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Here are the top 10 most expensive mistakes you might be making on your home:
1. Using traditional light bulbs. Did you know that if you change from traditional light bulbs to LED light bulbs, you can save as much as $150 over the life of each light bulb?
2. Ignoring a leaky faucet. If you know you have a leaky faucet and think it is no big deal, consider this: One wasted drop per second equates to 3,000 wasted gallons per year.
3. Using the wrong-sized air filter in your HVAC unit (or not replacing it regularly). You should change your air filter every 30 or 90 days, depending on which air filter you use.
4. Not using a customizable thermostat. There is no need to heat or cool your home if you’re not there. Nest or Honeywell thermostats have programmable functions that you can control with your smartphone to help you save energy.
5. Not adjusting the vents in your house. If you have a forced-air central heating system, as many homeowners do, you may be overheating or overcooling certain rooms if you are not adjusting the vents in them.
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There is no need to heat or cool your home if you are not there.
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6. Overwatering the lawn. Inspect your sprinkler system to make sure you don’t have a broken sprinkler head. This can lead to overwatering your lawn.
7. Setting your water heater temperature too high. Unless you have a tankless water heater, you’re heating your water 24 hours of the day. Again, you do not want to burn unnecessary energy or keep your water at too high of a temperature during the summertime, so adjust your water heater temperature accordingly.
8. Having leaky windows or doors. If you can see the sun in the gap between any one of your window frames or door frames, you need to cover that gap.
9. Paying a handyman. You do not have to pay someone $200 to change a few light bulbs. Just do it yourself and save even more money.
10. Ignoring your roof’s shingles. If they are curled or some of them are missing, this is one of the exceptions to mistake No. 9. Missing shingles can cause your roof to leak, which then means you have bigger problems to worry about.
As always, if you have any questions about this topic or you are thinking of buying or selling a home soon, please feel free to reach out to me. I would be happy to help you.
