5 Money Saving Tips That Can Help Prevent Maintenance Issues at Home

The joys of home-ownership are always offset by the fear of budget-breaking maintenance issues. Savvy homeowners find themselves asking: Can I do anything to stop big maintenance issues before they start? Can I do that on a responsible budget?

The answers? Yes and yes.

If you’re looking for a few high-impact, low-budget ways to prevent maintenance issues in your home, start by implementing the tips below:

5 Money Saving Tips That Can Help Prevent Maintenance Issues at Home

1. Commit to Regular Property Maintenance

General outdoor maintenance goes a long way toward keeping your house and property in good condition and preventing the need for costly repairs.

Most of your maintenance efforts require moderate elbow grease and minimal spending:

• Keep up with mowing, weeding, trimming bushes and clearing dead plants so you can clearly see what you’re working with.
• Keep the dirt and mulch built up around the foundation. Make sure it slopes away from the house so water doesn’t pool against the foundation.
• Trim back bushes and trees so they do not touch the house. They provide a pathway for insect infestations and can also damage the roof and siding by scraping against or striking it.
• Repair damaged shingles, siding, etc. right away. Allowing a simple repair to linger is just sending an invitation for water and critters to do more damage.

One thing you might want to leave to the pros? Removing dead limbs or problem trees. Tree removal is dangerous, which is why you want to find a properly insured, highly recommended removal service.

Taking a few dead limbs down each year will cost you more than taking the tree down all at once. If a tree poses an ongoing risk of dropping dead limbs, consider having the whole thing taken down to save money. You can also have the company leave the wood and sell it off yourself to help recoup some of your costs.

2. Keep Your Gutters Clean

It’s important to keep your whole property well maintained, but clogged gutters are a seemingly simple issue that can wreak havoc on your home’s foundation.

Gutters and drains are meant to keep water flowing away from your foundation. When gutters and drains clog, that water can build up around your home’s foundation, resulting in leaks at best and structural damage at worst.

Gutter cleaning is messy, but it’s simple enough to do yourself and can be achieved using anything from a wet/dry vac, leaf blower, hose or good old-fashioned elbow grease.

3. Service Your HVAC

Budget-conscious homeowners may be wary of committing to seasonal HVAC service. However, the money spent on maintenance is worth it when you consider that seasonal service drops the odds of needing a system repair by more than 80 percent.

Getting checked regularly by the pros means they have the chance to spot a little problem before it becomes a big, costly, life-disrupting issue. Some things you can do yourself, like changing filters, so ask the pros for tips and follow manufacturer’s recommendations for care.

4. Take Care of Your Appliances

Appliances are costly investments, which is why you want them to run efficiently for as many years as possible. Simple cleaning and care can help keep your appliances working at maximum efficiency, with less risk of maintenance or safety issues.

Simple tasks include:

• Move your fridge regularly to clean under and around it, being sure to clean the coils.
• Clean your dryer vent on a regular basis. Removing lint from the trap after each load is a good practice, but additional lint gets trapped in the duct and vent.
• Drain your water heater once a year.
• Get your septic tank pumped a minimum of every five years.
• Clean filters and traps in applicable appliances, like your dishwasher.
• Make sure washers and dryers are level and don’t overload them.

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These little chores are easy to forget, so put them on your seasonal maintenance list and set a calendar alert so you remember to complete them.

5. Inspect Your Attic

A lot can be going wrong in your attic and you wouldn’t know until it’s too late. Regular checks can help you catch leaks, infestations and structural issues when they’re still small and affordable to re-mediate.

Issues to look for include:

• Leaks that have penetrated your roof or siding but have not yet shown up in your living spaces
• Insects, rodents, birds or other creatures that can cause damage or block vents
• Missing or subpar insulation
• Obstructed vents
• Mold
• Structural damage to supports or chimneys

A simple walk-through seasonally can help you catch minor issues before they become budget-busting headaches.

Preventive maintenance does have a price tag, but it is significantly lower than the cost of major repairs or appliance replacements. With regular visual inspections, cleaning and general maintenance, you can offset costs and reduce the likelihood you will experience major maintenance issues.

Anum Yoon is a personal finance writer who is dedicated to sharing her insights on money management with others. She believes that a greener, energy-efficient lifestyle is the key to living a more fulfilling life. When she’s not typing away on her keyboard, you can find her poring over a new recipe she found on Pinterest or at the power rack in her gym. Catch her on Twitter or sign up for her newsletter here to find out what she’s sharing!