Top 10 Most Expensive Mistakes You’re Making on Your Home
David Deem
714-997-3486
By
Cary Teller
Homes
cost a lot of money to maintain. But are you spending extra money unnecessarily
on upkeep? Here are the 10 most expensive mistakes you could be making in your
home.
1. Using Traditional Light bulbs
If
you still have incandescent light bulbs in your home, you could be throwing a
lot of money away every month on inflated electric bills. Over its life span,
an incandescent bulb can use $180 worth of electricity. A CFL will only use $41 worth of electricity over the same time period. Even
better is the LED bulb, which only uses $30 per bulb. Think what replacing
every light bulb in your home could do to your home's bottom line.
2. Ignoring a Leaky Faucet
A
leaky faucet that drips one drop per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons
per year, which is enough water to take more than 180 showers. Some of us live
in areas where water is plentiful, but for those of us in areas plagued with
drought, this could be costing you a fortune. Fix or replace your leaky faucet
and save a ton on your water bill.
3. Using the Wrong Air Filter Size
We
all sometimes forget to change out the air filters
for our HVAC systems or accidentally buy the wrong size. But using the wrong
filter or a dirty filter can increase your power bill and cause expensive problems
for your furnace down the road. Use the correct filters for your system, and
set a reminder to change them after the recommended amount of time. You won't
regret it.
4. 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.
5. Not Adjusting Air Vents Properly
Is
one room in your home hot, while the others are cold? Oftentimes homeowners
will crank up the air conditioning in the whole house to combat hot
temperatures in one area. Instead, adjust air vents to direct the flow of air
more evenly throughout your entire home. Professionals will come regulate this
to ensure that your entire home is receiving the same amount of air
conditioning or heating.
6. Over Watering Lawn
Many
homeowners have their sprinkler systems programmed to come on in the early
morning hours for optimum lawn health. This can become a problem, however, if
you're never around to see what you're actually watering. A broken sprinkler
head could be causing a fountain, or the trajectory of your sprinkler may be
directed at a fence instead of your lawn. Periodically run your sprinklers
during the day so you can see how they are performing when you're not around.
7. Water Heater Temperature Set Too High
Unless
you have a tankless water heater, your water heater is keeping the water in its
tank hot 24/7. If you don't keep an eye on the temperature as each season
changes, you may be paying too much to heat your water. Decrease the
temperature in the summer, and bump it back up when winter comes.
8. Leaky Windows and Doors
Leaky
windows and doors are great places for cold, winter winds to enter your home.
Many homeowners simply ignore them and crank up their heaters. Caulk leaky
windows and put rubber seal around doors to keep winter winds out and warmth
in.
9. Paying a Handyman
Don't
pay a handyman for a job that is simple enough to do yourself. If you're unsure
of how to do something, look up video tutorials online. Doing simple tasks
yourself can save you a lot of money.
10. Ignoring Curled Shingles
It
may be easy to ignore problems on your roof, but it will only lead to bigger
problems later. If you see any possible issues with your roof, repair them as
soon as possible, as this will save you significant costs later.
Use
these 10 tips to cut maintenance costs on your home today.
DRE: #01266522
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