While the goal of getting onto the housing ladder is quite a task in itself, it’s worth remembering that the challenge doesn’t end there.
Maintaining your home and keeping it in good condition requires a lot of time and effort and can also be extremely costly. The only benefit is that you at least own the property you might be spending tens of thousands of pounds on, so you’re essentially investing in it by making repairs or renovations.
To give you a good idea of the sort of problems you could end up encountering, as well as how you can fix them, we’ve listed eight of the most common issues for homeowners below.
Roof leakage
As expected, your roof’s primary purpose is to keep your home dry and safe from the elements, so, if there’s a leak, it is evidently not doing its job properly. There are a number of different issues that can lead to a roof leak and repairing them is going to require expert assistance.
Whether you are struggling to identify the problem yourself or not, you will likely need to enlist the help of a roofer to fix it for you. There are a few things that can cause a roof leak, like old or damaged roof tiles or shingles, which can be a fairly quick and affordable fix. However, you might have to pay significantly more for an extensive repair job.
Faulty electrics
Another major problem that can occur for households is a faulty electrical system. The remedy for faulty electrics in your house is to not attempt to fix them yourself first. Trying your hand at electrical repair without any experience, skill, or knowledge of the problem can quickly lead to disaster for your home or you. Electrocution risk only increases with a lack of understanding of electrics, so you should make sure you hire an electrician for jobs like this.
Tell-tale signs that you need an electrician include fuse boxes being tripped regularly, any form of crackling noises from switches and plug sockets, and, understandably, if you notice any smoking or burning smells. In cases like this last one, it’s important to shut off the electrics via your panel and await assistance from an electrician to reduce the risk of any further issues.
Broken boiler
When it comes to costly repairs and replacements, one of the most common problems that springs to mind is a broken boiler. Boilers are an essential part of the modern home, yet unfortunately, many are getting very old. The older these boilers get, the higher the chance of them breaking down and needing to be fixed or, worse, replaced.
A replacement boiler can easily set you back between £1000 and £6000, depending on the new boiler you choose and the installation cost. Due to the importance of a boiler, however, this is an issue that will need to be fixed no matter what. Otherwise, you’ll be filling your bath or having a hot shower with hot water from the kettle for the foreseeable future.
Issues with plumbing
Similar to the electrics in your home, when it comes to plumbing, there are plenty of things that can cause problems. These tend to also require an expert hand to deal with them. Just as you’d get an electrician to come around to sort out your faulty wiring, you’ll want to consider hiring a plumber to fix any issues you may have with your plumbing. This can include everything from leaky pipes to blocked drains, which can all be considerably problematic depending on the severity of the issue.
You can easily find plumbers in Manchester and other cities around the country via sites like MyBuilder. Be sure to check customer reviews beforehand and search for one that will be available as soon as possible so that you don’t have to live with these plumbing issues for any extended period.
Bad drainage
Around your home, you’ll have several things in place that are designed to help water run off the structure and reduce the chances of water damage and leaks – primarily gutters and drains. However, it’s a common problem for these to get blocked or even broken, reducing their ability to move excessive amounts of water away from your property.
Cleaning your gutters is unpleasant, but it must be done. You can hire professionals to do this for you, of course, and it’s also worth keeping an eye on the other drainage around your home; if you notice any issues with the drains or other parts of your guttering, you should look at hiring a professional that can clear or fix these, too.
Structural damage
Of course, major structural damage is going to require extensive building work to repair, whether it’s a damaged wall or roof caused by a storm or some form of a major accident, but structural damage doesn’t necessarily have to reference a collapsed wall. Minor structural damage can also be extremely problematic for a number of different reasons.
Firstly, damage to your brickwork can lead to dampness issues, letting in water and leading to a higher risk of black mould forming in your home. Minor structural damage can also develop into more severe structural damage that could diminish your home’s integrity entirely. Get any structural damage fixed as soon as possible to reduce the chances of the problem getting worse.
Lack of ventilation
Another big issue in homes can be a lack of ventilation. This can be caused by poorly fitted ventilation systems or blocked and unclean vents throughout the home. They’re unfortunately not the easiest to clean and are rarely considered, but once they get blocked up, they can be quite problematic. Moisture will be allowed to build up faster, resulting in further risks from mould build-up, and they’ll also lead to the air in your house being stale and unpleasant.
Fresh air is important in your home, and good ventilation can reduce your need to keep your windows open for extended periods. This isn’t necessarily an issue in the summer, but we rarely want to open our windows during the winter, so condensation can build up much more easily on our windows.
Pest problems
No matter where you live, you will have the risk of dealing with pests in and around your home. This can range from minor pests like flies and ants to more problematic pests like mice and rats. There are a number of ways you can deal with problems like this. When it comes to insects, you can use sprays and glue traps to eradicate them and get them out of your home, or even use a plug-in deterrent that can dissuade them from entering certain areas. For invasive critters like mice and rats, however, you might need to take a few extra steps.
First of all, you’ll want to identify entry points for them and seal them up completely. This can be holes in walls and cupboards, gaps under doors, or drains and vents. You might then have to capture any that might already be inside. You can capture mice and rats humanely, but don’t forget that you’ll need to release them at least a mile from your home to ensure they don’t come back, as they have a good sense of direction.
