Home Repairs To Save You Money

It’s no secret that owning a home is a large financial investment; not just because of the mortgage, but also because it will require an investment of time and money in home maintenance and repair as well.

When home repairs are neglected, or basic maintenance is not kept up with, a small problem can quickly turn into a larger and more expensive one. Separately, there are also extra repairs that can be done sometimes in order to make way for additional savings.

Below, we’ll visit some home repairs to save you money and help you keep everything in tip-top shape.

Insulation

Ensuring that your home is properly insulated is one of the best things you can do for both your comfort and your wallet. When your attic, basement, and walls are well-insulated it helps to keep heat and air conditioning from escaping and prevents unwanted heat and cold from permeating your home. Your utility bills tend to lower when you don’t have to regulate temperatures as much.

Caulking

Caulking around potentially leaky doors, windows, and cracks is another great way to save money because it helps prevent your cooled and heated air from escaping through gaps, which means a savings for you in heating and cooling costs.

Another area that caulking can help is in the bathroom; when you make sure all the seams around your bathtub, showers, and sinks are properly sealed it helps prevent mold from occurring which can lead to a pricey fixture, tile, or flooring replacements later.

HVAC Filters

When your HVAC filters are dirty, your AC will run longer and harder in order to force air through the area blocked with dirt and dust; this will quickly run up your utility bills. With a quick change out of filters, you can save hundreds of dollars a year in cost to heat and cool your home.

Lightbulbs

Upgrading your light bulbs to the more energy efficient LED bulbs will not only save you money in light bulb purchases and electricity cost, but it’s also a good move for the environment.

Weatherstripping

Applying weatherstripping around all of your doors to prevent air from escaping outside is another great move towards ensuring your home is properly insulated and reducing your energy consumption and costs.

Siding

Being proactive with your siding repairs and maintenance can potentially save you thousands of dollars in necessary replacements. Clean your siding and inspect it regularly for any small repairs that can be done (mildew, small cracks, small holes). Keeping your siding clean can also help extend its lifespan.

Toilets

If you have a toilet that you’re constantly hearing kick on and off, this could really be hurting your water bill. Make sure any running toilets are repaired as quickly as possible.

Leaks

Leaks in your pipes, sinks, toilets, or showers can be costly in a variety of ways. First, a leak means unused water is being wasted and showing up on your water bill. Second, leaks can potentially damage your home’s structure by rotting wood or destroying tile. Last, a leak can potentially cause a mold problem, which is not only bad for your family’s health it is also expensive to eradicate at times.

Pump Sump

If you have a basement or crawl space, you probably have a pump sump; this is a device that is used to drain any water overflow in these areas. If this device isn’t working, you could be looking at flooding and repair and replacement costs in the thousands of dollars.

Hot Water Heater

Wrapping your hot water heater in an insulating jacket can save you a ton of money in utility costs spent on heating up water. In fact, Energy.Gov states that you could save up to 16% in costs.