Owning a home is quite expensive. Not only did you have to make a hefty down payment on it and pay the mortgage each month, but you have to pay for the utilities, property taxes, insurance, maintenance, and upkeep.
It can feel impossible to cut back expenses or save money when you own a home. You may even feel like you’re drowning if a serious repair issue comes up.
One surefire way to save money when you own a home is to schedule routine home inspections to identify potential major issues before they become a problem. Paying for an inspection can save you thousands of dollars in repairs when the issue is caught before it becomes a money sucking hole in your wallet.
Below are four inspections you should schedule each year as preventative maintenance for your home.
HVAC Tune Up
Nobody wants to be in a cold house in the winter or a hot house in the summer. When you have a nicely running HVAC, nobody has to!
At least twice a year you should have a professional HVAC technician come and tune up your system to ensure it runs properly. Repairing or replacing one of these units can set you back a pretty penny.
Most HVAC services even have a subscription membership to save money on the routine inspections each year.
Roof Inspection
One part of your home which you almost never notice or see is your roof. The only way to know if there is a potential issue with your roof is to get up on it, which most of us refuse to do. So, leave it to the professionals and schedule a roof inspection once a year.
This inspector will check the shingles, chimney, brick mortar joints, and more to ensure your roof is in good shape. You don’t want to find that your roof has major damage and needs to be replaced at the wrong time; it’s one of the most expensive home repairs you could make.
Plumbing Inspection
Call your local plumber to come and examine the plumbing that runs through your home. Believe us, you don’t want to find a burst pipe unexpectedly. Not only do you have to repair the pipe, but also remedy the damage the water caused.
A plumber will inspect your pipes, sewage system, and water heater or boiler to ensure everything is up to code and working properly.
Structure and Foundation Inspection
We don’t often think about the structure of our homes and how our walls hold up the roof over our heads. So, we don’t think to have someone come and inspect the structure and foundation. We’re here to tell you that it’s a pretty important part of your home that you should consider.
Issues with the structure of your home or a crack in your foundation could create an unsafe and unstable environment, putting you and your family in danger. Let’s also not forget the costly repair bill you’ll get to have it fixed.
This inspection is mostly for homes on the older side, but be sure to keep it in mind.
Tamila McDonald is a U.S. Army veteran with 20 years of service, including five years as a military financial advisor. After retiring from the Army, she spent eight years as an AFCPE-certified personal financial advisor for wounded warriors and their families. Now she writes about personal finance and benefits programs for numerous financial websites.
So, what do you think ?