Many manufactures include instructions with appliances that explain what homeowners should do to keep them working for as long as possible. Some examples include: flushing a water heater to remove sediment, cleaning the lint trap of a dryer and vacuuming behind a fridge to remove dust that can clog the motor. Maintenance is a great way to prevent appliances from breaking down, and costing homeowners a lot of money on home repairs. Taking care of your home systems and appliances is always a good idea, especially since that means you'll get more use out of them in the long run.
2. GET A HOME WARRANTY
There are some home repair costs that you simply can't avoid, even if you have maintained your appliances. However, you can pay a LOT less money on repairs and replacements if you get a home warranty. Let's say your dishwasher motor has stopped after years of normal useage. Assuming that you don't want to wash everything by hand, you're probably going to want to purchase a new dishwasher.
Nah, I don't need a new one. I have a bunch of dishwashers!
Dishwashers are typically priced between $300 and $600. That's a lot of money to pay out of pocket, but with a home warranty all you have to pay is $60 for a bonded contractor to diagnose, fix or replace your dishwasher. $60! That's a lot of savings. Home warranties can help homeowners save big when it comes to home repairs. For more information about home warranties and what other home repairs and replacements are covered, you can go to Landmark Home Warranty's website,www.LandmarkHW.com.
3.TAKE CARE OF SMALL THINGS, BEFORE THEY BECOME BIG THINGS
Gut check: every appliance in your home is going to fail at some point, regardless of how much maintenance has been done on it. The fact is, those home repair expenses are inevitable, but can be substantially reduced if you have a home warranty. With that said, it's still wise to take a proactive approach in extending the life of your systems and appliances. Yes, they will fail, but how they are cared for and monitored greatly impact the overall life span of the system or appliance. It's important for homeowners to take care of the small things as they come up. If your A/C is making a horrible noise, or your toilet wont flush correctly, get it checked out. Many small issues are easily resolved if caught early.
Waterfalls are beautiful, but if you're seeing one inside of your home, something has gone very, very wrong.
4. GET AN HVAC TUNE-UP
Think of the most expensive system in your home. If you thought of your HVAC system, you're probably right. If your furnace or air conditioner fails, you'll be paying a pretty penny to fix it, and even more to replace it. Generally, HVAC systems are thousands of dollars to replace, which is a sum most homeowners don't have just lying around the house.
"This means I have to take apart my money chair, doesn't it?"
The best way to avoid an HVAC system failure is to get an air conditioner or furnace tune-up every 6 months. That's once a year for the furnace, right before winter, and once a year for the air conditioner, right before summer. A tune-up is when a HVAC contractor will come to your home and go through a maintenance checklist to make sure everything on your HVAC system is working as it should be. This preventative maintenance can put years of use on your HVAC system. With a home warranty, tune-ups are part of the coverage on a home, which means that homeowners with a home warranty only have to pay $60 for a tune-up. Of course, if a home has a home warranty, and the air conditioner or furnace does fail from normal wear and tear, the best home warranty company (Landmark!) can cover that as well.
5. DIY SIMPLE REPAIRS
While there are many repairs inside of a home that need a professional to fix, there are a few simple repairs any homeowner should learn to do to save money before calling a professional. Have a jammed garbage disposal?Put that phone down and grab an allen wrench to fix it yourself. Pop-up mechanism on your sink falling down? Don't call a plumber, just buy a new kit and install it yourself. Water heater not heating as well as it used to? Flush that tank to get rid of the sediment at the bottom! There is a plethora of ways you can DIY home repairs ... just make sure that you leave the ones that require a professional to the professionals.
If you are interested in getting a home warranty to get an HVAC tune-up for a service call fee or to pay less for home repairs and replacements, go to www.landmarkhw.com. There you can read home warranty reviews and learn more about the best home warranty company.