Owning your home is a pretty huge step in life. It takes a combination of hard work and a whole lot of luck to be able to pull together a down payment and sign on the dotted line. The costs don’t stop there, though. Whether you own a house, a condo or anything in between, there are always going to be expenses. Expensive expenses, if we’re being honest. We’ve pulled together some tips to help you save money on your home to help ease the strain.
Get Multiple Quotes for Repairs
How much does it cost to have a roof replaced in Atlanta in September? You can’t just answer that question off the top of your head. The market (and market costs) will change depending on the location, season and many other factors. The only good way to know how much something will cost is to just get a few quotes and do some math.
Consider Refinancing
There’s no way to know if your individual home loan could benefit from refinancing. However, we can say that it might be a good time to at least talk to someone about refinancing with a lower interest rate or a different term length.
Shop for Homeowners Insurance
Homeowners insurance rates often rise year after year, just like many other types of insurance. Shop around for different options to see if you can get a better deal.
Keep Up with Maintenance
Furnace filters need to be changed regularly to keep the whole (remarkably expensive) thing running smoothly. The same is true for many of your appliances.
Hunt Through YouTube
You’d be amazed at the videos you can find explaining quick repairs or maintenance on YouTube. Calling a pro out to relight your pilot is expensive. Watching a video on relighting your pilot is free.
Landscape with Native Plants
Lawns are expensive, and they can be pretty bad for the environment if you have to water them or use pesticides. Plants that are native to your area tend to thrive with less effort from you.
Replace with Energy Efficient Alternatives
You may not have the money to replace everything at once, but you can hopefully commit to replacing things as they wear out or break.
Look at Your Services
Are you paying to get your trash taken out more often? Paying for cable? Look at your monthly fees and see if any of those are negotiable.
Borrow From Neighbors
So many home maintenance items are both expensive and rarely used. See if you can borrow from a neighbor to cut down on having to buy one yourself.
Buy Reusable, Not Disposable
Sometimes the reusable version is more expensive, making it difficult to decide. Tackle the easy ones first, like kitchen towels and napkins in place of paper towels.
