Preventative Home Repairs That Save Thousands in the Long Run

Think you know the secrets to preventing costly home repairs?

You’ve got flood protections installed… your boiler is serviced annually…and that mysterious leak in the kitchen has been fixed.

But there’s one thing you’re missing. One costly cockroach hiding in the shadows of your property…

Unless you actively maintain your home, you’re gonna find yourself paying out thousands on preventable repairs.

New data from Hippo’s Housepower Report reveals that 83% of homeowners reported experiencing an unexpected repair issue throughout 2024. Shockingly, nearly half of those homeowners spent more than $5,000 on repairs.

Preventative maintenance is THE easiest way to save a ton of money. By taking the time to keep your property in ship-shape, you’ll stop disaster from striking before it even has the chance to.

What you’ll discover:

• Why Preventive Repairs Save Serious Money
• The Top Repairs Every Homeowner Should Prioritise
• Why Roof Moss Removal Should Be at the Top of the List
• How To Build a Simple Preventative Maintenance Plan

Why Preventative Repairs Save Serious Money

Let’s be real…

Preventative home maintenance is by far the best investment a homeowner can make. It’s boring. There’s no glory in spending Sunday mornings scrubbing roof tiles. But it works.

Imagine for a moment a tiny leak springing in your roof. It’s small enough that you don’t notice straight away, and so over the course of 6 months it causes thousands of pounds worth of structural damage to your home.

How about blocked gutters causing water to overflow and drip down the walls? Or excess moss building up on the roof and shortening its lifespan?

All three of these examples are 100% preventable if you get on top of them sooner rather than later.

And the sooner you catch these problems? The cheaper they are to fix.

Homeowners who regularly maintain their properties don’t have to suffer huge bills for emergency repairs. It really is that simple.

The Top Home Repairs You Should Prioritise

Whilst any amount of preventative maintenance is better than none, there are certain repairs that hold more importance over others.

Here are the ones you’ll need to prioritise if you want to protect your property.

Roof Maintenance & Moss Removal

Roof moss holds moisture against tiles which leads to cracking, leaking, and the tiles deteriorating far quicker than they should.

Removing moss from your roof is one of the easiest and most cost-effective jobs you can carry out as a homeowner. To see how much professional cleaning costs, head over to https://roofcleanquotes.co.uk/roof-cleaning-cost to get repair estimates before it’s too late.

Gutter Unblocking

Gutters fill up with debris over time causing water to overflow and rot away the foundations of your home.

Leaving them to fester is one of the biggest mistakes homeowners make. Make sure you clean your gutters at least twice a year to avoid expensive damage occurring.

Checking Sealant & Caulking

Door and window seals weaken as they get older. Replacing cracked sealant is cheap and stops water from seeping in.

Boiler Servicing

Servicing your boiler once a year ensures any small faults are picked up before they turn into a mid-winter crisis that costs a small fortune to fix.

Paint Touch-Ups & Treating Wood

Wooden fixtures aren’t protected forever. Once the paint chips away or treatment runs out, the wood starts to rot.

By keeping on top of your exteriors, you can ensure any exposed timber is treated and painted to stay protected against the elements.

…and the biggest game changer of them all is…

Roof Moss Removal Should Be at the Top of Your List

Roof moss removal is probably the single most neglected repair when it comes to preventative maintenance.

Moss is like a sponge. It soaks up water and locks it against your roof tiles. Instead of water running off like it should, the tiles absorb it. Before you know it, you’re looking at thousands of pounds worth of damage that could have been avoided.

Roof replacement costs anywhere between £5,000 to upwards of £12,000 depending on the type of roof you’ve got. Now compare that to how much a professional roof clean will set you back; hundreds of pounds, max.

That is what we call a return on investment.

Besides preventing pricey damage, moss removal can:

• Extend the lifespan of your roof tiles
• Prevent water leaks and damp issues in the interior
• Keep your property looking attractive from the outside
• Avoid maintenance-related issues with your home insurance

Not too shabby right? Spending a couple of hundred pounds now can end up saving you thousands down the line.

How Moss Destroys Your Roof Over Time

If you’re still not convinced on why moss is the enemy… here’s the breakdown.

Retention of moisture — Moss traps water against your roof tiles. Water that would usually run off will stay put, breaking down the tiles and underlayer below.

Lifting of Tiles — As moss grows, it starts to grow underneath the edges of your tiles. Lifting them up and creating gaps for water to get into your roof.

Freezing & Expansion — During winter time, any water that’s trapped by moss will freeze and expand. Effectively cracking your tiles from the inside out. When the ice melts, that water finds new places to seep in.

Over time, moss can reduce your roof’s lifespan by years. To make matters worse, home repair costs have increased by over 61% in the past decade alone, according to Bankrate.

Preventative maintenance has never been more important.

Create Your Own Preventative Maintenance Plan

Now you know what preventative repairs you should be focusing on, it’s time to work out how to fit them into your schedule.

The easiest way to do this is by rotating certain jobs into each season.

Example Maintenance Schedule:

Spring

• Check roof for moss, damage and tiles
• Check gutters aren’t blocked
• Book roof moss removal professional

Summer

• Check the paintwork on exterior walls is intact
• Check window and door sealant is healthy
• Check outdoor wood furniture and timber is treated

Autumn

• Clear out gutters and downpipes
• Trim any branches covering your roof

Winter

• Get your boiler serviced
• Check your loft insulation and ventilation is adequate

Boom! That isn’t too bad is it?

Four quick checks twice a year. Over time those who follow a simple plan like this end up saving thousands that would’ve been spent on emergency home repairs. Not to mention, they maintain a higher property value due to their house being kept well.

Bonus: The great thing about these jobs is that none of them break the bank. In fact, most of them won’t come close to what you’d have to pay for an emergency repair.

Final Thoughts

Preventative home maintenance is the best way to save thousands of pounds on repairs.

It really is as simple as staying on top of…

• Roof moss
• Cleaning your gutters
• Checking seals and paints
• Booking annual boiler services

…and as mentioned before, roof moss is by far the most important!

Here’s the tl;dr on keeping those repair costs as low as possible:

1. Catch small problems before they become big ones.
2. Roof maintenance (especially moss removal) should be the number one priority.
3. Stick to a simple seasonal maintenance plan.
4. Get roof cleaning quotes at before damage sets in.
5. Treat preventative maintenance like an investment not an expense.

The homeowners that start taking preventative action today are the ones that’ll thank themselves down the road.

Don’t be penny wise, pound foolish.