How You Can Reduce the Costs of Home Repairs

If you’re a first-time homebuyer, you might have noticed that when things break, repair costs seem to always hover around $1,000. Why is that? And what can be done to reduce the shock and pain of these costs?

Well, you could be careful to not let things break, but somehow, that doesn’t seem too feasible. In all seriousness, there is a possible solution:

If you or someone in your household is handy, a lot of problems could be repaired with a few $10 or $20 parts. The plumber that charges $1,000 for repairs can do so because they have the expertise, whereas the people calling them don’t. If the repair is feasible to do yourself and you consider yourself a handy person, maybe watch some video tutorials on YouTube and grab a few parts from the store.

However, you need to be sure that the problem is one you feel confident in fixing, as attempting to repair it without the proper tools or knowledge might only make it worse—in this case, you’ll have spent a lot of your time teaching yourself how to make the repair, only to discover that that $1,000 would have been a good expenditure. If you like to solve problems, though, then go for it. It might even be fun to get your family involved.

But what happens if you don’t feel confident making the repair yourself, but you also don’t feel like you can afford the $1,000 repair?

Well, you can always try to negotiate prices. Repairmen can charge you around $100 just to give you an estimate on the repair; if you have a little knowledge of what the repair itself could cost, inform the servicer what price range you’ve found similar repairs done in. In fact, it might be a good idea to set that as a precedent before setting the appointment. If you set the precedent before they get there, they will be more likely to fall in line and charge you less.

If you’re in need of a list of contractors, where can you go? Our team sells at least a home a day, and every time we sell a home, there is a laundry list of repairs to be done. Over the last 13 years, we’ve identified the most affordable and best-working contractors in Charleston. If you’re in the area, my team can put you in contact with a roofing, plumbing, or electric repair company.

If you’d like this list or if you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’d be happy to supply you with whatever information you need.