Building an Offline-First Open Home Notes App (Because I Needed It) [MyNextHome]

House-hunting can get messy very quickly. You visit several places in one afternoon, collect brochures that all look the same, and scribble notes that eventually get lost or smudged.

By the time you get home, the details start blending together. It becomes hard to remember:

• which one had the damp bathroom
• which one you actually liked
• and which one you ruled out but forgot why

For years, I wished there was one simple tool that helped me keep everything organised — notes, photos, impressions, and reminders — all in a clean flow. Nothing existed, so I kept making do with paper, my camera roll, and memory. The frustration was real, and because I’m solving my own problem, I understand the user’s pain points deeply.

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🧩 Product First → Technology Second

The app must:

• Get the latest open homes from real estate's website for the weekend (TradeMe New Zealand)
• open instantly
• work offline inside houses with bad reception
• save notes without lag
• store photos and impressions together
• sync automatically when I’m back home

Once these product constraints were solid, the technology naturally followed. A lightweight Node.js backend provides clean APIs. Offline-first storage like SQLite or Supabase solves the spotty reception issue. A simple folder structure keeps the project maintainable. And a sync layer ensures everything stays consistent across devices.

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🛠️ Building Something I’ll Actually Use

What makes this project meaningful is that I’ve needed this app for a long time. I’ve had so many Saturdays where I thought, “Why doesn’t something like this exist already?” Now that I’m learning more about mobile and backend development, I can finally build the tool I’ve always wanted.

It may not be perfect yet. It may take time. And I’m learning as I go.

But it feels incredibly empowering to create something that solves a real frustration in my daily life. This is why I enjoy mobile development so much - it is very rewarding to solve a real life problem, as well as carry it in your pocket!! :)