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Being a homeowner has a host of benefits and obligations. It’s both a privilege and a burden. After all, you are the king of your own castle – but castles are expensive. Everything from maintenance costs to home improvements, to taxes… Owning a home is not cheap, even after you pay the last installment. So, every little tip, trick, and piece of advice on how to save some money is more than welcome.
However, we won’t deal with the regular tricks here – watch how much water you spend, turn off the lights and appliances you aren’t using, switch to energy efficient options… No, we suggest something a bit more long-term and a bit more effective. Read on below to find out how to save money in the long run as a homeowner.
Drafts and heat loss
One of the more problematic issues that lead you to bleed money as a homeowner are drafts (or, rather, poor insulation). Now, this may seem like not that big of a deal, but understand that first of all, you may not even notice this if it’s been going on for a long time. The second issue to keep in mind is that the larger the home, the bigger the savings on your heating and air-conditioning bill once you seal your home up properly.
So, here is what you gotta do. Get good sealers on your windows and your doors. Go up to the attic, and insulate it properly. Search the home for air leaks. These can be very clear, obvious ones, like holes and general damage, or they can be less obvious, like outlets.
You may even need to replace your windows and doors entirely. So, you might as well choose a security door while you’re at it. Just understand that a large-scale project like this will have a substantial initial cost (both in terms of money and time), but the long-term savings will definitely make up for it.
Regularly check your home’s structural weak points
Next, you need to check any and all structural weak points of your home for damage. These will not really give you such direct returns and expense reductions as much as helping you avoid very serious future repairs. Namely, a bit of water and a leak here and there won’t do much, but after some time, if left unchecked, it can ruin your foundations.
You need to check your gutters and your roof regularly. Repair and replace your shingles, don’t let any leaks pass through. Get professional house rendering done if you notice any cracks or general weak areas around your walls and foundations. Check if there are any signs of wood rot, or termites, around your home as well.
All these issues can lead to huge and extensive repairs in the near future. They can also lead to someone being injured, for example, if your wooden stairs start rotting.
Solar panels
Remember, we’re talking about the long run here, so extensive and costly overhauls are part and parcel to this approach. For this reason, we suggest solar panels. Now, solar panels are not just incredibly beneficial to the environment, minimizing your impact, reducing any negative effect you may have through your energy usage. Solar panels are in fact very useful for saving some money in the long term.
Namely, once you set everything up properly, your energy bill will plummet. You will be getting most of your electricity through these solar panels and will be able to power your entire home if you get enough of them. However, know that you also have the option of powering only parts of your home with solar panels, like a specific room, or maybe only our appliances and air-conditioning.
Of course, the only issue here (besides the initial cost) is the weather in your area. If you tend to have too many overcast, cloudy days throughout the year, you won’t really be able to rely solely on solar. Don’t get us wrong, you don’t need direct sunshine or high temperatures to get these panels to run. In fact, there are many myths surrounding solar panels that make no sense. Just make sure to check with local professionals, get some advice.
Conclusion
If you want to save some money in the long run, you have to spend a lot of money upfront. Long-term success hinges on short term sacrifices, but also on planning and strategy. So, save up your money, plan things out, and try to really improve your home. Do regular maintenance checks, have them be part of your monthly inspection plan. Fix any issues you see come up, prevention is vital. If you can, invest in solar panels, they are the future, and energy savings are immense. Finally, add proper insulation and fill up any leaks and drafts, you will notice an immediate decrease in your energy bills soon enough.
