5 Unexpected Costs of Homeownership

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By Jacob Maslow

The more affordable prices in certain housing markets and low mortgage fees renewed the interest in homeownership. Add the rising costs of rents to the equation, and we know why young people express a genuine wish to own the property on which they live legally. 

Many of these young people and their seniors who bought a house for the first time are about to find out that homeownership comes with a bundle of additional expenses. Here are some of the hidden costs that no homeowner can escape paying. 

Moving 

The moving process is one of the most exhausting activities you’ll partake in throughout your lifetime. Changing apartments in the same building requires assistance from friends, so moving address requires more help.

There’s no way to avoid hiring a moving company if your new hose is hundreds of miles away. Even if you don’t have to cross a long distance, you’ll have a large amount of furniture, clothes, and other items to transport. 

Maintenance and Repairs

The new homeowner benefits from the rise of housing and DIY channels. The economically conscious person would buy a toolkit and learn essential maintenance procedures to minimize the costs. However, some tasks, like cleaning the chimney, require the hands of a professional. 

While maintenance tasks can be a nuisance and predictable after a while, the real black hole for your pockets is unexpected repairs. The costs of removing dead and overgrown trees and repairing the roof, for example, cannot be covered with spare change and require planning. It may be a good idea to have a home warranty to protect you financially against unforeseen breakdowns and repairs. If you know what a home warranty covers, you can be more at ease in such situations.

Financial experts advise homeowners to budget around 2% of their annual mortgage for repair costs. The price should not be the deciding factor, though, when hiring someone to fix the holes in your roof. 

The quality of service is the most important in these cases, thus look for a company with a good track record and reasonable prices. Some carpentries are amongst the oldest businesses on the continent. According to dominionroofing.com, “dedication is the essence of a successful company.”

Property Tax

While every homebuyer calculates the property tax in the budget before making the purchase, this number will probably change in a couple of years. This means it will probably go up. The property tax can go up even if the monthly home loan is set at a fixed-price. 

Insurances

Homeowners’ insurance is the basic package. It seldom covers repair costs caused by nature’s calamities such as floods or earthquakes, and these are often the most costly. The smart thing would be to organize a meeting with an insurance agent and cover your home for all the potential scenarios in your area.     

Furniture and Other Decorations 

Although furniture, garden gnomes, paintings, and other decorations need to be paid for, they take second place to taxes and important repairments. Nevertheless, an empty space between 4 walls is no home.

To control these discretionary expenses, don’t dive headfirst into IKEA with the intention to buy the whole store. Be patient with more significant purchases and always compare store prices.  

Bottom Line 

Homeownership is a dream come true for most, but it requires capital to make that dream a reality. This amount is often more considerable than we anticipated in the beginning. Some already calculated expenses, like the property tax, can rise over the years. 

Moving will always put pressure on your budget. Every homeowner must deal with maintenance and repair costs. Furniture and additional necessary insurances are some of the other hidden costs of homeownership. If you are prepared for all of this, the process will go much smoother.    

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