Plan for Home Maintenance

You save and save and plan and work hard and then finally you buy a home. Then what happens? You work and work not just to make your mortgage payments, but to maintain your home. Sometimes you might even wonder what all the hoopla was in buying a home. Oh well, it just seems to be what we do.

To help ease the shock of things that need to be replaced around your home is a plan. You can schedule replacement and repair of big ticket items. Here are few of our favorite things that you'll need to think about. It also helps to look at how different materials last and their costs.

Hardwood floors: (info for 200 sq. ft, installed) Regularly clean your wood floor boards with a product like Simple Green.
Oak woods - replace 30-100 years. Installation cost = $2,500 to $5,000.
Pine flooring - replace 30-60 years. Installation cost = $2,000 to $4,000.
Bamboo - replace 20-40 years. Installation cost = $2,500 to $3,000.
Wood veneer - replace 20-40 years. Installation cost = $1,500 to $3,000.

Siding: (info for a 2,000 sq ft. house) Use a pressure washer to keep your siding looking good.
Vinyl siding -replace 30-40 years. Installation cost = $10,000 to $15,000
Wood clapboard - replace 30-50 years. Installation cost = $15,000 to $30,000
Cement board - replace 40-50 years. Installation cost = $15,000 to $30,000
Wood shingles - replace 40-60 years. Installation cost = $25,000 to $40,000

Windows: (per window) Use caulk to seal drafty window frames.
Vinyl - replace 10 -25 year. Installation cost = $200 to $350
Wood - replace 20-50 year. Installation cost = $400 to $800
Clad (vinyl or aluminum over wood) - replace 20-50 year. Installation cost = $450 to $850
Metal - replace 30-50 year. Installation cost = $300 to $800

Roof: (info for a $1,200 sq. ft. roof)
Asphalt - replace 20-40 year. Installation cost = $4,000 to $10,000
Wood - replace 30-50 year. Installation cost = $15,00 to $30,000
Clay- replace 30-60 year. Installation cost = $15,000 to $30,000
Slate - replace 60-100 year. Installation cost = $25,000 to $60,000