Being a homeowner is something that you can be proud of. It means that you are a property owner, plus it means that you have financial stability. However, what it also means is that when it comes to the home maintenance needs that you have, you are the one who is solely responsible for them.
That’s why we wanted to provide you with some tips on how you can save money on your home maintenance costs. That way, should you need to add some new insulation or paint the exterior of your house, you won’t find yourself stressed about the costs in the process.
Hire a home inspector and energy auditor. OK, it might seem a bit odd that we would start off this article by recommending that you pay to have some people come and look at your home, but there’s a good reason why. Home inspectors and energy auditors are professionally trained to be able to check a house to see what kind of issues it might have; ones that, if they’re caught in enough time, could end up saving you quite a bit of money.
Go with a handy man rather than a contracting company. There are a lot of commercial companies that could come and maintain your air and heating unit or fix some shingles on your roof, but they tend to be pretty pricy. If you stop and think about it, there’s a pretty good chance that you personally know a handy man who works for himself. If you don’t, ask a few family members or friends. Handy men usually charge a lot less money and oftentimes offer discounts if they know you personally.
Do the work yourself. Initially, the thought of this might seem a bit overwhelming, but there are plenty of television shows (on the HGTV Network) and online sites (like DIY Improvement and YouTube) that can provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to do all kinds of things. Nothing says “cheaper” like doing the work yourself.
Pay for your materials and labor costs separately. Say that you want to put your house on a Dallas flat fee MLS listing in hopes of selling it; however, there are a couple of improvements that you want to make and you’re trying to decide between hiring someone to do a project for you or doing it on your own. Either way, you’re probably going to need to purchase some materials, right? When it comes to things like tile, lumber and even paint, consider going to a discount store or even a warehouse to purchase those items. Also, if you know that you are going to need some tools that are pretty expensive, your local Home Depot store has a program where you can rent them so that you won’t have to spend extra money buying them. This way, if you do need to contract out some workers, you will already have the supplies awaiting them and you won’t have to pay any additional fees.
Add as you go. A lot of us have a list of things that we’d like to do in our house, but trying to do it all at once could end up breaking our budget. That’s why it’s best to do just a few home improvement projects, as you can pay for them, at a time. For instance, if you want to make your home more eco-friendly, start with installing a low-flow showerhead and programmable thermostat and build from there. Your home will get the maintenance that you need and you’ll still have some money in the bank. It’s a win/win all the way around.
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There is enough potential savings on the table that it’s worth considering building yourself if you answered yes to any of the above questions. If you answer yes to more than one, strongly consider it. You’ll end up saving significant money.