / Skip / Wait verdicts — evidence from your photos, verified costs and rebates, no account required.

One tap — take photos or pick from your library. 1–5 of any room. Free, no account required.

We tell you what NOT to buyEvery cost verified and dated — deepest in VermontPhotos with people are excluded automatically

How a Check works

STEP 1
Snap 1–5 photos

Any room, any angle. One tap opens your camera. No account, no forms.

STEP 2
Get your verdicts

Buy / Skip / Wait / Investigate — with photo evidence, verified costs, and rebates.

STEP 3
Turn Buys into products

Optional $19.99 Smart Cart: exact products, Good / Better / Best, quantities, install difficulty.

Start here · Free
Alder Check

Every project list has something on it that isn’t worth the money. Photograph the room and get Buy / Skip / Wait verdicts backed by what’s visible in your photos — including at least one thing NOT to buy, every time.

Run your free Check →
$19.99 · Built from your Check
Smart Cart

A Buy verdict still leaves you comparing forty near-identical models. Smart Cart names the exact products — Good / Better / Best tiers, the specs that matter, quantities, and how hard the install really is.

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Guides & assistant

Photos can’t tell you what a permit costs or which rebates stack. The verified cost guides behind every Check can — real installed costs, rebates, permits — plus a free assistant for the rest.

Check the real costs →

What a Check looks like

Buy

Cold-climate mini-split for the main living area

Your photos show hydronic baseboard heat and no visible heat pump. A single-zone cold-climate mini-split typically cuts winter heating cost in the room it serves and adds summer cooling.

What we saw
  • Hydronic baseboard along the exterior wall
  • No mini-split head or condenser visible
  • Open living area suited to a single zone
Typical cost: $3,500–$5,500
Efficiency Vermont: $475 per indoor head

Next step: Get two quotes from rebate-participating installers — in Vermont the rebate is paid through the contractor.

Cost basis: Vermont Heat Pump Rebate Stack 2026, verified May 2026
Wait

Refrigerator replacement

The fridge looks dated but shows no failure signs — no rust at the seals, no condensation streaks. An aging-but-working fridge usually isn’t worth replacing for efficiency alone; wait for a real symptom.

What we saw
  • Older finish and hardware, consistent with a 2000s unit
  • Door seals appear intact
  • No visible leaks or frost buildup

Next step: Re-check if you hear compressor cycling issues or see condensation inside — that changes the math.

Real output. Every number carries a verified date and names the guide it came from — get your own free Check.

The verified cost data behind every Check

Heat Pump Rebate Stack 2026Weatherization & EVT RebatesRoof Replacement CostsKitchen Remodel CostsDeck CostsADU Permit Costs 2026Cost Reality Check 2026Basement Moisture ChecksSolar + Battery Stack 2026Window Film vs ReplacementAll guides →