How to Save Money on Home Maintenance

It can require a lot of money to maintain a home; because of this, it’s important to make sure you’re not spending extra money. Saving money around the house can be made much easier by making use of timers and reminders. Create a home maintenance schedule and set a reminder to give your house a checkup every few months. Take a walk through your house and look for any necessary repairs that could be costing you money in the long run. Here are some tips to help you automate and save money around the house.

1. Leaky Kitchen and Bathroom Faucets

These are a great example of a sneaky cost that can really add up. If you have 3 faucets in your home and they drip every 3 seconds, it adds up to a loss of over 2000 gallons of water each year. That’s enough to take 100 ten-minute showers!

2. Poorly Sealed Windows

Heat can seep in from the outside if your windows aren’t properly insulated. Most people just turn up the air conditioning, which leads to increased cooling costs. Check out your insulation and caulking and have them repaired if necessary.

3. Invest in a Smart Thermostat

If you’re out of the house all day, there’s no point in leaving the air conditioning on; just set it to reach a comfortable temperature when you return home.

4. Hot Water Heater

Just like the air temperature, it’s important to keep an eye on the temperature of your water heater. If you don’t have a tankless water heater, set reminders to change the temperature of the water depending on the season. It doesn’t need to be as high during the summer as it is in the winter.

5. Garden Sprinklers

Many people already program their sprinklers to run for a set time. Set a reminder every few months to inspect the sprinklers. Verify that there are no clogs, leaks, or puddles and make sure that the water is pointing the right direction so you water plants and not your house. Also remember to adjust the sprinklers when there is a lot of rain.

6. Filters

Periodically change the filter in your air conditioner and dryer. When these are dirty or clogged, they don’t cool or dry as effectively as they should. This causes them to use more energy to do their jobs.

7. LED Lights

The final tip is not a reminder; in fact, the goal is to do it once and be done! If you change out all your traditional light bulbs for LED bulbs, the savings really add up. One traditional bulb will cost about $200 over the course of 23 years; one LED bulb will only cost $38 during that time. The cost of LEDs has come down significantly during the last few years and they last for 20,000-50,000 hours