Expensive Mistakes You’re Making on Your Home

Published on August 13, 2021
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It is no mystery that when you own a home, it can cost a lot of money to maintain. Have you ever thought that maybe you could be overspending on upkeep?

Inspired by a recent RISMedia article, here is a compiled list of some of the most expensive mistakes you could be making on your home without even realizing.

Using Traditional Light Bulbs

If you are still using incandescent light bulbs throughout your home, you shouldn’t be. When used, the incandescent light bulbs throw a lot of money away every month on inflated electric bills. Over an incandescent light bulb’s lifespan, it can use $180 worth of electricity. If you switch to a CFL bulb, it will only use $41 in electricity over the same period. An even better solution is switching to an LED bulb, which only uses about $30 in its lifespan. Now think about how much money you could save on electricity bills when you replace every incandescent light bulb with a CFL or LED bulb in your home.

Over Watering the Lawn

Many homeowners have their sprinkler systems programmed to turn on in the early morning hours to achieve optimum lawn health. If you are never around to see what you are watering, this can be a major issue. A broken sprinkler head could cause a fountain, or the sprinkler’s trajectory may be directed somewhere instead of your lawn. Periodically run your sprinklers during the day so you can see how they are performing when you’re not around.

Water Heater Temperature Set Too High

If you don’t have a tankless water heater in your home, your water heater is keeping the water in its tank hot at all hours of the day, every single day. Unless you are tracking the temperature as each season changes, you are most likely paying more than you should be to heat your water. Decrease the temperature in the summer, and increase it when winter comes.

Leaky Windows and Doors

Leaky windows and doors are great places for unwarranted cold winter winds to enter your home. Many homeowners choose to ignore them and turn their heaters up higher. Caulk leaky windows and put rubber seals around doors to keep winter winds out and warmth inside.

Ignoring a Leaky Faucet

Did you know that a leaky faucet that drips one drop per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons per year? That is enough water to take more than 180 showers! Some of us live in areas where water is plentiful, but for those of us who reside in areas plagued with drought, this could be costing you a lot of money. Fix or replace your leaky faucet, and we can guarantee you will save a ton on your water bill.

Using the Wrong Air Filter Size

Sometimes, we all make the mistake of forgetting to change out the air filters for our HVAC systems or accidentally purchase the wrong size filter. Using the wrong size or a dirty filter is a mistake that not only increases your power bill but can also cause expensive problems for your furnace in the long run. You must use only the correct filters for your system and change them after the recommended amount of time. Following this protocol is an easy fix that you will not regret.

Not customizing temperature

Invest in a customizable thermostat. If you’re away at the office all day, you can program your heater to shift down a few degrees while you’re gone and then shift back up shortly before you return home. Heating or cooling an empty home wastes a lot of money in energy costs.

Not Adjusting Air Vents Properly

Is there a room in your house that is significantly warmer than the others? More often than not, homeowners will turn up the air conditioning throughout the house to combat hot temperatures in one room. Instead, adjust air vents to direct the flow of air more evenly throughout your entire home. Professionals can regulate this to ensure that your entire house is receiving the same amount of air conditioning or heating.

Paying a Handyman

Try to avoid paying a handyman for a job that is most likely simple enough to do yourself. If you’re unsure of how to do something, the internet is a valuable resource. We recommend looking up video tutorials online. Completing simple tasks yourself can save you a lot of money.

Ignoring Curled Shingles

It may be easy to ignore any issues you may have on your roof, but it will only lead to worse problems later. If you notice any potential defects with your roof, it is crucial that you repair them as soon as possible, as this will save you a significant amount of money down the road.

Bottom Line

Take advantage of these tips so you can start putting money into your pocket rather than into your home! Cut those unnecessary maintenance costs on your home today!