Money Saving Home Repairs You Can Learn To DIY
Home repairs can get costly, especially with the national average cost of hiring a plumber coming in at $299 and the cost of hiring an electrician at $322. While these might not seem like outrageously high numbers, they can add up over the year when you factor in how many home repairs you typically need. However, there are solutions to these financial woes, and they lie in learning how to simply fix things yourself. Sometimes, the path to financial freedom includes learning how to take cost-effective detours in the form of DIYing what you can.
Easy Plumbing Repairs
When your toilet is clogged, it can be easy to want to call a plumber and pay the fee in order to avoid having to deal with it yourself. However, there are many easy fixes to plumbing problems. To repair a leaking toilet, for example, simply loosen the bolts located at the base, remove the toilet from the base and clean up any debris around the drain hole. To DIY a clogged toilet, you’ll need to put a cup of baking soda into the bowl and let it sink to the bottom. If it needs a little extra help, you can boil water and throw that into the mix. Add two cups of vinegar slowly and watch it unclog whatever is causing the buildup.
Replacing Kitchen Appliances
It’s actually not that hard to replace various kitchen fixtures such as a faucet or parts of a refrigerator. You’ll want to begin by identifying the route of the problem. In most cases visible rust, leaking water, or reduced water pressure are signs of a problem and will lead you to the root cause. Once you’ve figured that out, you’ll want to remove the faucet or similar appliance and simply follow the instructions included in your new one. Nerd Wallet released reports stating that 31% of homeowners don’t have money set aside for these types of repairs, so by DIYing them yourself you can not only help save on unnecessary spending but also put that money back into your savings.
Remodel Areas of Your Home
44% of Americans who are homeowners said their first unexpected home repair or remodel occurred within the first year of ownership. This is why it’s a great idea to really learn how to DIY these tasks in order to save money while increasing your investment in the house as an asset. While some tasks are better left to professionals, remodels such as installing hardwood floors, resurfacing cabinets and updating the interior paint can all easily be done without any experience.
Taking on Electric Repairs
While it might seem like a daunting task, repairing something electrical can be as simple as knowing where to connect the wires. To replace a light switch, for example, requires you to simply choose the fixture you want. Then, once you’ve got it, you’ll want to turn off the power to your home, remove the existing light switch and pull it out away from the wires, disconnect the panel and then replace it with the new one. Now, take the money you’ve saved and add it to your savings account or some sort of financial fund. Use this money to invest in high-quality repairs and renovations down the road that can increase your home’s value.
The Joy of Saving and Learning
If you’re constantly calling someone else to fix everything, you’ll not only drain your resources fast, but you’ll miss out on the opportunity to learn how to gain practical skills and feel a sense of accomplishment. Learning how to DIY home repairs is a great way to gain skills without tapping into your savings, and that’s a smart financial move you can apply to any area of your life.
