Home Advice Homeowner Savings Tips – Are You Taking Advantage?

Homeowner Savings Tips – Are You Taking Advantage?

Homeowner Savings

When you own a home, you have to think about many expenses, not just your mortgage. With an increase in property taxes, energy costs, and HOA fees, many homeowners are looking for additional ways to save money. Fortunately, there are small changes and upgrades that you can make to your home to begin saving you money immediately. In this article, we will explore ways to save money on energy cost as well as potential insurance savings. Every penny counts, and when these measures are consistently enacted you will notice that you have a bit more money at the end of each month for savings or recreational spending.

How Your Windows and Doors Are Costing You Money

If you have noticed that your heating and cooling bills are exorbitantly higher than they were in the past, then your issues may be with your windows and doors, not your utility company. While they may seem like an innocuous culprit, they are in fact heavy contributors to the amount of energy your home expends on heating and cooling efforts. This is due to the unwanted and sometimes unnoticed drafts that improperly sealed doors and windows can cause. In order to counteract the negative effects of drafts, you can do a variety of things.

  1. Apply caulk around your windows and doors
  2. Purchase a draft snake
  3. Ensure that your curtains are well insulated
  4. Purchase window film

These are all quick and relatively easy fixes that will more than likely supply a return on your investment within the first month of implementation.

Easy Changes To Help With Heating and Cooling

Heating and Cooling system

Your heating and cooling system uses a lot of energy. When your heating and cooling system is in good working condition, it can help to decrease your monthly utility bills. If it is not properly maintained, you may notice that no matter the season or weather, your energy bills just keep getting higher. Below, we have listed a few ways to ensure that your HVAC system is your ally and not your financial enemy.

  • Schedule yearly maintenance on your heating and cooling system
  • Take advantage of air filter subscriptions and change them often
  • Install a programmable thermostat
  • Regularly clean the coils on your A/C system

Taking the time to ensure that your heating and cooling system is working efficiently can save you major money in the short and long term. In addition, it will decrease the likelihood of your system needing major repairs in the future.

Save Money on Your Insurance

Unfortunately, home insurance is a necessary evil. With this in mind, there are ways to lower insurance rates month over month. Taking steps like making your home more disaster resistant (hurricane shutters, reinforced windows and doors, etc.), installing a security system and upgrading the materials on your roof and siding to make them more fire resistant can help to save you hundreds of dollars per year on homeowners insurance. If you are currently not prepared to take these steps, just keep them in mind for when you naturally have to replace your siding, windows, roofing, etc. and ensure that you use materials that will be favorable to your insurance rates.