5 Maintenance Tips that can Help save Money in the Long Term
First-time homeowners are often shocked when they realize just how much maintenance is required throughout the ownership process. Fortunately, that feeling wears off by the time they own their second home. The expense of owning a home doesn’t stop at closing. You have insurance, taxes, homeowners association fees in some neighborhoods, and you have to make sure your roof, appliances, and other household mechanics run smoothly. The first time a major appliance breaks down, the cost of repairs can seem overwhelming.
If you are a homeowner, you don’t have to be like those homeowners. You can prepare for the unexpected. If you built your home or have a new construction home, you probably have warranties on most of your household items. However, you still want to learn these maintenance tips so you can prolong the life of things in and around your home. One day, those warranties will run out, and you will be glad you maintained all those items.
1. Audit Your Energy
Did you know that your local energy company will come to your home and provide you with an energy audit? A professional energy auditor will come to your home and assess your doors, windows, appliances, and everything in between. They’ll make notes of their findings, and then they work to provide you with a report of your overall energy audit findings.
They’ll tell you where your energy is being wasted, what you’re doing right, and they’ll even recommend changes in areas that need change. For example, if the auditor finds that your doors aren’t sealed properly, he will provide you with details about how you can fix that problem. Your energy escapes your home when it’s not properly sealed, which means you’re wasting energy.
This home audit tells you precisely what needs to be fixed, and that means you can save money. For example, if you didn’t know your doors and windows were not properly sealed, you probably didn’t know your air and heat escaped through those areas. By sealing them properly, you are now saving on your utilities. Furthermore, your air and heat no longer have to work so hard to heat and cool your home. Not only does this save energy, but it also helps you prolong the life of your HVAC system.
2. Check for Toilet Leaks
This is an often-overlooked maintenance tip. If your toilet is leaking water into your bathroom, it’s obvious you have a leak. However, there are instances in which your toilet leak is less noticeable because the leak is from the tank to the toilet. You won’t notice it, but it wastes a tremendous amount of energy and water. Plumbing services in Brisbane are at your service to repair leaks in your home, which can prolong the life of your plumbing equipment and save you money in the long run. You should also check for small leaks in other pipes that connect your showers, tubs, and sinks. Even the smallest drip wastes water and energy, and it costs you money you didn’t realize you were losing.
3. Check Your Roof
Your roof is one of the most important parts of your home. It’s what keeps everything out, and it must be in tip-top condition. By performing an annual inspection of your roof, you can find problem areas and fix them before they become a disaster. For example, you can look for granules that are coming off the roof in record numbers, missing shingles, and damaged shingles.
Any imperfection can allow water to get into the roof and cause leaks. This annual inspection can save you a lot of money over the course of your time in this home by not only preventing water damage but also by prolonging the lifespan of your roof. Roofs are expensive to replace, which is why maintaining them is preferable. While you’re up there, don’t forget to check the gutters. They should be cleaned once or twice a year to maintain proper flow.
4. Schedule Appliance Maintenance
There are some appliances that you have around the house that should be checked annually by a professional. Your air conditioner and heating system, your water heater, and your furnace if you have one. These are items that need regular maintenance if you want to prolong the life of the appliance and if you want to save money on major repairs. Annual maintenance allows a pro to fix any problems when they’re still small. It’s more affordable than ignoring maintenance and simply waiting for things to break down. Major repairs take more time and cost more money.
5.Check for Fire Safety Issues
One of the most important things you can do in your home is maintaining the items that save your life. Your air conditioner might keep you cool and comfortable, but it’s your fire extinguishers and smoke alarms that save your life. Replace the batteries in your smoke alarms every six months even if they’re not beeping at you to do so. Test the gauges on your fire extinguishers to ensure they are working properly. If you have carbon monoxide detectors, change the batteries in those.
You should also take this time to walk around to all the outlets in your home and check those. Be sure there is no damage to any of them. If you can see wires or lights coming from inside any of them, it’s important you have those repaired right away. These are small maintenance tasks that might seem tedious, but they can save your life and prevent fire damage from occurring or at least from causing more damage than necessary to you or your family.
Your home is the place where you should feel the most comfortable and the safest, and it’s easier to feel this way when you maintain your appliances and home. You can do it yourself if you know what you’re doing, or you can call a professional to come in. The cost of regular maintenance is minute compared to the cost of major home repairs.
