| Monthly Quote |
“For each petal on the shamrock this brings a wish your way. Good health, good luck and happiness for today and every day.”
-Irish blessing |
| Tip of the Month |
As spring draws ever nearer, many homeowners are thinking about sprucing up their homes. Unfortunately, if you’re not a savvy DIY-er, home repairs can be expensive when you hire help. The following three tips from Andy Bell, founder of a franchise repair service, Handyman Matters, will help you prevent that leaky faucet from blowing your budget:
• Cut base charges. Repair people usually charge a flat fee ranging from $25 to $90 for a visit and then tack on hourly charges. Save money by consolidating repairs into fewer visits and paying only one base charge. If you need your furnace checked, have the HVAC specialist also tune up your air conditioner.
• Communicate on the phone. When you call a repair person, be clear on the phone as to what the problem is and the history of the problem. If the repair person knows exactly what to expect, he or she will come prepared and save time and money. You might also ask if it’s possible to e-mail a photo of the problem.
• Purchase your own supplies. Most repair companies charge a markup of 20% to 100% of the cost of materials, and may also charge you for the time spent shopping. If you can purchase your own paint, tile, carpet or other home repair material, you will save money on the repair.
Source: USA Weekend
|
|
How Long Will My Carpet Live?
Beyond the cost of your mortgage and general upkeep, you should also consider the cost of replacing your home’s major components at some point down the road.
When purchasing a home, you may think that you have thought about all of the possible costs: the mortgage, taxes, insurance, increased utilities, homeowners’ association dues, general maintenance – but what about replacing your roof? Or your carpet? Many homeowners don’t realize that if they live in their home for any length of time, they may need to replace some of its major components at some point.
Understanding estimated life expectancies of these components will help you better prepare for the day on which you have to replace them, says a recent Realty Times article. Last year, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), in conjunction with the Bank of America, developed the “NAHB/BoA Home Equity Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components to help you do just this. The report cautions against depending solely on these estimates, as there are many contributing factors in a component’s durability, including weather, use habits, regular maintenance and trends.
From top to bottom, we’ll walk you through a quick tour of your home’s components, and how long you can expect them to last:
- Foundation: Poured concrete block footings and slab foundations should last 80 to 100 years, provided they were well-built. The foundation termite proofing should last 12 years if the chemical barriers remain intact. Properly installed waterproofing with bituminous coating should last about 10 years.
- Flooring: Carpet has the shortest life expectancy at 8 to 10 years. Natural wood flooring has the longest flooring life expectancy at 100 years or more with proper care. Marble, slate and granite can also last 100 years or longer with proper maintenance. Vinyl floors wear out at about 50 years and linoleum at about 25 years.
- Doors: Exterior steel, wood and fiberglass doors will last as long as the house does. Vinyl and screen doors will last 20 and 40 years, respectively. Inside closet doors are expected to last for the life of the house, and French doors have a life expectancy of 30 to 50 years.
- Windows: Wooden windows (at 30 years) are longer-lasting than aluminum ones (at 15 to 20 years).
- Outside components: Items on the exterior of your home are typically expected to last a lifetime. Brick, engineered wood, vinyl, natural and manufactured stone and fiber cement will typically last as long as the house exists. Other components may be a little less. Exterior wood shutters last about 20 years. Well-maintained gutters last 20 years if they are aluminum, 50 if they are copper. Copper downspouts last the longest at 100 years or more, while aluminum ones give up the ghost after about 30 years.
- Electrical system: The basics of your electrical system – copper-plated wiring, bare copper wiring and copper-clad aluminum – are estimated to last a lifetime. Electrical accessories and lighting controls, on the other hand, are expected to last no longer than 10 years.
- Appliances: Appliances’ life expectancies are more difficult to estimate, since they are usually replaced long before they die completely. If you’re looking to be in for the long haul with your dishwasher, it will depend on its usage. For major appliances, gas ranges last about 15 years, and dryers and refrigerators last about 13. Garbage compactors, dishwashers and microwave ovens will typically peter out at around 9 years of age.
- HVAC system: Maintenance is especially important in prolonging this area’s useful lifespan. Most of the components, however, will still be expected to stop working by the 25-year mark, if not sooner. Furnaces need to be replaced at around 15 to 20 years, and heat pumps last about 16 years. Air conditioning units last 10 to 15 years, and tankless water heaters can persevere for 20 years or more, but electric or gas water heaters last only 10 years. Thermostats have a 35-year lifespan but are, like major appliances, typically upgraded before they have stopped working.
- Roofing: This component is heavily dependent upon your local weather conditions and climate, as well as proper building and design, material quality and ongoing maintenance. Slate, copper and clay/concrete roofs are the most durable and will last 50 years or more. Wood shake roofs last for about 30 years, fiver cement shingles for about 25 years and asphalt shingles for about 20 years.
<<
Back to Home
|
|
|
