Protecting the value of your home through preventative maintenance

Preventative maintenance is one of those things like flossing your teeth that we have all been told to do at some point, but how many of us actually listen. While Home maintenance can seem like a boring task with little pay back, but in reality it is essential to protecting your space and maintaining its value. Properly implemented preventative maintenance will lower the amount you spend over the life of your home and it will help reduce unexpected expenses, and plan for necessary upgrades over time. Consider the potential cost of a new roof which could fall between $50,000-$100,000 (this is just a ball park figure). The life span of the roof could be anywhere between 15-30 years for a standard shingle roof. The chart below showcases how the lifespan of your roof affects the yearly cost of a $75,000 roof.

15 years $5,000 annually

20 years $3,750 annually

25 years $3,000 annually

30 years $2,500 annually

Even extending the life of your roof by 5 years greatly affect yearly cost, and these type of calculations can be applied to all parts of building, which when combined can result in huge long term savings over the life of the building. This is helpful for those planning on staying in their space for a long period of time, but what about the short term value benefits? Well compare two homes, one has a nicely mowed lawn with a clean walkway to the house, the other has overgrown and patchy grass, and stains on the walkway. Which one would you chose? Surely the one that is well kept as it has the better curb appeal. This is also why many people opt for touch up renovations and painting when they are selling a home, to quickly boost or at least maintain some of its former value. 

Unexpected repairs are nearly gaurenteed with any sort of building over the span of its life, but the frequency of these unexpected repairs can be greatly reduced through preventative maintenance. Going back our car analogy ( ) small repairs can turn into big ones when left unchecked. The resealing of windows and doors is one of the simplest and most overlooked ways to implement preventative maintenance. When installed sealant along with flashing tape is used to prevent water from intruding, but over time these products can lose their effectiveness. Weather is be from small tears, sun damage, or cracking with age even the best installed sealants can show some cracks. By Monitoring these areas and apply the correct sealant when necessary the overall lifespan of your windows can be increased as they remain protected, and the inside of your house will remain leak free, getting rid of a potentially expensive repair! 

Regular maintenance will also allow you to plan for the future. As with anything there will be parts of your home or building that will need replacing eventually. The choice is if you would like to be able to plan for it or not. A preventative maintenance schedule will allow you to identify these area before they need to be replaced, this will allow you to save for it, or sell the property before. Creating a maintenance schedule may seem daunting, especially if you have limited knowledge on the subject. These posts are designed to inform and guide you with items that should be on your home maintenance schedule. Our team is always happy to answer any questions you may have or assist you in creating your own home maintenance plan. Keep your home happy.