Investing in your home might seem like common sense, but most homeowners don’t know half of the home maintenance process. This investment is one that can pay in spades, but it takes a lot of work, and yes, sometimes cash to maintain.
Keeping your home comfortable and operating in optimal conditions is certainly an investment of money, time, and energy. But the investment is worth it to attain the peace of mind that you and your family expect and deserve from your home. This is why home maintenance is often included in advice and quick tips for investing in your future.
The Home as a Commodity
One of the most important lessons you can learn as a homeowner is that your property is both your home and, in all likelihood, your most valuable capital asset. Homeowners make the mistake of thinking that this space is simply a place to relax or lay your head at the end of a tough day in the office. The coronavirus pandemic has reshaped this way of thinking, and for the better.
Covid-19 kept millions of us working from home for a large portion of this last year (with the WHO officially naming the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic a year ago this month). With this change in scenery, those making use of their kitchens or spare rooms for work-related tasks have realized—sometimes painfully—that the home must be thought of as much more than a space to put up your feet on the weekends and cook dinner in a hurry for a set of hungry mouths. Your home is a commodity that can act as powerful leverage for capital-intensive improvements.
Maintenance and Upgrades
With the help of extensive refinancing and personal loan options available to homeowners, there is little reason not to conduct renovation projects. Adding that playroom in the back, refinishing the kitchen counters with new, luxurious granite that’s cut precisely to your home’s spatial requirements, or starting over with a new bathroom update that makes this space the essence of pampering are all great ways to immediately improve upon your home’s energy.
Another essential maintenance project is in the HVAC system. Your air conditioning is a crucial component of energy efficiency, low monthly bills, and home comfort for the entire family. With the additional time spent at home this past year, you may have noticed grating noises, low airflow, or a variety of other mostly mild troubles within the bowels of your HVAC system. The truth is that regular maintenance to remove dust and dirt build up in air filters, clean debris from your outdoor AC unit, and a few other standard tasks can take care of most of these problems in a hurry.
Air conditioning issues typically stem from a lack of routine maintenance, however, as with any system, there will always be replacement needs. Your AC system will likely last in its current configuration for fifteen or more years, but this is only the case if you commit to yearly or seasonal maintenance to keep each of the integral parts in good working order through the changing temperature and weather patterns that wreak havoc on a home’s AC unit throughout the year.
The biggest investment you must make in your home is in your attention. With regular maintenance on the home’s core systems, you can keep the expense of your home’s upgrades low and easy to implement. By focusing on these necessities, you can save for larger purchases that increase your home’s value exponentially. Maintaining a home to a high standard is all about planning, commitment, and compromise. Make sure you take the time to care for this asset in all its needs.
