Keeping a functional and comfortable home isn’t cheap. There are utility bills, cleaning products can be pricey and then there is the cost of home improvements. But of course these things are necessary for a house or flat you can be proud of.
Thankfully there are a number of ways to minimise home maintenance costs, so read on for some money saving tips.
1) Rent tools that you won’t need again
If you need to use a large floor sander or a hammer drill for a DIY project, think about whether you are likely to use it again. If not, opt for tool rental rather than buying a pricey device that will probably just gather dust in your shed for the next 10 years. There are numerous tool hire companies offering an array of strange and wonderful things that could be very useful, but which you probably don’t need to own.
2) Buy appropriate vacuum bags
There is a huge variety of vacuum cleaner bags available for different brands and different models. Often people can’t find their particular bag at the local shop so simply make do with the nearest size they can find. This may seem like a good idea at the time, but using the wrong bag leads to your vac not working efficiently and means you will have to swap it before it is properly full, costing you money. If you have a Hoover, buy Hoover bags; if you have a Miele vacuum, buy Miele bags. They will save you cash in the long run and make sure that your device works as intended.
3) Save leftover materials
If you have assembled some furniture and you have a handful of spare screws or a few pieces of wood, keep hold of them. Collect all your unused home improvement materials and you will find that they will come in handy for future projects.
4) Get creative with unwanted paint
If you are left with half full cans of paint that you don’t want to use elsewhere in your home, consider whether they could be blended to create an interesting new tone. A gaudy orange and magnolia can create a soft sunset yellow, for instance. Of course you are limited by your leftovers: brown and red won’t combine quite as well!
5) Prevention is better than cure
Fixing up your gutters, cleaning your roof or trimming the ivy might seem like unnecessary work if there is nothing currently wrong with your home, but preventative measures like this can save you significant sums which would be incurred by not staying on top of your maintenance. A little effort now saves a lot of effort, and expense, later.
