As a homeowner, it’s important to know the right decisions to make because every single one has a price attached to it. There are many parts of your home that you need to work on if you want to keep it comfortable and beautiful. Read on to see five household mistakes you’re probably making and should stop in order to enjoy savings and generally better returns.
1. Not Servicing Your Appliances Regularly
All the appliances in your home can function a lot more efficiently if they’re serviced on a regular basis. This includes the air conditioning system, which, according to Comfy Living, had a global market size of $240.8 billion in 2019. Regular servicing can help you keep your home’s energy bills lower and also help you extend their lifespan. The peace of mind that you stand to get if you don’t have to make unplanned fixes whenever your appliances break down is worth taking the time to set a regular maintenance schedule. This can keep them running optimally and fix issues before they ever get out of hand.
2. Failing to Inspect and Maintain Your Roof
Your home’s roof is expansive and one of the most important parts of your house in general. This means that breakdowns and failures can be very costly for you if you’re not careful. With this in mind, it’s important to have the roof inspected at least once a year. If you live in an area that experiences severe weather on a regular basis, then you need to do inspections more regularly, about twice a year or as every new season starts. This will alert you to potential issues in the future and enable you to keep your roof in a good state throughout its lifespan.
3. Ignoring Drafty Windows
If you have single-pane windows in your house that also happen to be drafty, you are literally leaking money through them. This is because they allow treated air to escape and you need to crank your air conditioner higher and run it for a longer time. Performing a simple inspection will allow you to see any cracks and gaps between the windows and frames so that you can fix them with caulk. You can also get the right window treatments to enhance their efficiency. Installing window awnings, for example, can reduce electricity consumption because it lessens heat gained by solar by anywhere from 65% to 77%, according to Grand View Research. This and other safety measures
4. Running Appliances Half Full
To make the most efficient use of appliances like your washing machine and dishwasher, always run full loads. While it may be more attractive for you to keep your house clean by cleaning up any dirty laundry and dishes as soon as you are done using them, you are better off either cleaning them by hand or waiting until they comprise a full load. When you do this, you will have your appliances functioning at their very best levels at all times. Also, fix any leaks in and around your home because any leaking plumbing appliances, including toilets, faucets, and water heaters could see you to waste over 3,000 gallons of water every single year.
5. Forgetting to Check Smoke Detectors
Finally, having smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in your home is a great way to keep your family safe. With this in mind, always check to see if the batteries in your detectors work, otherwise the gadgets are no good to you. Write reminders on your phone or put notes alongside the gadgets with the dates when you put in the current batteries as well as when the next batteries are due. This will save you a lot of guesswork and improve your overall safety.
Make sure that you’re not making any of these five household mistakes and you should have an easier time keeping your family happy and safe. You will also be happy if you end up paying a bit less for the energy that you use!
