5 Ways To Save On Costly Home Repairs

I like to think that I run a tight ship in my home, and I try to keep on top of everything I can. Your home is valuable, and if you don’t keep things ticking over you run the risk of losing some of that value. One of the biggest problems is making sure you don’t have to face enormous repair bills.

They can come as a bolt out of the blue, and leave you with costs that could run into the thousands. So, I thought I would share some of the ways that I reduce the risks of disaster striking, so that you don’t have to spend all of your hard-earned money! Read on and let me know what you think - do you have any tips to add?

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Learn about your house

How many of you know about your house and how it works? You don’t have to become a qualified builder, but you should know the basics about plumbing, electrics, and home maintenance. If you don’t know what to look for, you won’t know when something is wrong. And, in general, the quicker you attend to the problems, the cheaper it will be for you. There are lots of resources out there that you can access for free. I love using the excellent guides over at Country Living - they are full of ingenious tips and ideas.

Make regular checks

Once you know more about your home, you can start making your own inspections. I like to do them at least twice a year. It’s easy to do - try it while you are doing your spring cleaning, and then again when you are preparing for the winter months. There’s a great checklist over at Popular Mechanics, and it will help you concentrate on missing nothing out.

Don’t forget your roof

It’s difficult to remember about checking your roof. After all, you never actually see it, do you? But that makes it even more important to inspect it properly. Now, it’s not something you want to do yourself unless you have had some safety training. But, you have to make sure that the wind, snow, sun and storms haven’t damaged your roof. The first you might know about it is when you realise that you have a significant leak. It could, by that time, already be too late.

Get the right insurance cover

Home insurance is one of those things that everybody has - but not many have the right cover. It’s worth checking your policy once a year, just to make sure that you are covered for anything that might go wrong. If disaster strikes, it isn’t just the cost of your home repairs you need to think about - it’s also the cost of everything else that gets damaged.

If the worst happens

Finally, if the worst does happen, and you are faced with enormous repair costs, there are a few things you can do. Under FHA guidelines, you might be eligible for a repair loan. This should help you spread the costs over a longer period. You could also try your insurance company - but be aware that this will push your premiums up.

Well, that’s about it for today. I hope you have found this helpful, and I look forward to hearing your comments!