5 Common Issues Solved With End-Of-Tenancy Cleaning
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8 Ways to Avoid Expensive Home Repairs
As much peace as it is to own a home, it comes with a cost. It is only natural for damages to occur. However, some home repairs arise because small issues weren’t addressed on time. Many homeowners don’t realize that addressing these minor issues immediately can save them a lot of time and money in the long run.
Home repairs are inevitable, but with vigilance, you can delay total replacements and avoid significant property losses with regular maintenance. Early detection can help you avoid spending thousands of dough and ensure the safety, of you and your family, from potentially dangerous hazards. Take a look at the following eight common and sometimes pricey home repairs and how to prevent them from breaking the bank.
1. Foundation Cracks
A strong foundation is an integral part of your entire home. It is there to make your house remain structurally sound. If it becomes damaged, your entire home becomes compromised.
One such foundation problem is settling. Gradually, and over time, the foundation settles. However, if there are drastic changes in the soil moisture levels, it will place pressure on the foundation, which will eventually lead to cracks.
So how can you tell whether your foundation is starting to settle? The most common signs are cracks on your home’s outside or inside walls. Other signs include jammed doors, uneven floors, and stuck windows. If not addressed immediately, these cracks will grow longer and wider over time, placing your and your family’s life at stake.
If you detect these foundation issues early, you can repair them within an approximate of $500 for minor cracks. That means you’ll be able to save a major foundation repair cost of around $4,488 or a replacement cost of $10,000.
2. Heating and Cooling System (HVAC) Replacements
HVAC systems keep your home at a comfortable temperature all year round. It has a typical life expectancy of 15 to 20 years. With regular maintenance, you’ll be able to extend its life by a few years.
HVAC systems have earned the reputation of being among the most expensive items to repair or replace in a house. The AC compressor converts power to energy and circulates the refrigerant, which is essential for the heat exchange process. Faulty AC compressors mean no cold air.
Nobody wants an expensive HVAC problem, so becoming aware of how to tell if your AC’s compressor is going out is important. Warning signs include:
- Not heating or cooling your home properly,
- Strange smells,
- Rattling or grinding noise when turned on,
- Water Leaks
With early detection and regular maintenance, you can save repair costs of up to an average of $7,000 and more than $10k on replacements.
So, what should you do to extend the life of your HVAC system? For starters, you can clean filters every 90 days or change them every six months to keep your air conditioning unit working at an optimum level.
You can also ensure that your thermostat is working correctly by checking it periodically. If your unit is having trouble turning on and off and your house is not regulated at a comfortable temperature, have it serviced.
Apart from all the essential check-ups, it is a good rule of thumb to have your air conditioning unit serviced once a year by professionals. That way, you’ll be able to save not only expensive repair costs but also hefty utility bills.
3. Damaged Roof
Apart from the foundation, the roof is another essential part of the house. It provides shelter from outside elements like wind, heat, and water. It is also the weakest part of your home that requires your constant attention.
Typically, standard asphalt roofs have a shelf life of more than 30 years. So, if one day you discover torn or curling shingles, stains on wall intersections, leaks, and water in the attic or the room, that goes to show there is a problem with your roof.
Repairing the roof can cost in the region of $700. Replacing it costs even more (about $6K), not to mention the amount of time it’ll take to break the existing roof down and install a new one. It also means you and your family have to live somewhere else temporarily. A huge inconvenience!
4. Water Damage Home Repairs
This is one of the most common and preventable occurrences that costs a lot of money to repair. If left unchecked, water leaks can damage drywall, create mould, and eventually will weaken major structural elements like joists and beams.
Water damage can happen due to a burst pipe, blocked drains, broken fixtures like basins or bathtubs, etc. Apart from the damaged flooring, you can notice signs of water damage in your home, such as:
- Bubbling and peeling wallpapers.
- Water stains or marks on your walls or wooden furniture.
- Strange plumbing sounds.
- High water utility bills.
- Uneven flooring in case of hardwood floors due to temperature change.
You can also check pipes for leaks, calcium build-up, and mould growth. Excessive moisture and damp areas will create mould around your windows or doors, especially during winter.
Once you discover your property is being damaged due to water intrusion, take immediate steps to eradicate the problem before it becomes a major one that’ll probably cost you around $5k for repairs. Steps that you can take are:
- Don’t pour down oil or grease down your kitchen sink.
- Check your drain pipes periodically for leaks.
- Repair damaged siding immediately.
- Install a sump pump: sump pumps sense water, activates it, and sends moisture through a discharge pipe, preventing your basement from flooding.
5. Termite Infestation
These wood-infesting pests can be inconvenient when damaging your wooden floors and furniture. If their activity is not detected early, it can cost an average of $3,000 to mitigate them from your home.
The common signs of termite damage are:
- When you see the swarm of termites gathered in a corner
- Mud tubes forming on a corner or on the side of your home’s foundation
- Mouldy smell
- Crumbling wood or wood that makes a hollow sound
Detecting a termite infestation requires a trained eye which is why it is essential to call in professionals. However, there are also a few things you can do to prevent an infestation:
- Don’t let moisture accumulate next to the foundation.
- Water leaks from pipes, drains or from HVAC units should be repaired to avoid the formation of moisture.
- Vents and vapor barriers should be placed
- Do not store firewood or wood debris inside crawl spaces or place them against the wall of your house.
6. Faulty Electrical Wires Home Repairs
If left unchecked, faulty wiring can cost you your home. Most home fires are caused due to unrepaired faulty wiring that could have been preventable. If you’re unsure about it, call in a professional once a year to have your house checked for them. However, you can also spot signs of faulty and dangerous old wiring yourself:
- Your circuit breakers trip regularly
- Appliances or light fixtures shock you
- Burning smell
- Sparks when you put in chargers
Since the electrical wires are inside the walls, it’s not safe for homeowners to fix or repair it themselves. Call an electrician to help you when you discover the signs.
7. Electrical Gadget Issues
Do not use faulty gadgets or even attempt to use them. Repair the devices immediately, even if it is a minor issue, such as the tea kettle not turning on, or broken oven timers.
Make sure all your gadgets work properly to avoid replacing them. Though some of them may not be expensive to replace, using them unrepaired can harm you, others around you, and eventually your home. So why take the risk? Fix your electrical gadgets immediately.
8. Septic System Home Repairs
A septic system transfers solid and liquid household wastes, through the house’s sewer lines, to a holding septic tank that’s been buried nearby your area. The liquids are dispersed in separate systems, whereas the solids need to be pumped every 3 to 6 years depending on the capacity of the tank and people in the household.
If this system is damaged, it can become a messy problem at home and outside when:
- Your toilets won’t flush
- Drains working slowly
- There are smells from the yard
The only way to prevent this from happening is to call in the professionals every three years or so to have it inspected and pumped.
Final Thoughts
It is a joy to become a homeowner, but just like pets, we must take good care of it. Fix cracks, wiring, pipes, and gadgets so you don’t have to replace it all and end up breaking the bank with expensive home repairs. Watch out for tell-tale signs of your house crying out for help. A good rule of thumb is to have a separate budget for these issues, so you don’t have to take out your savings. And remember, vigilance is better than costly repairs.
Featured image credit: Photo by Megan Andrews on Unsplash
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6 Easy and Budget-Friendly Steps to Maintaining a Healthy Home
Maintaining a healthy home environment is an essential part of taking care of yourself and your family. It is essential to create a clean and safe living space that is free of allergens, pollutants, and other threats for all of you to stay comfortable and be able to restore your energy in there.
However, keeping up with the upkeep of a home can be tedious and entails additional costs. For starters, you’ll need to purchase cleaning and disinfectant supplies to stay consistent with your cleaning schedule, not to mention regularly changing the air filters and checking for leaks.
But don’t worry! We’ve got your back by providing you with easy and budget-friendly steps to maintaining a healthy home environment. Read on to find out how to keep the building in good shape and free of any potential health hazards, making sure your home is a safe and comfortable place to live.
Keep It Dry
Moisture is one of the leading causes of home deterioration and the breeding ground for mould, mildew, and other dangerous bacteria. If overlooked for too long, it can become a health hazard.
In order to prevent moisture damage, make sure to keep your home well-ventilated by opening windows and doors when weather permits and using exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathrooms, and using a dehumidifier in humid areas of the house. Additionally, use a dehumidifier in damp areas to reduce moisture levels and prevent mould growth.
To keep your home moisture-free, you should also make sure to inspect the house regularly for leaks and areas that are prone to water damage. If you find any, address them immediately by drying out the area and resolving the underlying cause of the leak.
In addition, fix any leaks in the roof, windows, and pipes as soon as possible to prevent further moisture damage. And be sure to regularly clean gutters and downspouts to ensure proper drainage.
Clean Regularly
One of the most important things you can do to maintain a healthy home is to keep it clean. Dust, dirt, and other allergens can build up over time and cause respiratory problems, allergic reactions, or even trigger asthma attacks, so it’s important to wipe all surfaces in your home regularly.
Also, use non-toxic cleaning products to avoid introducing harmful chemicals into the environment. Keep up with vacuuming carpets and rugs, as well as mopping hard floors at least once a week. In addition, dust all surfaces and furniture with a damp cloth or microfiber cloth. Be sure to clean hard-to-reach places such as ceiling fans, baseboards, and blinds.
Doing this will help keep the air in your home fresh and clean, improving overall indoor air quality.
And don’t forget to clean the kitchen regularly! Wipe down countertops and appliances after each use, sweep and mop floors weekly, and empty the rubbish daily.
Bathrooms are another important area to keep clean. Disinfect toilet bowls, sinks, and showers or tubs and mop floors weekly. In addition, replace towels often, and hang them with enough space to air out properly – you definitely don’t want them to hang out there damp for hours.
Purify the Air
Although it would highly benefit your health, you don’t have to invest in an air purifier to improve the air quality inside your house. In order to purify the air in your home, it’s important to regularly change the air filters in your furnace and air conditioner. Depending on the type of filter you have, you may need to change it monthly or every few months.
You can also bring in more greenery – houseplants are a great way to naturally purify the air in your home. Some of the best air-purifying plants include peace lilies, spider plants, snake plants, and philodendrons.
Keep It Pest-Free
Pests can not only be a nuisance but can also carry diseases that can be harmful to your health. In order to keep pests out of your home, be sure to seal any cracks or holes on the exterior of your home and around windows and doors.
In addition, keep food stored in sealed containers and dispose of garbage regularly. Be sure to sweep and mop floors often and vacuum carpets regularly. And don’t forget to check for signs of pests such as droppings or chewed food packaging.
If you do find pests in your home but aren’t sure about DIY pest control strategies, be sure to contact a pest control professional to remove them safely.
Test for Radon
Radon is a gas that is released from the ground and can seep into homes through cracks in the foundation. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, so it’s important to test for it in your home.
There are many do-it-yourself radon test kits available, or you can hire a professional to test for radon. If radon levels in your home are high, you can install a radon mitigation system to reduce the levels of the gas.
Check for Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide is another gas you can spot in your home, the one that is produced when fuel is burned. When inhaled, carbon monoxide can be deadly. That’s why it’s important to install carbon monoxide detectors in your home and check them regularly to make sure they are working properly.
In addition, be sure never to use gas-powered engines such as generators or pressure washers inside your home or garage.
Conclusion
Maintaining a healthy home environment is important for both your and your family’s well-being. Fortunately, there are several simple and inexpensive ways, such as regular cleaning, checking for pests, and testing for radon and carbon monoxide, that will go a long way in ensuring your home is a safe and comfortable place to live.
By following these easy and budget-friendly steps, you can rest assured knowing that your home is dry, clean, safe, and pest-free. Stay safe!
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How a Damp Home Can Harm Your Physical and Financial Health
Families across the world are facing a cost of living crisis exacerbated by soaring inflation, rising interest rates, and spiralling energy costs. Hard-working householders are having to face the decision about what to cut from their monthly bills so that they can continue to make ends meet, and not fall into the black hole of debt.
Putting the heating on is one area which many families are holding back on. In the UK, electric and gas bills have risen astronomically, and without the government stepping in to temporarily stem the hike, many households would be paying four times what they were paying a year previously. However, average monthly bills are still considerably higher than what they were a year ago. Alongside rocketing petrol and shopping bills, there is not a household in the country that isn’t taking a long, hard look at all areas of their expenditure.
Keeping the heating switched off is one such area.
Structural damage leading to expensive repairs
But not heating your home has consequences that go beyond simply being a bit cold in your home. The knock-on effect can mean that your house becomes damp, and develop mould, which in turn has a detrimental effect on the health of those living there – particularly if they are very young or elderly.
Let’s just outline what happens to your home during the winter when the heating is not on.
- Water pipes can freeze and shatter or split.
- Changes in temperature can cause condensation to gather on walls, floors and woodwork, causing damage to the fabric and structure of the building.
- Hardwood floors can expand and contract with the changing temperatures and humidity.
The most damaging aspect to the structure of the house is the fact that the temperature is always changing, and this has consequences on the way that certain elements of a building’s substructure react to those temperatures, causing damage that can be expensive to rectify.
Detrimental to your family’s health
For those living in the property, while the risk of hypothermia can be dangerous, particularly for those of a certain age, it is the damp and mould that will cause the most damage in the long term.
People living in damp environments are twice as likely to succumb to respiratory conditions, such as bronchitis, breathing difficulties, asthma and chest pains.
The issue with dampness he is not the ‘wetness’ itself, but the microscopic bacteria and fungi that circulate in the air and are breathed in by those living in the property. For those who already have skin conditions, the contaminated air can exacerbate the condition and cause eczema.
Other symptoms can also include fever and vomiting, eye irritation, blocked noses, wheezing and coughing.
To try and overcome both the detrimental effects on both your family’s physical health, and your financial wellbeing, it is important to try and maintain a constant temperature throughout the winter months, even if it is lower than what you are usually used to. That consistency and constancy are more important than having a blast of heat, then letting it go cold again, then blasting out the heat again, then going cold. The fluctuations and extremes can do more damage than a constant ‘coolness’.
Make sure that family members are dressed in layers, as several layers are better at retaining the heat than one big jumper. Extra blankets on the bed and hot water bottles will keep you snug at night. And make sure that you check out what government grants you could be eligible for.
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Money-Saving Tips For A Successful Home Renovation
Home renovation and improvement projects are a great way to create the perfect home you always wanted. Whether updating your kitchen or redoing your bathroom, every room in your house can be personalized to reflect who you are or what kind of life you live. However, before starting a home renovation project, it’s essential to maintain a budget that will provide a detailed construction estimate and set realistic expectations on how long the project will take. Renovations cost money, time, and effort. It’s essential to be prepared for the amount of work and the cost involved before you begin.
8 Tips to Help You Save Money
1. Make a list
Before you begin your home renovation project, list everything you want to change in the room. Note the color, style, and materials that can affect the price. It will help you determine if replacing or fixing something needing repair is more cost-effective than starting from scratch and purchasing new items.
2. Plan your budget and set realistic expectations
Planning your budget by gathering estimates and quotes on materials, labour, and time involved with your home renovation project is essential. It will help you determine the real completion time for your project and what it might cost to complete. Setting realistic expectations for the number of hours required to complete your project is essential. It’s easy to overestimate, especially given the desire to create a perfect home.
3. Take time to research the best products and materials
It’s essential to know the best products and materials for your renovation. Your decisions will affect the final look of your project, and choosing suitable materials can make all the difference in how it looks afterward. It is why you must do dollar store reviews before you begin your home renovation project.
4. Use the assistance of professionals
To save time, cost, and risk, working with professionals specializing in home renovation is essential. They will be able to guide you through the entire process and make sure that your home renovation project is completed on time and within budget. It will ensure you spend money wisely on items from stores that only offer one-time-use discounts.
5. Ask around for feedback and advice
It’s important to know what other homeowners have done with their home renovation projects and ask homeowners you know about previous projects. It will help you determine if your project will be finished on time and within budget and what materials will work best in the room. It can save you money by knowing beforehand that particular material isn’t worth the money or won’t look good.
6. Find alternative ways to save money
Many of the products you will need for your home renovation are available at stores that only offer one-time discounts. It can add a lot of money and time, so it’s essential to ask if other resources are available. You can save time and money by asking for quotes from more than one company or finding out about other company discount opportunities.
7. Reuse materials
It is a great way to save money, time, and effort in your home renovation project. It’s important to recycle or reuse materials when replacing things that can be fixed. For example, if you’re removing a wall in your room, it’s essential to consider whether it should be replaced with a new fence instead of just being released. You may save money if you replace certain items instead of removing them and sending them away for disposal.
8. Use less expensive ways to create a design with style
When choosing colors or incorporating different materials, it’s essential to use less costly options that still look great. You’ll only need to buy the items once, and you can use them for many years before needing to replace them. This way, it can be more cost-effective than using the best products on the market.
It’s important to plan home renovations carefully and be prepared for the time and cost it can take. Luckily, there are other ways to save time, money, and effort in your home renovation project. Consulting with professionals specializing in home renovation or taking the time to find out more information will help you save money when starting a new project.
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