Why Not Maintaining Your Home Is More Expensive Than You Think

Homeownership comes with its routine challenges — from leaky pipes to weekly landscaping to broken appliances. While ignoring these problems or delaying fixes to a more convenient time may sound tempting, the cost of not maintaining your home is often pricier than you think.

Fortunately Thumbtack, a home services app used by millions, makes it easy to find and hire local professionals to help you maintain and fix every corner of your home. Keep reading to find out how much not maintaining your home can really cost you, and why routine maintenance is the best defense against costly emergency repairs.

The Real Cost Of Skipping Home Maintenance

According to research performed by Thumbtack, 68 percent of homeowners report feeling overwhelmed, confused or stressed about maintaining their homes, and 64 percent said they would feel better prepared with a personalized owner’s manual for their home. Furthermore, over half of homeowners surveyed in the study say their regrets stemmed from not budgeting for repairs and maintenance.

As stressful as figuring out how to take care of your house is, delaying repairs and maintenance can also mean a lower home value when it comes time to sell your property. Thumbtack’s research with OJO* found that a well-maintained home sells for 10 percent more than a home in average condition, amounting to a national average increase of $44,000. Homeowners with well-maintained homes in popular metropolitan areas will see an even larger increase when compared to average-condition homes — up to $130,000.

By national standards, the average cost of essential home maintenance for a home’s central air, water heater, refrigerator, roof and appliances is $1,347 a year, according to Thumbtack’s research. If these essential components are not well-maintained and all break down at once, a homeowner could face a $29,000 bill (on average) to repair or replace them.

Not only does home maintenance save money, but it also saves you energy expended stressing about home issues. The frustration and anxiety of having your fridge break before a family gathering, a roof leak at the beginning of spring or a furnace failure as temperatures start to dip often gets compounded by the worry of how to afford a repair.

Home Maintenance Tasks For Every Season

Tackling these seasonal maintenance tasks with the help of a top-rated professional will keep your residence comfortable all year long. Here’s a season-by-season guide on what to take care of and when.

Fall
Get ready for cooler temperatures and house guests in the fall with preventative home maintenance.

• Clean out gutters. Toward the end of autumn and before major freezes, hire a professional gutter cleaning service to remove all the leaves and debris from your gutters to avoid buildup.
• Have a pro check out your heating system. Ensure your furnace, boiler and/or HVAC system operate well to avoid unexpected cold nights, frozen pipes or emergency repair costs by hiring an HVAC professional to inspect it.
• Inspect and clean your roof and chimney. Patch holes, clean debris and prep your roof and chimney for the cold weather rolling in. Chimneys need to be professionally swept at least once a year to help prevent chimney fires.
• Clean your crawl space or attic. Clean out debris and inspect for pest infestations and mold. Consider weekly or monthly maintenance as the season progresses to avoid unexpected issues.
• Prep your lawn for winter. Depending on your yard, decide if and when you need to fertilize, aerate, mow or water your lawn. Or, you can hire a professional to decide and perform the work for you.

Winter
In the winter, focus on interior projects to avoid colder temperatures and prep for holiday guests.

• Have your hot water heater and septic tank inspected. A professional plumber can take a look at your home’s water heater and septic tank to prevent unwanted issues like frozen or clogged pipes.
• Protect your home from the elements. Put a rug or carpet down in the entryway to catch tracked-in mud and slush, and consider weatherstripping doors and windows to save on energy bills.
• Get your home professionally cleaned. While you’re busy buying the perfect gifts and planning your holiday menu, a house cleaner can take care of deep cleaning your kitchen, powder rooms, and any guest rooms that might see more foot traffic during the holidays.

Spring
Spring signals a refresh both inside and outside the home. Focus on repairing damage from winter weather and prepping the yard for outdoor living.

• Fill cracks before they spread. Cracks in the sidewalk and driveway can affect a home’s foundation. Be sure to fill cracks in the spring before they spread and cause extensive damage.
• Repair weather damage. From doors and windows to patios, roofs, decks, and even siding, inspect and fix your home’s interior and exterior for water-warping, insect damage or natural wear and tear.
• Clean gutters. As nature thaws and spring brings showers, downspouts and gutters should be cleared of leaves and debris to protect your home’s foundation. Hiring a professional to help with this task can save you a ton of time and help you avoid potential safety hazards that come with climbing up to reach your gutters.
• Landscape. Prep your lawn mower and weed wacker, identify dead or rotting grass, and decide if you’ll need to fertilize your lawn.
• Check irrigation and drainage. Search for leaks, inspect proper water pressure, ensure sprinklers point towards the lawn and away from non-grass spaces and confirm drainage won’t negatively affect your foundation as the ground thaws.

Summer
Homeowners may enjoy outdoor living in the summer months, meaning exterior home maintenance is all the more important.

• Pressure wash your home’s exterior. Whether you do it yourself or hire a professional, pressure wash your home’s exterior, sidewalks, driveway, patio and/or deck.
• Paint your home’s exterior. Warm temperatures and drier weather are the perfect time to refresh your home’s paint — whether you choose to repaint the whole exterior or change the color of your shutters.
• Maintain your garage. Don’t forget to service your garage door. Oil the door’s hinges, inspect the door opener and its chain, remove grime and debris and test electric openers.
• Clean your pool. If you have a pool, weekly pool maintenance is a must. Skim the surface for debris, vacuum the bottom of your pool and check the chemicals and water quality.
• Service your air conditioner. Servicing your AC before temperatures heat up is as important as servicing your furnace before winter arrives. Get an AC inspection to ensure everything works well and won’t need replacing or repairing during the stifling summer heat.

How Thumbtack Can Help With Your Home Maintenance

Thumbtack can connect you with top-rated local professionals for pretty much any home-related task, but if you really want peace of mind when it comes to ongoing home maintenance, Thumbtack Plus is the way to go. With Thumbtack’s membership program, you can ask a home specialist questions about your home or an upcoming project. They'll follow-up with an action plan that keeps you on track, on budget and set up for success.

Thumbtack Plus members also enjoy include a $10,000 money-back guarantee, a $100,000 Property-Damage Guarantee for property damage by hired professionals, 20 percent off** on-demand bookings and support from home specialists. See Thumbtack Plus Guarantee Terms here.

Sign up for Thumbtack Plus to make home maintenance easier at any time of year.

*Survey Methodology: Thumbtack conducted a survey of the general population from 3/7/2022 to 3/10/2022 of 1,720 U.S. adults aged 18 or higher balanced by age and gender according to U.S. Census estimates. Results have a margin of error of +/- 2.4%. New homeowners are defined as homeowners who purchased their home in the past two years.

OJO Methodology: A survey of professional realtors was conducted by OJO from 4/20/2022–5/2/2022. 1068 responses were received. Respondents were asked to provide a response to the sales premium that a well maintained home receives rounded to the nearest percentage point. The median value is reported in the analysis.

Pricing data for maintenance and replacement costs is based on platform data from projects requested on Thumbtack over the past 24 months as reported directly by the independent service professional or individual consumer. Essential components of the home include: central air, heat pump, water heater, roof, gutters, siding, deck, refrigerator, range/oven, and dishwasher. A survey of Thumbtack pros was conducted from 3/25/2022–3/31/2022 to determine the average lifespan of each component, how many years proper maintenance extends to the lifespan, and how many years a lack of maintenance subtracts from the lifespan.

**Thumbtack On-Demand bookings are limited to some categories and are subject to change. Learn more.