Often times, when a person looks into buying a house, he or she only considers its mortgage price. Unfortunately, while the mortgage comprises the vast majority of the home’s price, it’s not the only cost you need to worry about. Another major cost to consider is the maintenance cost.
Over time, your home will deteriorate. In order to keep it in working order, you’ll need to put some additional money into it. Curious as to how much money will be required?
Here are the average home maintenance costs in 2020.
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Average Home Maintenance Costs: The Simple Rule
The truth of the matter is that home maintenance costs can vary wildly. They’re dependent on a number of factors, including but not limited to the area in which the home is located, the climate surrounding the home, the way that the residents treat the home, and just general dumb luck.
That said, there is a general rule that gets thrown around when discussing the annual cost of home maintenance. That rule is 1%, as in 1% of the total cost of the house.
So, if you paid $300,000 for the house initially, you should expect it to average around $3,000 of maintenance per year. This will include everything from cleaning to HVAC system repairs to roofing repairs and the like.
Factors That Affect Home Maintenance Costs
As was alluded to above, there are a number of factors that can affect home maintenance costs. We’re going to discuss these factors in detail below.
Climate
One of the greatest influences on home maintenance costs is the climate. Hot, cold, wet, and dry climates come with their own sets of challenges, vastly affecting the amount of money that must be spent to maintain a house.
Winter climates are particularly unfriendly to homes. Cold, snow, ice, and water can wreak havoc on their roofs, their siding, their plumbing, and more. As such, those in cold areas must often spend more on home maintenance than do those in warm areas.
That said, humid climates can be detrimental too. Persistent moisture can not only lead to mold and mildew but structural deterioration as well. Plus, if you’re close to a waterway, you might have to deal with flooding.
Extreme temperatures of any kind can put tons of stress on HVAC systems. So, if your area is subject to a long winter or long summer, your air conditioner or furnace might need to be replaced sooner rather than later. This will add to your home maintenance costs.
Your Home’s Age
Simply put, newer homes cost less to maintain than do older homes. This is due both to the quality of their construction and the lack of deterioration they’ve experienced. So, while a new home might cost more upfront, it might actually end up costing you less over time.
Note, though, that the homes you really have to look out for are those built before the 1950s. These homes often lack the insulative qualities of more modern homes. Not to mention, they could contain lead paint or other antiquated entities.
The Way You Treat Your Home
Another factor that affects maintenance costs is the way in which the home is treated. Those who clean their homes and take care of problems quickly tend to incur fewer expenses than those who do not.
There’s also the issue of wear and tear. An older couple without children isn’t likely to put as much stress on a house as a family of 5 with 2 dogs. The more rough-and-tumble the home is exposed to, the sooner it will fall apart and need to be repaired.
Proactive Care
If you want to save as much on maintenance costs as possible, you need to be proactive in the care of your home. While the initial costs of proactive care might alarm you, they will help maintain the condition of your home over time. This will result in fewer costs over the long-run.
The Average Costs of Home Entities
A home consists of a variety of entities, each of which comes with separate replacement and repair costs. We’ll discuss the most prominent of these entities below.
Roof
Residential roofs incur between $100 and $200 a year in maintenance costs. However, they need to be replaced every 20 to 30 years or so. A replacement runs between $5,000 and $10,000.
Siding
Like the roof, the siding incurs between $100 and $200 of annual maintenance costs. However, siding needs to be replaced every 20 to 40 years. When this occurs, you’ll need to pay somewhere between $5,000 and $15,000.
HVAC
HVAC systems require an average of $100 and $200 in annual maintenance costs. Note, though, that this does not include the replacement of furnaces and air conditioners. These entities usually run for between 15 and 20 years, after which they must be replaced at an average cost of between $5,000 and $10,000.
Of course, you can knock costs down a bit if you’re able to make repairs yourself. Interested? Browse parts now.
Water Heater
Water heaters incur average maintenance costs of between $80 and $100. That said, they only last for around 10 years and a water heater replacement costs between $750 and $1,500.
Gutters
Gutters don’t require much in the way of maintenance. That said, you should still set aside around $50 a year, just in case. Should your gutters need to be replaced, you’ll need to pay between $1,000 and $2,500.
Lawn
As a homeowner, you’re responsible for caring for your lawn. Depending on your location, lawncare expenses can be fairly costly. Not only must you buy appropriate lawn care tools (ie. lawnmower, weedwhacker, etc.), but you must also buy the gas needed to power them.
Cold weather areas will incur costs of between $25 and $50 a month. Hot weather areas will incur costs of between $50 and $100.
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