Tips and Tricks on Keeping a Low Maintenance Family Home
Being a homeowner is a complex and tactful job, regardless of the size of your property. It is a source of great freedom but it comes with so much responsibility. Low maintenance homes are homes that don’t require much setup or upkeep. The benefits of living in a community that embraces low maintenance homes include:
- You will not have to deal with trash and recycling collection
- There is no need for you to buy equipment such as a lawnmower.
- There is no need to panic when it snows because the HOA will shovel and clear out the area
- You can enjoy on-site entertainment facilities such as swimming pools, fitness centers and communal clubhouses.
The following tips can be the answer that you need for your low maintenance home:
Invest in the right finishes
When you choose the right finishes for your house, you save a huge chunk of money that would have gone to taking care of maintenance around the house. You also save yourself the time and effort that would have been spent. The areas where you could invest a little more in the quality include the roof, windows, doors, the gutter, stairs, handrails and the exterior of the house. When purchasing items for the house finishes, ensure that they have the right materials that can withstand wear and tear for increased longevity. After that, ensure that the installation is done correctly or else they will not perform as intended. Some of the items do come with an instruction packet that can be used for guidance when working on any part of the house. If not, be sure to do some research or ask for help on the appropriate installation methods.
Low maintenance landscaping
When you have a yard in your compound, it should be a spot where you get to relax and unwind after a long day or week. That won’t be possible if all your time will be spent taking care of things here and there. Activities such as mowing the lawn and watering the compound can require a huge chunk of yard care time. However, taking advantage of the available tips and resources will significantly reduce your landscape maintenance responsibilities leaving you with more time for yourself. To achieve low levels of maintenance when it comes to your landscaping, there are a few things you could do to minimize your workload such as:
- Using an automatic irrigation system
- Using hard-scape surfaces where possible to eliminate the need to water or weed plants.
- Building rock gardens and planting drought tolerant plants
- Using mulch to reduce your watering needs and to suppress weeds
- Preventing soil erosion by planting creeping junipers or ground covers that will save you the time you will need to mow the grass.
- Using synthetic turf that does not need to be mowed or watered
VA home loan benefits
VA homes are condos that can be bought by veterans with the benefit of 100% financing, no down payment, and elimination of private mortgage insurance fees. The condominiums are spacious and are conveniently located in the same zip codes as higher cost living areas. The advantage of buying these VA condos is its affordability. The biggest takeaway however is its low maintenance as compared to buying a house for oneself. When you own a house, you are responsible for any upkeep needed to maintain the state of your home. With VA approved condos, interior and exterior maintenance such as yard work, leaky pipes or painting falls under the homeowners association. This is a great offer for service members whose time can be invested elsewhere. If you are searching for a way you can enjoy the benefits of owning a home without having to deal with a lot of maintenance then this is for you.
Insulate your water pipes and heaters
When it comes to saving cash on cooling or heating, insulation is very key. Water heaters tend to lose some bit of heat as they travel through the pipes from your water heater. This loss of efficiency can be remedied by insulating your water heater pipes. If your home is located in cold areas, your pipes may be at a high risk of freezing. Exposed piping as well as those located externally and inside need to be insulated to reduce the risk of freezing pipes and the need for costly repairs. Materials used in insulation include foam insulators and insulation jackets. An HVAC technician can assist you in determining which pipes need to be insulated, especially the hard to reach pipes. You might go for neoprene foam, fiberglass, aluminium, or polyethylene. Do your research on which material works best for your kind of heater.
Conclusion
Making low maintenance upgrades or purchasing a low maintenance home will be a lifesaver for you, in the case that you are looking to invest your time, effort and money elsewhere. With all the stressful details taken care of, you can now sit back, relax and enjoy.