Home Maintenance Tips To Help You Save Money

Whether you rent an apartment or buy a house, your home costs you a lot of money over the years. However, if you find yourself in need of significant repairs, the costs skyrocket — the bill of a plumber or an electrician can vary wildly, with call-out charges ranging from $50 to $300.

When it comes to estimating the cost of home maintenance, a good starting point is to set aside at least one percent of the value of your home every year. In other words, if you own a $240,000 home, you should budget a minimum of $2,400 per year, or $200 per month, to cover maintenance costs and other expenses.

Let’s look at some easy home maintenance tips that can save you money in the long run.

Schedule Regular Maintenance

If there doesn’t appear to be anything wrong with your appliances or home installations, it can seem counterintuitive to spend money on yearly maintenance. However, doing so enables you to extend the life of your appliance and bring any potential issues to your attention before they become a bigger problem. 

Another bonus is regular cleaning and maintenance for your HVAC; for example, companies like DUCTZ can help you avoid expensive call-out charges at busier times of the year as you will know your HVAC’s condition before the time comes to rely on it.

Caulk

Caulk can be used to insulate around windows and doors in some cases, rather than weather stripping, if the weather is particularly harsh. Cement caulk is very inexpensive and can be used both indoors and outdoors to seal cracks between the door or window frame and the existing wall, as well as gaps between the frame and the door or window itself.

There are many different caulk colors available, and you can paint most types of caulk to match the rest of the house’s trim. Alternatively, clear caulk can be purchased.

Seal HVAC Ducts

A typical home loses approximately 20% of the air moving through its HVAC ducts due to holes, poor connections, and insulation. Even though sheet metal is inexpensive, easy to insulate, and long-lasting, it has the disadvantage of leaking easily when it is exposed to moisture. It is possible to significantly reduce your overall heating and cooling costs by sealing your traditional ductwork.

Insulate Pipes

Water heaters can lose a significant amount of heat. Simply touching your water heater will reveal whether or not it requires insulation. If the temperature outside feels warm, you may be able to afford to insulate the building.

Insulating a water heater is a straightforward process. Purchasing a pre-cut fiberglass insulation jacket for your water heater will cost you approximately 20 dollars. Alternatively, foam insulators for hot water pipes are reasonably priced.

Teach Yourself Basic Skills

Instead of hiring a handyperson for simple repairs, you can save money by performing them yourself. For example, you can snake a drain or repaint a small section of chipped paint to save money.

Think about how handy you are and how easily you can pick up a new skill when deciding whether to do something yourself or outsource it when weighing your options. In some cases, hiring a professional may be preferable to doing it yourself. Head online to pick up some easy tutorials and start with easy jobs that are relatively easy. Once you master the basic skills, the bigger ones will be easier to learn.

Shout out to online videos for helping us all grow our home and car maintenance skills!

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2 comments

  1. I like what you said about making sure you budget repairs for your appliance. I need to get a contractor to fix my door frames. They are splintering.

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