Neglected Home Exteriors: Avoid Hidden Costs - Top Tips

Neglected home exteriors are a guaranteed way to erode the value of your home. Homeowners be ware. In this article we offer top tips on how to retain value in your home and avoid the hidden costs when you neglect your home exteriors. Read on to learn more.

The Hidden Costs of Neglected Home Exteriors—And How to Avoid Them

Want to keep your largest investment safe from costly damages?

You never think about your home’s exterior. Not until something goes wrong anyway. By then a minor issue has spiraled out of control and turned into an expensive nightmare.

Let’s set the record straight…

Ignoring the exterior leads to thousands in repairs that can easily be prevented with routine maintenance. Studies prove homeowners who defer maintenance pay 3-5x more on repairs to neglected home exteriors, compared to homeowners who perform regular maintenance.

The good news is that you don’t have pay thousands of dollars to learn what those hidden costs are. Preventing them is also much easier than you think.

Keep reading to discover the true cost of neglected home exteriors…

Exactly how much deferred maintenance really costs
Where most homeowners lose their money
How professional exterior home improvement services keep you spend less
Your simple prevention plan for avoiding costly mistakes

How Deferred Maintenance Can Bankrupt You

Putting off maintenance on the exterior of your home feels smart. After all you save money now instead of paying someone to come out. What could go wrong?

Here’s the problem…

A worn roof doesn’t magically repair itself. It leaks. And that leak ruins insulation, drywall, carpet. What should have been a $500 repair now costs $15,000.

According to the National Association of Realtors, deferred maintenance can lead to a sale price 5-15% below market value. On a $400,000 home that’s $40,000-$60,000 in your pocket. Partnering with skilled professionals that provide quality residential roofing services and exterior home improvement services helps you avoid these types of issues.

If you spend a little now, you won’t have to spend big later. Simple math.

Where Most Homeowners Lose Their Money

Some maintenance items are more expensive to ignore than others, which can explain some elements of the more common neglected home exteriors. These are the three home exteriors issues that catch homeowners with their wallets wide open.

Your Roof

Your roof does more than keep your house looking nice. It keeps your entire home protected from the elements.

Granules dropping off shingles, algae and moss growth may be cosmetic. However they retain moisture that rots your roof from the inside out. This can reduce your roof’s lifespan by 30-50%. Routine cleanings and annual inspections can catch these problems.

Without maintenance you can expect…

Missing and damaged shingles
Roof leaks
Interior damage
Increased energy bills
Roof replacement

Maintaining your roof properly can add 10-15 years to it’s life. Thousands of dollars in your pocket. A major incentive to avoiding neglected home exteriors.

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Your Gutters

Gutters don’t seem very complicated. You sprinkle some water in them and it’s supposed to flow out the other end. Right? When you ignore them you’re setting yourself up for some of the costliest home damage possible.

Overflowing gutters dump water into your home’s foundation, walls, and basement. Ice dams occur during the winter. Mold spreads during summer.

Allowing your gutters to go unchecked costs you…

$300-600 a year for gutter cleaning. Ignoring them leads to an average of $8,000-$25,000 in foundation repair. Not even close to even.

Your Siding

Dirty siding is unsightly. Missing or damaged siding severely hurts your curb appeal. But did you know it also destroys your house from the outside in?

Siding traps moisture against home. It causes wood rot, pest infestation, and major structural issues. You can spend $200-400 per year on pressure washing. Or you can pay $12,000-$20,000 to replace your siding.

We think you know which decision makes the most sense.

How Exterior Home Improvement Services Protect Your Wallet

Getting professional help for your home’s exterior is not a cost. It’s an investment that returns value tenfold.

They Catch Issues Early

The trained eye of a professional contractor sees things you may miss. Small cracks, deteriorating shingles, weathered caulk can all be addressed before they turn into an issue.

Early intervention means…

Avoid water infiltration
Avoid structural damage
Avoid mold
Avoid costly emergency repairs

A $500 investment in inspection and maintenance could save you $20,000 in future repairs. That’s a return on your investment you can’t get anywhere else.

They Use Correct Materials

The internet is great for teaching you how to do things yourself. But most DIY solutions do more harm than good. Cheap materials, improper application, and overlooked issues create more problems down the road.

Professionals have access to the right materials for every job. They know how to handle unique climate challenges. They understand local building codes and ways to ensure your home exceeds them. All of that adds up to superior protection of your home.

Protect Your Product Warranties

Lots of exterior home products come with warranties. But did you know many of them require professional installation to keep that warranty valid? Cutting corners destroys your ability to have that protection when you need it most.

Investing in a professional contractor ensures…

Dramatically increased lifespan for your exterior
Products are installed correctly the first time
You keep that manufacturer’s warranty
Your home stays protected long-term

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Prevention Plan To Stop Hidden Costs

Avoiding these hidden costs isn’t rocket science, but it does require a plan.

Create A Maintenance Schedule

Sticking to a maintenance schedule is by far the best way to care for your home exterior. Letting things go until they break will always cost you more money.

Here’s an example maintenance calendar to get you started.

	Spring	Summer	Fall	Winter
Roof	Inspection	Inspection	Inspection	Look for damage
Gutters	Clean out	Clean out	Clean out	Monitor ice
Siding	Check for damage	Bear Power wash	Check for damage	Power wash

You can avoid 90% of problems by simply sticking to this schedule.

Set Aside 1% Of Your Home Value Each Year

This may sound like a lot but hear us out. Financial experts recommend homeowners save anywhere from 1-4% of their home value every year just for maintenance.

A home worth $300,000 will need $3,000-$12,000 budgeted annually for maintenance.

When you break that into monthly expenses, DIY repairs, and occasional professionals it doesn’t seem so bad. Divided over 12 months it only costs $250-$1,000 per month. That you suddenly don’t have because your foundation failed seems like a lot.

Partner With Professionals

Once you find reputable exterior home improvement services you can begin to build a relationship with them. They will come to know your home and it’s individual needs. Preserve the value of your home by avoiding neglected home exteriors.

Look for companies that…

Focus on residential exterior maintenance
Provide full services for roof, siding, and gutters
Perform thorough inspections
Stand behind their work with a warranty

This makes maintaining your home’s exterior easy because now it’s no longer overwhelming.

Deal With Problems Immediately

A small problem left unchecked becomes a big problem quickly. That little crack in your siding isn’t going to repair itself. Rainwater gets in. Freeze and thaw causes it to expand. Now your entire wall needs replacing.

Don’t wait for problems to get worse. Repair them while they’re small and inexpensive to fix.

Wrap-Up

Don’t fall victim to expensive home repairs that could have been prevented by simply maintaining your home’s exterior. By following this simple plan you can join the majority of homeowners who…

Know preventative maintenance costs 3-5x less than deferred maintenance
Understand that roofing, gutters, and siding can cause the biggest problems
Use professional exterior home improvement services to protect their home and wallet
Set budget expectations and stay on a maintenance calendar

It all adds up to savings and home that holds it’s value through the years. Learn from their mistakes. Use these tips to prevent unnecessary expenses.