Stop Ignoring Your Home or It Will Ignore You

It’s not hard to understand how the notorious honey-do list can go uncompleted. You work hard at your job. You need time off. You get home from work the last thing in the world you want to do is keep working for free, in your own home, where you should be allowed to rest and have fun. Still, your home isn’t something that can be left unchecked indefinitely and those minor home repairs are definitely not going to fix themselves! Here are a few general tips that may help get your particular list of things to do under control.

Avoid Minor Home Repair Pitfalls

There is no shortage of ways to ignore your home, especially when you want to. Some of them are more common than others and some are more understandable than others, but all of them are easily overcome. Keep in mind that avoiding home repairs almost always leads to more money and hassle in the end; costs are likely to put a dent in your wallet, but that dent will always get bigger the longer you procrastinate.

Recognize You Have a Problem

Many problems go unnoticed simply because you can’t see them until they’ve already done extensive damage. Minor home repairs to your roof, the inside of your walls, and your attic, basement or crawlspaces can often save you plenty of money and hassle by keeping larger repairs and replacements at bay. To keep house repair costs as low as possible, it is a good idea to occasionally have your home inspected. Pick a memorable date or event and have your house inspected annually at that time. Set a reminder in your computer, personal organizer, or calendar, and stick to it!

Admit You Need a Repair

There’s no use spotting a minor problem if you can’t admit you need a solution. The stories of minor home repairs that could have saved homeowners huge amounts of money are as true as they are numerous. If you notice something is wrong, don’t dismiss it. A harmless watermark may not be harmless at all; it could in fact be an indicator of bad plumbing or a roof breech that will lead to dry rot, mold, drywall damage, pest infestation, or a problem with structural integrity. Don’t tell yourself that small problems are no big deal. Get them checked out and find out for sure; it may save you from having to shell out some big bucks later!

Minor House Repair Costs

One thing to remember: for small projects around the house, repair costs are rarely unmanageable! While you’ll certainly find plenty of minor home repairs that run a few hundred bucks, there are very few major projects that will be so easy to bear. A small patch on an asphalt roof (or the inspection that identifies where that patch should go) might translate into skipping a few nights out on the town, but a major roof repair could cancel that trip to Europe you’ve been planning for 18 months.

Asking for Help

When you keep a good eye on your property, you’ll find plenty of little fixes that you can (and should) do yourself; however, you’ll also find problems that you don’t know how to fix. While a lot of homeowners will try to fix it themselves and get into trouble, just as many will use their lack of expertise as an excuse to do nothing at all. Ask your friends and family if they know anything about your particular problem. See if they can help you take care of it in exchange for a free meal or a favor down the road.

If talking with friends and family produces no good advice or your little tasks are numerous enough to cause you a big headache, the home improvement industry has the perfect professional for you: the handyman. Handyman services specialize in minor home repairs. To make the most from a handyman’s visit, make sure to identify all of the small repairs your property needs. Make a list, check it twice, and let the handyman service know what’s in store before they arrive so your service provider can fill the van with the appropriate tools and components. Often, these companies charge a flat, minimum rate for showing up as well as an hourly rate; by bundling your minor home repairs together and getting them fixed in a single visit, you make the most of the hourly rate and are only subject to a single arrival fee. When your handyman leaves, your honey-do list will be significantly smaller, and you’ll be in better shape for avoiding vacation killing repair costs in the future!

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