When my dryer broke down, I found myself sifting through a disorganized pile of receipts, warranties, and manuals - trying to determine its purchase date, point of sale, and warranty coverage. That frustrating experience revealed a larger issue: as my home (and its contents) aged, my go-to system of storing paper documents in a box was no longer sustainable.

This challenge inspired the creation of House.Diary, a custom-built record-keeping application developed using the CodeIgniter framework. I saw an opportunity not only to streamline my household documentation but also to revisit a framework I hadn't used in some time, applying it to a real-world problem with tangible benefits.

House.Diary functions as a hybrid solution offering both a searchable digital archive and a visual timeline of my home's evolution. It offers a simple way to locate receipts, warranties, and photos when they're needed most, as well as a photographic record, reminding me of how many changes the house has gone through during my period of ownership.

Each item includes detailed metadata: purchase date, make, model, serial number, service history, and cost - making it easy to track and retrieve essential information. The app integrates visual documentation with structured data, allowing me to maintain before-and-after galleries of renovations and export comprehensive records into Microsoft Word for insurance or resale purposes.

Created:	February 2025
Last Updated:	February 25, 2026