How to save on home maintenance costs

As any homeowner will tell you, home maintenance is something you can count on when you own a home. Whether it’s an air conditioner on the fritz or a dishwasher that needs to be checked out, there are always issues to address.

It can be tempting to let issues slide if they’re not that troublesome, but giving into that temptation can be costly in the long run. Just as a car needs regular maintenance, so do many things in the home in order to keep them working as they should. If ignored, these routine maintenance items can become major repairs that will cause a drag on your budget. A key way to avoid taking this budgetary hit is to spend a little now to care for items you need so as to give them a longer life. If you’re looking for a few of those budget-saving checks, these tips should help.

Check Your Filters

The furnace and air conditioner are major items that, when left unchecked, can lead to costly repairs. Replacing either will easily run you into the thousands of dollars. However, following a few simple tasks can put new life into old heating and cooling mainstays. First, get both your air conditioner and furnace serviced annually. Have a technician look over, clean and care for any problem areas. While this costs money, it is better than having to replace them later.

Beyond that, you’ll want to make sure to change the furnace filter once a month. Filters normally cost only several dollars. You will also want to clean off the outside of your air conditioner on a weekly or monthly basis, depending on how much pollen, cottonwood, dust or other debris populates the air where you live. This can include things like spraying it with the hose to clear away debris and clearing any items caught in or around the motor. Like the furnace, this step will help the air conditioner last longer.

Look Around Inside and Out

Both the interior and exterior of your home has numerous items that require some level of regular attention in order to extend their life expectancies. Those items include:

Your roof: You should clear any major debris from roof tiles and replace any broken shingles. This can help avoid possible leaks that could develop in needing to replace the roof as a whole.

Your dryer vent: Lint can easily get trapped in the dryer vent which, if left unchecked, makes your dryer work harder, potentially leading to motor failure, and even fires. They should be checked at least annually, or when you notice problems like overly warm clothes, clothes that won’t dry or a burning smell. The vent can often be cleaned with items around the house and some stores sell kits to get the job done. An easy fix is to bend a wire coat hanger into a loop and stick it gently down your dryer tubing to scrape away built up lint.

Smoke detector batteries: Batteries, of course, run out of juice and need to be replaced. Batteries are relatively cheap to buy and the peace of mind is well worth the cost in the long run.

Do Things Yourself

It can be easy to give into the temptation to hire someone to handle many tasks around the house. While convenient, this habit can become costly and leave you open to potential upsale tactics. Many household needs requiring annual care are actually fairly easy to handle on your own with a few simple tools.

If you’re uncertain of how to fix or check things yourself, online videos can walk you through many projects step by step. These projects will often require a basic tool kit, power drill and wrench set, but you can purchase all these tools for under $100. One thing to keep in mind if you do need to hire someone and an item does need to be replaced is that it’s often cheaper to buy the replacement item yourself. As long as the item in question can wait a bit longer, it can be a way to save some money. Just ask the repairman for the specifications and you’ve got all you need.

Owning a home can be expensive, but with some regular checkups, you can mitigate that cost.

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How to Save on Home Maintenance Costs originally appeared on usnews.com

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