Real Estate Marketing & Beyond
Most homeowners know very little about what it takes to maintain the appliances and systems inside their homes, a new report has found.
While home maintenance can have a big impact on a property’s value in the long run, a survey of 1,000 homeowners by Sears Home Services has found that the vast majority of them don’t know how to properly upkeep their homes.
For example, just 33% of respondents said they performed routine maintenance on their microwave, making it the most neglected home appliance. And while many may not see the microwave as being that important, a home’s water heater and water softener definitely is. Yet one in four homeowners admitted they have zero knowledge of the maintenance those systems require.
A water softener or a water treatment system is used to remove calcium and magnesium and prevent hard water from forming in the tank and pipes. “Water softener malfunctions can wreak havoc on everything from your pipes to your hair and skin,” Sears Home Services notes in the study. They can cost anywhere from $150 to $735 to fix.
More expensive than that is the typical air conditioning system, which can cost upwards of $1,900 for repairs, the survey revealed. Homeowners need to perform regular maintenance to ensure their upkeep, which includes changing or cleaning the filters regularly. But most homeowners said they don’t do this, with younger adults the least likeliest to worry about doing so.
Other systems that people lack knowledge about regarding their maintenance include the furnace and the fireplace. Some 23% of respondents said they have no idea what it takes to maintain the furnace, for example.
Washing machines and dryers counts as some of the faultiest appliances in the home, according to the survey. The following chart breaks down the most common malfunctions in home appliances.
“Maintaining a home is no easy task,” the report notes. “There’s actually a lot to consider even beyond the structural integrity of the house. Maintenance of everything from dishwashers to ovens and air conditioners is required to keep things running smoothly, though many of our respondents shared a general lack of knowledge about how to do so.”
