Owning the home comes with a lot of responsibility. And first-time buyers are often caught of guard by the maintenance and repair issues that can pop up within the first few years of owning their home. Here are a few of the most common.
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Zillow lists some common home maintenance problems that are likely to arise within the first several years of buying a new home. While a lot of Zillow’s advice is US-centric, much of it still applies to households in Australia. Here are a few examples:
Jammed disposal
According to the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, the average household garbage disposal has a life expectancy of about 10 years — less if you use it a lot or don’t properly maintain it.
Leaky taps, running toilets
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the average household’s leaks waste more than 37,854 litres of water each year; 10 per cent of homes have leaks that waste 340 litres or more per day. Worn-out toilet flappers, dripping taps and leaking valves are among the most common types of residential leaks.
Peeling, cracked paint and siding
If exterior paint is chalky, peeling or cracked, or caulk around windows and doors has failed, your home’s key structural components are at risk. Most homeowners can handle small repairs such as sanding and painting trim around windows and doors.
If you’re a new homeowner, or you’re looking to buy a home, you want to be prepared. You can work these fixes into your budget and know what to watch out for during home inspections. Zillow offers tips for addressing these maintenance issues too, so be sure to check out their full post.
5 Repairs You Might Encounter During the First 5 Years of Owning a Home [Zillow]
Comments
8 responses to “Beware These Common Repairs When You’re A First-Time Home Buyer”
Jammed Disposal ey?
According to the American Shacks, Shantys Home Owners and Land Experts Association (ASSHOLEA), up to 75% of surveyed people use their garbage disposal unit to get rid of bodies. They sell the house, with half a body still clogged up in there.
But just remember, like any good statistic, people can make it up to argue a case. Forfty percent of people know that.
Better reach in with your hand and unclog it.
That is incredibly bad advice. Your arm won’t fit. Ask your child to use their arm.
refilling bullet holes in walls from that time they thought someone was stealing their tv and decided to shoot at moving object in the dark.
I bet that’s legal in some states too.
US-centric., you can say that again.
Rewrite this stuff before posting it, any one who has worked in the building game should be able to do it in a few minutes.
Last time I checked paint and caulk weren’t key structural components of my house.
Ps the ground your house is on will settle you will always eventually get cracks.