As a homeowner, you will undoubtedly be faced with many costs to keep your home looking amazing all year round. Not only do you have to focus on the day-to-day running of your household, but you will also be subjected to maintenance costs when appliances and fixtures need repairing or replacing.
You may also have to deal with the costs of general property maintenance, such as keeping your hot water systems, plumbing, and roof in tip-top shape. If you’re a new homeowner, you may be wondering how you’re going to save money for all these new expenses. This post explores a few ideas that can help you get your savings plan started.
Invest in Homeowners Insurance
One of the key ways that every new homeowner can save money all year round is to obtain a homeowners insurance quote for the best coverage. Having home insurance means you will be covered against eventualities such as the following:
- Damages to your home
- Theft of property from your house or garage
- Visitors or work contractors getting injured
- Instances that make your home unlivable (such as floods)
Having insurance for any of these factors will ensure that you don’t have excessive costs to cover when something happens. Be sure to compare insurance options for the best coverage possible.
Lower the Water Heater Temperature
Another key area where you can save money involves lowering the water heater temperature in your home. Experts suggest that the average home only needs the temperature to be at 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
Keeping your HVAC system maintained by changing your HVAC system’s filters will ensure that these machines remain as energy-efficient as possible. Speak to your local plumber and electrician for tips and suggestions to help you make your home more energy-efficient. While this may be costly at first, you will soon see savings in the long run.
Start a Herb Garden
Buying fresh herbs, veggies, and fruit every week can add up to a significant amount at the end of the year. Strive to cut these costs by starting your own produce garden. If you’re new to the concept of gardening, the good news is that herbs are among the easiest plants to grow.
You can easily recycle some containers as growing pots to get started. Using grey water for your herbs will ensure that your garden doesn’t incur any additional costs. If your garden takes off, you can easily sell excess produce at your local farmer’s market, which will see you bringing profit into the home.
Perform Routine Maintenance
A huge amount of savings often goes to repairing faulty plumbing or roofing issues. This often happens when a minor issue has been left to escalate into a bigger problem. Avoid this by creating a monthly and seasonal maintenance schedule to ensure that everything on your property is cleaned, repaired, and serviced often. This includes repairing minor leaks and performing routine repairs to avoid high costs when something breaks. Ultimately, this will save you money in the long run.
Invest in Sustainable Practices
A very significant way to save money as a homeowner is to add as many sustainable features to
your home as possible. Here are a few options well worth considering:
- Go solar: Switching to solar energy will see a considerable saving on your energy bill
every month. - Switch to water-saving plumbing fixtures: You will easily be able to reduce the amount of
money you spend on your monthly water bill by switching to modern, water-saving taps,
shower heads and toilets. - Change to eco-friendly LED lights: Replace any older light bulbs with eco-friendly LED
options. This will help you show a considerable saving on your average energy bill. - Consider a rainwater harvesting system: If you have a large backyard and you live in a
high rainfall area, it may be a good idea to add a rainwater harvesting system to your
home. This process involves installing water tanks and gutters to your roof drainage
system and serves as another way to save money on your water bill. This water can be
used to water your garden, clean your roof and walkways, and even wash your vehicles
or flush your toilets. - Replace your old appliances: Are you still using older appliances? Some of these can
use an excessive amount of energy, which may be inflating your energy bill
unnecessarily. Avoid this by replacing these appliances with energy-efficient options, as
these will help you save money in the long run.
Final Thoughts
Owning your own home is a wonderful investment and also gives the homeowner a sense of
accomplishment. However, keeping up with the costs of running your home can be quite
challenging, especially if you don’t have a separate savings account for maintenance in place.
Use our tips to help you save money for those rainy days.
