When you are buying a new house, the prospect of yourself standing in a flooded basement with a raincoat and a flashlight is far from you thought. In a situation like that there is actually very little you can do. A complete overhaul of plumbing together with electrical installation cost a lot but can be prevented by little. A question arises – How much does it take to maintain a home? These are some of the guidelines that help you minimize the upkeep costs and at the same time prevent disasters like the one described.
What needs Repairing?
There are two different aspects of house maintenance. On one hand there is the regular yearly maintenance that homeowners perform in order for the house to run smoothly. These repairs include replacement of furnace filers, patching the driveway or replacing a broken roof tile. On the other there are costlier and more extensive works that can give you a lot of headache. Luckily, these major repairs occur once in a decade or more, and include replacing the malfunctioning water heater or outdated electrical installation and fixtures. Petty jobs like painting the interior, replacing the kitchen cabinets are not included in this equation.
Plumbing
When someone buys a house, they mainly focus their plumbing repairs on bathroom renovation and an outdated kitchen upgrade. However, a cold winter may freeze the ground floor bathroom pipes, and a makeshift attempt to defrost them may result in a burst pipe or worse, a flooded basement. In order to prevent such calamities, think about insulating all the exposed pipes, especially if they run through an unheated basement or garage. The lack of insulation makes them more vulnerable to temperate changes, as the condensation corrodes the metal and reduces their life. Give your new home a thorough inspection by professionals. Sydney emergency plumbers from C Highfield Plumbing say: “We’re on call every day and night of the week, all year round, so we are always there when you need us.” This is what you need to be looking for in your plumbers: availability and efficiency.
Electricity
Although it is absolutely legal for your or unlicensed contractors to repair your electrical installation, the increased risk puts a lot more at stake that it is the case with plumbing. Failing electrical fixtures or bad insulation may lead to fire or instant electrocution. Although you should hire a licensed company to check your heating and air conditioning, there are some precautions that you can take on your own. For example, fit each light fixture with a proper bulb, and check the ground fault outlets by testing and resetting them from time to time. Check and replace damaged outlets and plug heads.
On the Outside
Changing temperatures, sharp angles and different materials used in home construction take a toll on your home’s visual appearance but also its functionality in protecting you from the elements. Unless you are dealing with brick facade, power wash the house every spring. Increase he energy efficiency of the house by repairing the weather stripped layers around doors and windows.
Maintaining a detached house definitely cost more than living in a flat. However the reward of sitting in the tranquil garden in the evening, listening to the distant and bustling city centre definitely covers for it.
