How much do you spend on home repair/maintenance?

[awakenedsoul]

For those of you who own your homes, how much do you spend on maintaining your house? I have a 1940's fixer upper, and I've upped the budget to $3,000. a year the past couple of years. I just had the exterior painted. I still need to repipe. Last year I replaced the tile in the bathtub/shower. I also need to trim some of the mature trees.
Since buying it, I've replaced the kitchen floor, the carpet in the living room and bedroom, the hot water heater and gas furnace.
In the future, (over the next ten years,) I plan to replace the roof and rewire. How about you?

[cdttmm]

Great question and something I've been thinking about recently. Someone recently mentioned in a post that your budget for home maintenance/upkeep should be a percentage of your home's value -- but I can't remember if it was 1% or 3%.

I'd be curious to hear what things people consider maintenance and what people put into a separate bucket in their budget. For instance, snow removal (if you don't do it yourself) -- is that a maintenance cost? Or do you classify it as something else?

Will be following this thread!

[early morning]

This is an excellent question, and although I track spending, I don't have a good handle on that myself. Sometimes I'm rather creative with my accounting, so I don't always book expenses in a way that makes sense to me several years later, lol. Plus I used to use a different tracking program, which crashed and lost all data, including that which I tracked by hand pre-computer and added as a lump to my original program. So here's more of a narrative, FWIW....
We have been in an 1860's fixer-upper for 25 years. In that time, we have replaced all the wiring (there was almost none when we moved in; the old knob and tube had been pulled but not replaced) and put in a new electrical panel. All of the materials for this were already in the house so we spent about $500 plus a month's room and board for DH's brother to stay with us and help, as he was an apprentice electrician at the time. His boss did the inspection and signed off. We removed new paneling and repaired most of the old plaster walls, scrapped miles of wall paper, and painted everything (only paint cost as we did the work). We "upgraded" the kitchen by repairing and painting the 1940s cabinets, installing a 2nd hand stainless sink and an off the rack black countertop that we cut and fit, and added a set of cheap faucets. That was under $200. We have replaced a water-heater, installed an upstairs furnace (that was about 1K 20 years ago) and recently had the downstairs bath insulated, new window installed, and new walls put around the tub (another 1K). Front and back porch added (decking) and they both need cleaned and sealed again, but we did the work. Gutters, I don't remember that cost. New roof several years ago, luckily there was a lot of hail damage so that only set us back our deductible. New barn (don't ask how much THAT cost). The plumbing is old but seems fine. We did replace part of a soil pipe. We put shutoffs on all the water lines. We paid to have a sump pit and pump put in the basement- no idea of cost. We replaced the pump ourselves when the first one burned out. We added a brick and sand patio for only the cost of a pickup of sand and railroad ties to frame it. We originally had barn beams framing it but we had to replace them last year. We have the main furnace that was here when we bought the place. We could use some trees trimmed, but I don't know when that will happen. We work on the pasture fence every year; I seriously doubt it will ever be replaced in its entirety. Our house had replacement windows and vinyl siding when we bought it (yuck but easy care and I can say WE didn't do it :~)). Some of the windows could use replaced again, but it's not a high priority. Right now, I'd LOVE for the kitchen roof to stop leaking. It's leaked since we moved in, through many roof repairs (probably 2K worth over the years) and even the NEW ROOF. We also need more attic insulation, and a new kitchen floor. DH is no longer able to do much of the work himself so we have projects piling up, sadly....

[catherine]

We're often DIYers. I have to say we don't spend enough. I'll be SO HAPPY when we dump my MIL's house (we're probably closing by mid-May so I pray to God I've made my last mortgage payment on that albatross!). At that point, I definitely plan on putting that money towards my own house.

Latest projects: A few years back we redid our bathroom--replaced tub, sink, toilet, floor. Put in a tall cabinet for towels and toiletries, put in decorative moulding. Total cost was $1700.

Last fall we installed top-of-the-line engineered wood floors in the hall and family room: Total cost was $1200.

We have LOTS of projects coming up:

Finish the redo of our powder room: expect that to cost about $600.

Update the kitchen: Have already gotten an estimate of $9,100 for refaced cabinets, new sink and counter, some cabinetry like a new pantry and a new range.

Paint exterior: We did it about 10 years ago--definitely needs to be redone. DH has talked about vinyl siding, but I feel that clashes with my permaculture values, plus it's expensive. I'd rather try repainting one more time while I figure it out.. painting will be less expensive and we have so many other projects we need to do I'd like to buy time and put the money towards other things.

Windows: We have some REALLY drafty windows. Would love to replace them

Driveway: Needs to be redone. Would love to look into some permeable pavers or something like that.

Landscaping: I'm going to take my permaculture design that I created for my class and do one project a summer. This year I'm going to buy 4 fruit trees (awakenedsoul--any ideas?) and we're also going to do an herb/water garden, plus expand our vegetable garden.

[Miss Cellane]

I read somewhere that you should budget one month's mortgage payment for home improvement projects every year. (Or one month's rent if you're a renter.) When I owned my own house, I budgeted one month's mortgage payment a year for repairs. If I didn't spend that, it went into a savings account for major repairs, because sooner or later, the water heater or the furnace or the roof will need to be replaced. Then another month's mortgage payment for improvements, like painting or replacing carpet with hardwood or updating older appliances or flowers or other plants or new furniture.

[redfox]

We bought a new house 12 years ago, so have spent virtually nothing on maintenance. All our funds have gone towards exterior hard & landscaping. I have not tracked the total, though the data is in our books.

Soon, though, we'll need to. Trim needs painting, nothing structural - yet. My DH is a builder, so we'll probably DIY most if it.

[awakenedsoul]

I've put a lot of money into landscaping, too. It really makes a difference. I've enjoyed reading all the replies. When I first got my house, I struggled to pay for property taxes and repairs. That was a strain for years and years. Now that I've retired and reduced my budget, I have enough to do certain things each year. One has been buying a few standard fruit trees each Spring. They really add a lot of charm, produce well, and keep the yard cool. I planted a grapefruit tree in the driveway, a lime tree on one side of the house for privacy, and an Algerian manderin in front of the house. They stay evergreen and with our hot summers the fruit is really sweet. I'm working towards creating a live fence around the perimeter of the property. I think it will be easier for me to maintain than a wood one.
I was talking with my neighbor on my bike ride this morning. She said, "Your house looks like a beachhouse in Florida." (I just had it painted.) "Your property taxes are going to go up," she added. Her husband is in construction, and they have about 12 cars parked in their front yard. For some reason, many of the people where I live get freaked out by front gardens and a neat and clean property. I want my property value to go up.
I've got to get some carpentry work done on my kitchen cabinets, too. They also need to be painted. I'm glad I only have a one bedroom, one bathroom to repair and clean!

[SteveinMN]

Precise figures for all the years I've owned this house are hard to come by. I know there were big-ticket items in replacing the flooring in the entire house, replacing every single appliance short of the furnace, A/C, and water heater, we refaced the cabinets, replaced the kitchen countertop, moved some of the cabinets in the kitchen, added exhaust fans to both bathrooms and over the range, replaced the front and back doors (screen doors and entry doors), put another foot-plus of insulation in the roof, replaced the roof, applied low-e film to half the windows in the house, and tore down the rotting back deck and replaced it with stamped concrete. I'm not even sure I want to know how much that all cost, but a lot of it had to be done over ten years anyway. I did hardly any of it myself. Didn't know how, didn't want to invest in the tools for something that happened relatively rarely, and I didn't have that kind of time anyway.

Remaining projects include redoing the front walk and steps (previous owner's mudjacking did not take and the steps are cracked and cruddy looking), thinking about replacing some of the appliances (many of them are coming up on 9-10 years old) and the water heater (it's a little over 10 years old), replacing the kitchen floor (botched install means it's creating ripples in the floor now; that will be done when the tax refund arrives), and a little random electrical work -- replacing a couple of outdated fixtures (like the overhead kitchen light that is top central in the room and, thus, always behind you whenever you're working at a counter) and some almost-40-year-old electrical outlets which are almost literally losing their grip.

Over the past year, because of our new financial status, we took it easy on home repairs and improvements. We didn't neglect anything that needed doing, but we didn't take on any new projects, either. The budgeting software says we spent around $120 a month average for what we did over the last year. n.b., to me "home maintenance" also includes expenses like light bulbs, getting the snowblower tuned up and fueled, etc. There are some other projects -- some exterior painting and patching the asphalt driveway that need to be attended to. But those will be minor, now that I actually have the time.

[chrissieq]

We don't really have a budget for home improvements though as we were recently working with our financial adviser, I had to do a much more detailed budget than I tend to track. What we tend to do is use the savings account and hope there is enough in there.

Last year we had to replace our front steps and we used a HELOC to pay for it. We had a low rate - well for the first year - and we have made a significant dent in that loan. And now we have new steps, a bi level buttress, and new sidewalk from driveway to the house - not cheap but it really adds to the look of the house and I don't have to worry about the mailman falling off our crumbling steps.

This spring we had the porch sliding glass door replaced with cash that we had set aside. The old door didn't lock properly so a safety issue but mostly we did it because the glass was so scratched you couldn't see through it. If it ever warms up here in MN, maybe we can go on the porch and enjoy it.

We are going to paint the exterior of the house this summer and Sherwin Williams had paint 40% off through today so we bought it although they did not have any gallons of Super Paint left so the salesperson gave us 5 gallons for the price of 4! We are hiring our brother in law to help us paint - he can use the extra $$ and we can use the help - especially on the second story.

I feel that we need to be much more organized about things that need to be done around the house. We have started a list of things we'd like to do (the kind of thing we can't do ourselves) so that we can identify how we will fund these projects.

[Blackdog Lin]

We also do not have a "budget" for home repairs, we just pay for them as they come up.

Our house was completed in '93, so we don't feel much of a need to upgrade or remodel - mostly it's a case of keeping up with necessary maintenance. We're on our third roof (we live in storm country), but all were covered by insurance, and our deductibles came out of the emergency fund (it's wonderful to have a nicely-funded emergency fund to "borrow" from). When things break down (the dishwasher, the hot water tank) we again borrow from our EF to pay for them, then pay the fund back.

What remodeling we do end up doing, I think about for several years before getting around to them, which gives us time to start saving for them. We replaced most of the carpeting in '03, and repainted; and last year completely remodeled my bathroom along with refurbishing DH's bathroom - but again, I had saved up a large portion of the expense before starting.

[razz]

We built our basic brick bungalow house in 1991 and the maintenance issues come to the fore after about 15 years, it seems.
Replaced the garage door, windows with new UV cutting ones, new 25 year roof, asphalt driveway, hardwood floors in LR and hall, new handicapped bath, heat pump. Still need to renew the vinyl flooring in the laundry, kitchen areas and that will be it for another 15 years or more.

I believe it was sweetana, on the old SLN, who posted a suggested budget of $4500 per year to include maintenance costs when making a comparison of renting vs owning a structure. I am finding that accurate especially if one has to pay for the labour and not DIY.

I had to buy a new lawnmower after the 20 year-old riding mower gave up the ghost. That cost is spread over a number of years though as is the snowblower.

[Gardenarian]

More than I care to think about. We are lucky in having some wonderful local repair people, and my DIY muscle is getting stronger everyday.

[awakenedsoul]

razz,
$4500. That makes me feel better. Since my home is older, I'd like to knock out a few more things that I've needed to do for a long time. I'm considering putting some subway tile along the windowed wall of my kitchen. It wouldn't take much, and I love that vintage look. We have a store in Hollywood that sells the 1950's tiles. I'm working on restoring this house, rather than remodeling. It really feels like money well spent, since I spend so much time at home now. Plus, I don't feel guilty and overwhelmed when I look around...

[clara24]

It depends but for home maintenance for sure it was like really expensive.In Finland many people cut their budget because of it and some of them use to get a pikalainat (http://www.24pikavippi.fi) or instant loan just to get a budget for the maintenance of the home.

[Rogar]

My home was built in 1951 and my best estimate would average about four or five thousand a year. Every couple of years I do some tree trimming and the rest is just your run of the mill home upkeep and improvements. I can say that after many years of renting it has been a whole lot more than I anticipated. There is always something that needs to be done and I try to knock out a project or two a year just to keep things from getting too run down or outdated. I've come to accept it as a fact of life now.

[try2bfrugal]

We spend way too much. Many thousands per year and we are nowhere near keeping up with the Joneses of our neighborhood on home improvements. I can't wait to downsize to a smaller and newer house in a much less expensive area.

Our first house was brand new and cost almost nothing in maintenance the whole time we lived there except for putting in a yard. Our one issue we have now is that we really like trees and a lot of newer homes are have pretty denuded landscapes. But I think we might go new and put in a backyard Zen garden and whatever size trees we can afford to have planted with the money we won't have to budget for home repairs for the first ten years.

[Gardenarian]

Okay, I'm glad I'm not the only one spending 4-5 thousand per year. It feels terribly un-frugal, but when you need a roof, you need a roof. There are some things I will not DIY and our 80 year old house does need TLC.

[shawntheweaver]

I think $4500 is reasonable for a year's worth of maintenance works. It is true that sometimes we simply cannot DIY some of the things necessary to keep the house intact. As much as we wish to save on expenditure, we really need to consider safety as well. Things like screen doors, roof tiles, anti-slip bathroom floor should all be done by professionals.

[shawntheweaver]

I think $4500 is reasonable for a year's worth of maintenance works. It is true that sometimes we simply cannot DIY some of the things necessary to keep the house intact. As much as we wish to save on expenditure, we really need to consider safety as well. Things like screen doors, roof tiles, anti-slip bathroom floor should all be done by professionals.

[Spartana]

I don't spend that much money because I don't do improvements - just needed repairs and maintenance and do much of that myself. I have a 1,000sf 1950's tract house in original condition - including plumbing and electrical - on a big lot. It can be a lot of work but I try to keep it simple and do just the minimal stuff as needed. I have put on a new roof, new double pane vinyl windows, concrete driveway, garage door, and blockwall fencing around the property as well as some minimalist and drought resistant landscaping - all which cost ALOT but a one time thing - but otherwise will leave it in it's original condition. Besides, I kind of like the 1950's retro look of the place and so far everything works fine so why upgrade just for cosmetics sake.

[RosieTR]

Yeah, I was thinking ~2-3x monthly mortgage for a year of maintenance. More (maybe much more) during a year in which one moves to or from a house. I think the carpet alone was ~3000, and getting the popcorn ceiling removed and replaced with texture was about $1500. This does not count the paint or replacing a bunch of stuff like wall outlets, ceiling light/fans, etc. For the rental, we spent $1500 in one chunk for the A/C compressor (a requirement in Phx) plus a couple hundred here and there for other random things. When we do home repairs we often go with something higher quality, however. The roof is rated for 50 years and against 110 mph winds, which exceeds any expected wind besides the very rare >F0 tornado. Not sure about hail resistance, but probably OK to at least 1/2 inch.
For a newer house, landscaping costs were quite high; in an older home that goes down somewhat unless you have to take out a tree or something, but then other stuff breaks down or needs updating.

I would like to add, for fruit trees in a temperate climate, think of fruit that you like that grows in that climate. For NJ, I'd guess you can't go wrong with apples and/or pears, then pick a stone fruit or two that would work, such as plums or cherries. Blueberries or raspberries, while not trees, might do very well. Not sure about peaches or apricots but the local nurseries or extension office might know. We were able to go to a free seminar from a local, well-established nursery and got some good info for our area. I also hike in our area and have noticed native or wild-adapted fruit nearby such as currants, plums and raspberries. So guess what I planted in the yard. Scanning a list of pick-your-own fruits will also tell you what's likely to do well where you are. Fruit trees are a great investment!