Cut Costs by Curing These 14 Home Headaches.
I’ve spent a lot of time with home inspectors. As a result, I have become the beneficiary of hundreds of bits of home maintenance trivia. I’ve detailed my top four as applies to Real Estate in Arizona, but anyone in any climate would be wise to take note.
- Air filters not being changed frequently. Dust storms and Monsoon produce a lot of particulates and not changing your air filter can be at best costly, and at worst it can endanger your health.
- Faulty grade around the foundation is a huge issue and may result in foundation damage, unhealthy standing water, and damp wood that will attract termites.
- Not performing periodic testing of GFCI outlets. These are the outlets customarily installed in kitchens and baths, or anywhere that water might come in contact with the electrical plug. They cut power to the outlet when an interruption, such as water, is detected. They have a limited life and should be tested regularly.
And finally, an issue that is brought up in nearly every home inspection I’ve been to, but that no Home Seller, Home Buyer, or anyone else that I’ve come in contact with, ever seems to be aware of:
- Dishwasher to disposal hose loop is not high enough. This is an easy fix so I can’t imagine why plumbers and installers ignore it. When the loop in the hose between dishwasher and disposal is not high enough, it results in (YUCK!) backwash from disposal into your dishwasher. The remedy? Simply using a short piece of wire, old coat hanger, bungie, or zip tie to lift the middle of the hose above all connections.
Cary Teller lists 10 additional blunders below that could cost a homeowner.
Top 10 Most Expensive Mistakes You’re Making on Your Home By Cary Teller for Housecall
Homes cost a lot of money to maintain. Are you spending extra money unnecessarily on the upkeep of your home? Here are 10 of the most expensive mistakes you could be making.
1. Using Traditional Light bulbs
If you still have incandescent light bulbs in your home, you could be throwing a lot of money away every month on inflated electric bills. Over its lifespan, an incandescent bulb can use $180 worth of electricity. A CFL will only use $41 worth of electricity over the same time period. Even better is the LED bulb, which only uses $30 per bulb. Think what replacing every light bulb in your home could do to your home’s bottom line.
2. Ignoring a Leaky Faucet
A leaky faucet that drips one drop per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons per year, which is enough water to take more than 180 showers. Some of us live in areas where water is plentiful, but for those of us in areas plagued with drought, this could be costing you a fortune. Fix or replace your leaky faucet and save a ton on your water bill.
3. Using the Wrong Air Filter Size
We all sometimes forget to change out the air filters for our HVAC systems, or accidentally buy the wrong size. Using the wrong filter or a dirty filter can increase your power bill and cause expensive problems for your furnace down the road. Use the correct filters for your system, and set a reminder to change them after the recommended amount of time. You won’t regret it.
4. Not Customizing Temperature
Invest in a customizable thermostat. If you’re away at the office all day, you can program your heater to shift down a few degrees while you’re gone and then shift back up shortly before you return home. Heating or cooling an empty home wastes a lot of money in energy costs.
5. Not Adjusting Air Vents Properly
Is one room in your home hot, while the others are cold? Oftentimes homeowners will crank up the air conditioning in the whole house to combat hot temperatures in one area. Instead, adjust air vents to direct the flow of air more evenly throughout your entire home. Professionals can come regulate this to ensure your entire home is receiving the same amount of air conditioning or heating.
6. Over-Watering the Lawn
Many homeowners have their sprinkler systems programmed to come on in the early morning hours for optimum lawn health. This can become a problem, however, if you’re never around to see what you’re actually watering. A broken sprinkler head could be causing a fountain, or the trajectory of your sprinkler may be directed at a fence instead of your lawn. Periodically run your sprinklers during the day so you can see how they are performing when you’re not around.
7. Water Heater Temperature Set Too High
Unless you have a tankless water heater, your water heater is keeping the water in its tank hot 24/7. If you don’t keep an eye on the temperature as each season changes, you may be paying too much to heat your water. Decrease the temperature in the summer, and bump it back up when winter comes.
8. Leaky Windows and Doors
Leaky windows and doors are great places for cold, winter winds to enter your home. Many homeowners simply ignore them and crank up their heaters. Caulk leaky windows and put rubber seal around doors to keep winter winds out and warmth in.
9. Paying a Handyman
Don’t pay a handyman for a job that is simple enough to do yourself. If you’re unsure of how to do something, look up video tutorials online. Doing simple tasks yourself can save you a lot of money.
10. Ignoring Curled Shingles
It may be easy to ignore problems on your roof, but it will only lead to bigger problems later. If you see any possible issues with your roof, repair them as soon as possible, as this will save you significant costs later.
Use these 10 tips to cut maintenance costs on your home today.
For more information, Call or Text: 602-999-0952
eMail: golfarizona@cox.net
Bill Salvatore / Arizona Elite Properties
Residential Sales, Marketing, and Property Management
This was originally published on RISMedia’s blog, Housecall. Visit the blog daily for housing and real estate tips and trends. Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. ©2016. All rights reserved.
More Resources for Home Sellers and Home Buyers
Our Buyer’s FAQ page has 9 of the most frequently asked questions from Home Buyers, along with 10 additional resources for Home Buyers at the bottom of the page.
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Thinking of Selling your home? First check out our 9 FAQs for Sellers. Then read on, there are 9 additional resources for Home Sellers at the bottom of the page.
Home Buyer’s Frequently Asked Questions
Home Seller’s Frequently Asked Questions
