Maintaining your home should be a mix of love and diligence that sometimes requires a little TLC from your bank account.
Staying on top of the chores around your property is key to ensuring it remains comfortable and a refuge from the trials that life throws at us. But it doesn’t take much for the number of tasks to mount up and become overwhelming.
As an experienced local real estate agent, I know only too well that attending to the small jobs helps ensure they don’t become bigger problems down the track.
It’s not widely appreciated that some of these issues will take cash from your pocket every hour of every day if you don’t attend to them promptly.
A good example is a leaking faucet that might innocently drip but will cost you hundreds of dollars in water charges over time if you don’t replace the washer yourself, or call a plumber.
Below are some of the common issues that I see regularly going unattended as an agent. They cost their owners money every day that mounts up over time. So learn from others and make sure you make time to address them promptly.
- Set time aside
It’s a great idea to decide how much time you’re prepared to spend on home maintenance. It could be one weekend a month, or half that. It doesn’t matter so long as you commit to a specific period to meet the challenge of property maintenance.
- Stay in your lane
There will be some tasks you don’t know how to complete, and others that you have no idea how to do confidently. In those situations, call in a contractor and spend a little extra to ensure a small problem doesn’t become a big one.
- Drip, drip, drip
That’s not the faucet leaking, that’s money leaving your bank account. Thirty drips a minute can equate to more than 1,500 gallons a year. Go ask your water provider how much that’s costing you.
- Old is never the new ‘new’
Not when we’re talking about water heaters. Old ones are inefficient and expensive to run. Replacing them isn’t cheap, so if you don’t have the cash at hand right now, cover it in an old woollen blanket to increase the insulation. (Wool won’t burn). A new model will save you 50% on water heating costs.
- Set temperatures
You may have set your water temperature on the high side. It’s worth checking that you have it at 120f. If it’s over that point, then you’re making your water too hot. Also, turn off your heating when you’re away for prolonged periods. Letting it run at a set level during your absence is wasteful and expensive.
- Pest control
When was the last time you had a pest inspection? These are usually conducted when buying a home. But if you’ve not checked for termites for the past decade, then it is worth the time. Termites and white ants can cause substantial structural damage to wooden beams and foundations. Watch out for bubbling paint, wood that has gone soft and mud tubes. If you tap a suspect beam and it sounds hollow, that can be a sign you have a problem.
- Light-bulb moment
Do you go around the house turning the lights off and complaining about the cost? Well, you could save even more money by replacing old-school, incandescent bulbs with modern LEDs and halogens. It’s environmentally responsible, and your bank account will appreciate it, too.
- Double-down on drafts
If you can feel a draft in your home, then there’s a problem. Seal crevices and cracks around the house so that you don’t let the cold air inside. Walk around your home to identify any issues, and pay special attention to window and door seals. Most problems can be fixed cheaply, often with a caulking gun and silicon.
- Through the roof
Heat escaping through a poorly insulated roof is an expensive problem. It’s fixed by installing insulation batts in the roof cavity. It also gets hot up there during the Summer, and that makes it a challenge to keep your home cool. Get into the roof and check the quality and placement of those batts.
- A/Cs love a clean filter
When you have a dirty A/C filter, the unit will pull more power to meet the cooling temperature that you’ve set and that will burn additional electricity dollars. Clean or replace the filter regularly. Make sure you read the manufacturer’s instructions before cleaning, as filters can be delicate.
- Thanks, fans
Ceiling fans are not just for summer! Climb a step ladder and look at the stem of your fans, and you’ll most likely find a summer and winter setting. The winter one will reverse the rotation and push hot air back down towards you, ensuring you get all the warmth available and you’re not wasting money on heat that sits on the ceiling.