Saving Money on Home Appliance Repairs

Owning a home is an expensive endeavour. There are mortgages or rent to pay, along with taxes and upkeep costs. Many of us are able to budget these regular costs, but struggle when unexpected costs arise. For example, one day everything in your home is running fine, and the next your furnace no longer works, leaving you in the cold. Now you have a large expense looming in front of you and you don’t know how you’re going to afford it. Below, we’ll offer some suggestions on how you can save some money on home appliance repairs.

Perform Regular Maintenance

One of the best ways to save money on home repairs is to keep them from happening in the first place. To do this, you’ll want to perform regular maintenance on your major appliances and home systems. By performing regular maintenance, you’ll help to keep your home systems in better condition, which will not only let them operate more efficiently but also make them less likely to break down.

For example, one system you’ll want to perform maintenance on is your HVAC system. If you can remember to regularly replace the air filter and occasionally clean out the system, you’ll make it less likely that your furnace or AC unit breaks down. Other systems in your home that you should take care of include your dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, and your oven. If you still have the owner’s manuals for any of these appliances, read through them to find maintenance tips. You can also find maintenance tips for all sorts of home appliances online. Then, just set a reminder on your calendar and perform all these maintenance jobs in a single day.

Get a Home Warranty

Unfortunately, even if you take excellent care of your home appliances, they may still break down at some point. When this happens, depending on the appliance and the severity of the problem, you could be looking at very expensive repairs. One option to make home repairs a little more affordable is by getting a home warranty. With a home warranty, you pay a small monthly fee and in exchange, if you ever need to pay for appliance repairs, the warranty covers those costs.

When exploring home warranty options, be sure to learn which appliances each covers and how much repair costs they’ll reimburse you for. Home warranties aren’t the best option for everyone, especially if you’re operating on a tight monthly budget. However, according to Cinch Home Services, a provider of HMS home warranty, “unlike homeowners insurance, a home warranty plan covers the cost of repairing or replacing major appliances or systems in your home. Whether you’re dealing with problems caused by normal wear and tear or a surprise breakdown, a home warranty could cover thousands of dollars of expenses.”

Learn to Do the Repairs Yourself

Your next option for saving on home repairs is to learn to do the repairs yourself. You may be surprised at how simple some appliance repairs are. If you’re willing to spend a little time learning how to do appliance repairs and don’t mind getting your hands dirty, this can be an excellent way to save money on your next home repair.

For example, let’s say your home’s dishwasher stops working. Upon doing some research, you learn that one of the rotating parts inside the dishwasher broke down, causing your problems. You then find the replacement part online and order it. By following some directions online, you’re able to easily remove the broken part and install the new one in a matter of minutes. You’ve now avoided calling in a repair service and learned something new along the way – that’s a win-win situation.

The next time one of your appliances breaks down, research the problem online first before immediately calling in a repair service. You may find that the repair sounds simple and that you’re capable of doing it yourself. Just remember to be careful when working with electricity and that you don’t cause further damage to the appliance when trying to fix it.

Research Local Repair Services

Finally, if you can’t avoid needing a repair service, the best thing you can do is find an affordable option in your area. There are likely several different services in your area that can help with your particular issue. However, they probably all charge different amounts. A great thing to do before hiring someone is to ask them for an estimate of the costs. By doing this, you’re more likely to find the most affordable option in your area. As long the repair service still has a good reputation from previous customers, there’s nothing wrong with finding the most affordable option.

Disclosure: This is a featured post.