8 ways to save money on home maintenance
Lifestyle
Audio By Carbonatix
9:30 AM on Friday, September 26
By Shelley Frost for HomeServe Editorial, Stacker
8 ways to save money on home maintenance
Does it feel like homeownership is just a never-ending to-do list of routine maintenance tasks? Being a homeowner means you have full dominion over your living space — but it also means you’re responsible for taking care of everything.
How Much Do You Have Set Aside For Home Maintenance?
Unfortunately, home maintenance isn’t as simple as flipping some switches and checking a few filters. Keeping your home in tip-top shape isn’t free. As a rule of thumb, assume home maintenance costs will amount to 1% of your home’s value annually. So if your house is valued at $400,000, you should have $4,000 set aside each year just to keep up with maintenance costs.
HomeServe Editorial shares how to go for broke on home maintenance without going broke.
Try These Methods to Save Money on Regular Home Maintenance
Keeping up with home maintenance is a cost-saving hack in itself. By performing regular maintenance, you’ll keep your major household systems in good working order. As a result, they’ll last longer and you’ll likely have fewer major repairs, which can save you money in the long run.
Here are some ways to stretch your dollar when it comes to home maintenance.
1. DIY Your Home Maintenance
Any home maintenance you can do yourself eliminates labor costs that come with hiring a professional. For instance, if you change your own HVAC filters, you can avoid a pricey house call from an HVAC technician. This one is easy: All you’ve gotta do is pop off the filter cover, slide out the old filter, dispose of it, and replace it with a brand-new filter of the same size and style. Considering you need to do this at least every three months, you’ll undoubtedly save on contractor fees. And, more importantly, you’ll help extend the useful life of your HVAC system.
Take a look at your to-do list of home maintenance tasks and identify the ones you can handle yourself. You might be able to check these off this weekend:
- Clean your dryer vents.
- Seal gaps around windows and doors.
- Test your sump pump.
- Inspect your fire extinguishers.
- Flush your water heater.
2. Know When to Call a Pro
As doable as DIY home maintenance can be, sometimes, you just need the help of a professional. While changing your HVAC filter quarterly is a simple DIY project, you still need a yearly professional HVAC tune-up to make sure your system is working properly. Likewise, many plumbing tasks, including cleaning out your septic sewer and drains, are better left to the pros. It’s important to be realistic about your skills and limitations, and to know when to hire help. A botched DIY project could end up costing you more in the long run than if you had just called for backup in the first place.
3. Tools: Buy the Basics, Rent the Rest
Having a set of essential tools on hand makes it easier to perform maintenance tasks and minor repairs. Grab a toolbox and fill it with the staples, such as:
- Hammer
- Screwdrivers
- Clamps
- Cordless drill
- Stud finder
- Pliers
- Level
- Tape measure
- Wrenches
Also, keep general cleaning supplies on hand, like a bucket and mop, all-purpose cleaning solution, scrub brushes and utility towels you don’t mind ruining for grimy projects.
Some jobs go beyond the basics. Occasionally, you might need a specialty tool for a particular task. Say you’re painting your house or cleaning out the gutters on the second story, and your ladder isn’t quite measuring up. Scaffolding might be necessary for both convenience and safety — but that comes with a substantial price tag. Plus, where are you gonna store this thing, and how often are you likely to use it anyway? Renting equipment is likely the best course of action in this case — especially if you don’t have limitless storage space.
Another strategy is to ask around if you need a tool or part not already hanging on your pegboard. You might find a friend or neighbor who has the tool you need and is willing to lend it to you. You can also check out local tool lending libraries, where you can check out certain items, often for a flat annual fee. So-called buy nothing groups on social media can also help you source items that others no longer want or are willing to contribute to a goods-and-services sharing community.
4. Buy Supplies at a Discount
Cleaning supplies, water softener salt and filters of all kinds should be in heavy rotation around your house, depending on the configuration of your home systems. But the accumulated cost of all these odds and ends can add up over time.
Look for bulk buys on frequently used products to save on the per-item cost. Warehouse stores often offer such deals. The tradeoff is that you might not be able to find your preferred brand or variety. If specifics like that don’t matter so much to you, broaden your horizons in the home improvement aisles. Store brands might be high-quality products, just like their branded (and heavily advertised) counterparts.
Check the clearance racks of big box stores for maintenance supplies you use frequently, and load up when you find a sale or have coupons. Not only will you save money on supplies, but you'll also keep your home stocked with spares — sparing you inconvenient last-minute trips to the store.
5. Splurge on Quality Products
The bargain-basement price option isn't always the best — sometimes cheap is cheap. Upgrading to higher-quality items can save you money overall because you might not need to replace them as often. For example, felt or foam weatherstripping is inexpensive, but it typically doesn’t work as well as metal or vinyl and won’t last as long. Vinyl or metal options cost more, but they’ll endure. Higher-quality HVAC filters might not need to be replaced as frequently, or you can invest in washable filters that can be used over and over instead of chucking the used ones.
6. Stick to a Schedule
Home maintenance is most effective when you stick to a regular schedule. It’s standard practice to clean your gutters at least twice per year, for example. HVAC filters typically need to be changed about every three months. If you wait too long, the maintenance task can become more difficult, or the negligence could cause problems that necessitate extensive cleaning or expensive repairs. Clogged gutters, for example, can result in water damage to your roof, siding and foundation. Plus, once all that gunk gets compacted in there, it can be really difficult to get it loose.
7. Choose New Materials and Appliances Wisely
When you remodel your home, do your research on the materials and appliances you choose. Invest in things that are longer-lasting and have lower maintenance requirements — if not for your wallet, for your own sanity.
Did you know that some washing machines have multiple filters that need to be cleaned or replaced on a regular basis? If you’re not into that, you might want to opt for a simpler model. The same goes for refrigerators. The water dispenser door might be the top feature on your list, but do you really want to replace the filter every six months? Similarly, that fancy European espresso machine probably seems like a good investment for a coffee lover. However, the idea of having to pack it up and send it off to Italia for proprietary tune-ups and repairs might not exactly be your cup of tea.
8. Consider a Subscription
If there’s some kind of filter involved, you might be able to get a subscription for it. You can have HVAC filters, fridge water filters, water softener salt and other replaceables shipped to your home on a predetermined schedule. The bonus effect of this is that you’ll always know when it’s time to replace or re-up. After all, if your HVAC filters show up at your doorstep every three months, you no longer have an excuse to ignore the chore.
How much is a little less stress worth to you? As discussed, hiring a professional to handle your home maintenance might not be the cheapest option, but certain services offer low introductory rates for new customers or discounts if you purchase a certain number of services in advance. For example, HVAC companies might give you half off an air conditioner tune-up in the spring when you book a furnace tune-up for the fall. Similarly, duct cleaners might offer a lower price per service if you buy a bundle of three or six. Sadly, a homeowner’s work is never done, but following these tips can at least help you keep the boulder rolling uphill.
This story was produced by HomeServe Editorial and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
