Purchasing a home is one of the most exciting, expensive, and terrifying events people with experience in their life times. Think about it. One day you are sitting in your little apartment, comforted by the fact that, beyond your rent, every thing is the responsibility of the landlord. All of a sudden, you find yourself the proud owner of your very own home, as well as 120 thousand dollars of additional debt! As an added bonus, when the hot water heater or furnace bites the dust, you will finally have the opportunity to take care of it yourself! Congratulations! You have discovered only a few of the perpetual joys of homeownership!
Not to be overly facetious, because homeownership certainly has its perks. You will have your own yard, private parking, the freedom to decorate however you would like, and finally be able to get a dog. But make no mistake, your new home will demand considerable attention. And regardless of its age and condition, it will not be long before something costly will need fixing or replacing.
However, you do not need to be at the mercy of you homes, because there are countless home improvement tips and tricks that you can learn. Some tips for home improvement could even save you hundreds of dollars in repair costs. Therefore, the more home improvement tips and tricks you can learn, the better off you will be. After all, nobody wants to spend 400 bucks on a plumber to fix a simple clog.
One important thing to keep in mind before taking on a DIY project is to be sure that it really does not require an expert. Electricity is one area you had better leave to the professionals. But also be wary of those ads for repair services that implore you to leave it to the experts, or to never do this on your own. Now that we are living in what is termed a service economy, much of that is nonsense. Many are schemes cloaked under the guise of friendly local services with only your best interests in mind. Hogwash. They only thing they want is your money in their pockets!
While a plumber will be needed for major plumbing issues, most common clogs can be fixed with a 20 dollar drain snake and bottle of Draino. The bottom line is that homeowners who learn a few DIY home improvement tips and tricks could save themselves hundreds of dollars a year in home repair costs. After all, with a 120 to 150K mortgage, you will need to save every nickel you can.