How spending on your home could actually save you money

No matter how old your home is, there are probably lots of jobs that you’d like to do to improve your home. The one common factor that often gets in the way is money. While we’d all love to spend on redecorating and renovating our homes, there are often more pressing things we need to spend money on like bills or groceries. What many people fail to realise is these improvements could end up paying for themselves over the next few years if it means your home can run more economically. Here are some ways spending money on your home could actually save you money in the long run.

Heating

One of the biggest expenses in any home is the heating bill. Of course, in the warmer months it’s rarely a problem as the heat from the sun does a great job of naturally heating every room in your home. Once you turn the heating on in the colder months, the amount of energy your home uses can increase rapidly. If you pay for the energy you use every month, you could see your energy bills double at the end of the coldest months.

Instead of just accepting these bills, there are lots of home improvements you can carry out so you don’t have to have the heating on for as long. If you’re unsure where to start, some of the easiest tasks you can carry out yourself to reduce the problem include things like investing in better insulation and installing new devices like a smart thermostat. You could also find very cheap solutions, like buying a tube of caulk to fill in any gaps around your window frame, could also have a huge impact on your home’s ability to trap heat inside.

Electric

There are so many devices around that home that need to be powered by the mains. The secret is to make sure they’re only being powered when you need them. For example, things like the fridge or freezer need to be on seven days a week or you’d end up with inedible food. Other devices, like your television, only need to be switched on when you’re using them. You might think turning them off using your remote is enough, but they’ll still be using energy while they’re on standby. Either switch them off at the wall, or install smart plugs you can control using a timer or your phone, and only power them up when you need them.

Water

Another utility bill that can be reduced by a few home improvements is your water bill. The most important thing is to make sure you don’t have any leaking pipes or you will literally be pouring money down the drain.

If you find your shower uses a lot of water, you can install devices in your shower head to reduce the amount of water it uses without effecting the pressure. If you garden regularly, install a water butt to collect rainwater to use to fill a watering can rather than using fresh water from the hose pipe.