What Kinds of Damage and Upkeep Costs Should I Expect for my New Home?

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As many homeowners soon discover after purchasing a new home, especially those who purchase older homes, there can be a lot of costs piling up concerning the upkeep of your home as well as necessary repairs to keep your home safe. We will discuss some of the types of costs you should expect after purchasing your home in the form of repairs for damages and upkeep.

The Roof

One of the things you should be most concerned about in terms of causing damage to your new home is water. Water will show up in a lot of places, some of which can lead to rather expensive repairs. The most important place to look out for water damage is your roof. Leaks from your roof can cause a lot of problems both inside and outside of your home. 

On the inside leaks can cause serious cosmetic damage as well as damage to potentially important personal belongings. 

On the outside it can cause damage to the roof and lead to costly repairs.

The greatest problem coming from a leaky roof is damage to the overall health of your home which can lead to significant structural damage which could become extremely expensive to repair.

The Lawn and Landscaping

Fortunately, landscaping is a realm where you can save quite a lot of money by just doing it yourself. However, if you really want to do the job right, costs associated with lawn care equipment can be significant. The costs can become even greater should you choose to hire a landscaping company to do the work for you. 

A mistake homebuyers can make with landscaping is believing it is simply a cosmetic issue, and may choose to not do any landscaping work if they decide such cosmetics have no value to them. The problem with this kind of mentality is that there are certain issues surrounding landscaping which become necessary for safety reasons such as a low hanging tree limb which could cause damage to your roof or overgrown plants which can impact drainage, plumbing, and HVAc systems.

Termite Damage

Termites are a common nuisance for homeowners, as they are attracted to moisture in wood and are small enough to squeeze their way into your house from anywhere. Damage from termites can become costly to fix, and hiring exterminators to check your home will add to the cost as well.

Costs related to termite damage can be avoided by ensuring there is no wood touching the ground near your house. It is also important to make sure the ground around your home slopes downward in a direction away from your home, as this can prevent water from accumulating at your home’s foundation.

Mold Damage

Yet another problem associated with water and moisture is mold damage. Mold damage can grow in humid and dank parts of your home, leading to potential health problems.

Costs can accumulate from mold if it makes its way into your HVAC system, as repairing these systems and inspecting for mold is too complicated for the average homeowner, and you will need to hire an HVAC professional to deal with any mold related issues.