When you own a home or you are looking to repair and then sell your home, it is hard to avoid never needing to fix or repair something. Part of maintaining a home is being on top of necessary repairs. However, repairs can be fairly expensive. On average, homeowners spend $7,000 per year on home repair costs.
As a homeowner, it is important that you know how much these repairs are going to cost you. Here are a few major repairs that might end up surprising you if you don’t prepare for them.
Water and Sewage
The water and sewage lines in your home connect to public water and sewage systems. As a homeowner, you are responsible for any lines that run underneath your home. You can easily end up spending anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000 for a broken water or sewage line.
Of course, the expensive part of this repair is not necessarily the line, but the cleanup needed if a line bursts. You will typically pay anywhere from $150 to $550 per foot of line that needs digging up and $250 per square foot of trenches that need recovering, which could cost you thousands more.
Copper Pipe Upgrade
You may have considered switching out the pipes, especially if you live in an older home. Lead pipes used to be the standard in homes built during the early 1900s. However, these pipes need replacement after about 100 years.
Lead itself can end up leaking into your water system and posing a number of health problems.
For the average 1,500 square foot house, this kind of replacement can easily cost anywhere from $4,000 to $10,000.
Landscaping
To reduce your costs, you may consider doing some DIY landscaping. Of course, if your front yard or backyard is overflowing with unwanted foliage you may need some professional landscaping. Even the removal of a single tree stump can cost a few hundred dollars or more.
Something as simple as a built-in barbecue could cost you up to $30,000. Trees and plants could cost up to $15,000 or more as well. It truly depends on what you want.
Deck Replacement
A deck is a wonderful investment if you are looking to increase your home’s value. Of course, decks aren’t built to last forever. If your deck starts rotting, warping, or falling apart, you may need to replace it.
On average, you will spend anywhere from $7,000 to $10,000 to replace an entire deck.
The overall cost depends on the size of your deck, the layout of your backyard, and the type of wood that you choose.
Painting
People who want to give their homes a total makeover often turn to painting. If you have a large house, however, the costs can run you into the tens of thousands. You can cut costs by purchasing cheaper paint and primer, though you need to be careful not to go too cheap.
If you decide to hire a professional painter, you could end up spending thousands of dollars alone. For the average 2,5000 square-foot, two-story house, a painter typically charges $4,000 for the outside or $6,000 for the inside.
Many home experts suggest saving around 2%-5% per year for necessary home repairs. If you don’t want to deal with these kinds of repairs, you may consider working with HelloPad, the most reputable cash home buyer in Washington state, to sell your home as-is.