When considering whether or not to buy a house, you should also consider the level of the maintenance costs of your own home. This is even more true when buying an older home.
In the long term, the buyer of a house is better off financially compared to a tenant. If the maintenance costs of your own home are also taken into account, it again seems cheaper to rent a house. A homeowner must maintain the home properly to prevent overdue maintenance. Failure to perform necessary maintenance increases costs in the long term.
How much money should you reserve per year for maintaining your own home?
According to Vereniging Eigen Huis, an average home owner spends nearly 5,000 a year on home maintenance. This brings the total average housing costs to 38.6% of the net income. Information from the government shows that 26.3% of the net income is used for housing costs. Different studies therefore produce different results. Maintaining a home will cost on average between 2,500 and 5,000 per year.
Distinction between minor maintenance and major maintenance
You can easily spend € 1,000 to € 1,500 per year on small repairs. This includes costs for garden maintenance, decorating bedrooms and small repairs to the house. Major maintenance is the replacement of a roof, new kitchen and new window frames. The major costs are in major maintenance. These are necessary costs that are generally also expensive. You have to incur these costs especially if you own an older home. 1930s homes are popular, but make no mistake about maintenance costs. Large investments will probably have to be made in the long term. Homeowners with a house up to ten years old will have hardly any necessary maintenance costs.
Invest in your home for improvement or maintenance
Having a conservatory attached to the house cannot be seen as maintenance costs. These are expenses to decorate the house and increase comfort. These costs do not fall under the heading of maintenance costs. These investments can actually cause maintenance costs to rise. The renovated part such as a conservatory must also be maintained. Decorating the kitchen can actually lower maintenance costs.
A tenant of a house has no maintenance costs
A tenant does not have to worry about the maintenance costs of his house. The landlord provides the necessary maintenance. In the comparison between buying and renting you have to look further. The decisive difference is in the monthly rising rent of rented houses and a mortgage that is paid off in full in twenty to thirty years. Renting a house is often cheaper in the short term, but if you are going to move into a house where you will stay for decades? Are you better off buying a house? Despite the maintenance costs.
Keep maintenance costs as low as possible
You can avoid high maintenance costs by maintaining it properly. A well-maintained house will result in lower expenses in the long term. Another way to save money is to do as much as possible yourself. For example, take the time to paint your house yourself. If necessary, you can have the difficult parts of the house done by a painter. Don’t wait until the wood starts to rot before painting your house. This entails unnecessary costs.
