Category: Home Inspection

How Long Your Appliance Will Last

Whether you’re getting ready to move into your new home with its own set of aging appliances, or you’re just taking stock of the ones you already own, it’s helpful to know just how much life they have left in them. New homeowners typically forget to budget for the average of $9,000 in hidden expenses they’ll run into in the first months and years of home ownership, and appliances are a substantial part of that expense. Here’s a breakdown of how long your home appliances should last, and how you can lengthen their lifespans to save money in the long run. For All Appliances Before we get started, the numbers you’ll see below are averages. You can get a rough estimate of how long your appliances have left before they give up the ghost based solely on their age, but what’s more important is how much use they get. A washing machine that handles clothes for a family of 5 will see a lot more action than a bachelor’s, for example, which will shorten its lifespan accordingly. Oven Range: 13-15 Years Whether you have a gas, electric or induction range, they tend to have similar lifespans. The best way to

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How to Prepare Your Home for a Hurricane

The peak of hurricane season is just around the corner, so what should you do to prepare? Besides taking every step necessary to make sure your family stays safe, there are also things you can do to protect your home and valuable property. Here are six things you can do right now to prep for the coming storms. 1. Strap down your roof. If you have access to your attic, you can provide extra strength and protection from high winds with hurricane straps. These come in the form of metal straps or clips that tie your roof to the frame of your house so the roof is less likely to suffer damage from hurricane-force winds. If you live in certain states like Florida, your roof may already have these straps as they’re required by law for new construction. If you don’t have them, you can add them for about $500. 2. Install storm shutters. It’s also a good idea to protect your windows as much as you can, because you never know what the wind will be blowing. Storm shutters close and lock over your windows, and they’re made of impact-resistant materials like steel or aluminum. There are many different

Read More »

How Long Your Appliance Will Last

Whether you’re getting ready to move into your new home with its own set of aging appliances, or you’re just taking stock of the ones you already own, it’s helpful to know just how much life they have left in them. New homeowners typically forget to budget for the average of $9,000 in hidden expenses they’ll run into in the first months and years of home ownership, and appliances are a substantial part of that expense. Here’s a breakdown of how long your home appliances should last, and how you can lengthen their lifespans to save money in the long run. For All Appliances Before we get started, the numbers you’ll see below are averages. You can get a rough estimate of how long your appliances have left before they give up the ghost based solely on their age, but what’s more important is how much use they get. A washing machine that handles clothes for a family of 5 will see a lot more action than a bachelor’s, for example, which will shorten its lifespan accordingly. Oven Range: 13-15 Years Whether you have a gas, electric or induction range, they tend to have similar lifespans. The best way to

Read More »

How to Prepare Your Home for a Hurricane

The peak of hurricane season is just around the corner, so what should you do to prepare? Besides taking every step necessary to make sure your family stays safe, there are also things you can do to protect your home and valuable property. Here are six things you can do right now to prep for the coming storms. 1. Strap down your roof. If you have access to your attic, you can provide extra strength and protection from high winds with hurricane straps. These come in the form of metal straps or clips that tie your roof to the frame of your house so the roof is less likely to suffer damage from hurricane-force winds. If you live in certain states like Florida, your roof may already have these straps as they’re required by law for new construction. If you don’t have them, you can add them for about $500. 2. Install storm shutters. It’s also a good idea to protect your windows as much as you can, because you never know what the wind will be blowing. Storm shutters close and lock over your windows, and they’re made of impact-resistant materials like steel or aluminum. There are many different

Read More »