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How Building Maintenance Saves You Money

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The rent vs. buy debate has long been argued, and it all comes down to money. Will you save more in the long run putting your money toward a mortgage (and not to mention interest), or does renting add up?

Read: Summing Up the Rent vs. Buy Decision

While many people focus on the dichotomy of basic housing, they fail to account for additional expenses associated with each living situation. For instance, homeowners have to cover the cost of home maintenance on their own.

Renters, on the other hand, have the miraculous perk known as building maintenance. The building maintenance staff at your apartment complex will not only save you money, but make apartment upkeep stress-free. Renting one, homeownership zero!

Budgeting For Home Maintenance

Homeowners have to factor maintenance into their budget. It's like owning a car---you have to schedule oil changes, check those brakes and rotate tires, simply to prevent your vehicle from breaking down. If your car really does have an issue, you have to pay for repairs.

The same goes for your living space. Cleaning the place or using drain catches to prevent clogging are both preemptive measures. However, should your pipes burst, roof leak or electricity go out, you have to fix it.

In the case of homeownership, you have to cover the cost of those mishaps all on your own. And it can get pretty hefty! Those who live in an apartment building with a maintenance staff don't have to pay for the occasional drain clearing.

To be specific, many recommend that people who cover their repairs budget 1.5% of their housing costs for repairs. If your mortgage payment $1,000, that comes out to $15 per month toward maintenance or $180 per year. That might not seem like much … but you also have to pay for any major repairs.

The Big Stuff

While you may only budget about 1.5% of your living expenses toward maintenance, things don't break in small bits. Everything could be fine for months and then bam! Your refrigerator goes kaput. When a disaster does strike, you're looking at a big bill to make repairs.

Read: Should You Tip The Building Maintenance Staff?

When you have maintenance staff in your apartment, fixing broken things is much less stressful and usually cost free (unless you’re responsible for the damage). You don't have to worry whether you put away enough to hire someone---the person you call is on someone else's payroll!

Fixing Problems as They Come

Renters with building maintenance can also keep up with little problems better. If you don't have to pay to fix the weird sound your air conditioner is making, then you have no reason not to call your maintenance guy.

Read: Apartment Maintenance Checklist

However, homeowners or those without a paid staff might be tempted to let those little red flags go unchecked. This leads to more problems in the future. The odd noises, weird quirks or occasional blunders may snowball into an expensive meltdown.

Apartment maintenance would much rather their residents call in the small stuff than wait for the problem to get out of hand.

The Cost of Repairs

Curious what you'd have to pay for specific problems? According to Home Advisor, these are the national average repair costs by project:

  • Repairing appliances: $200

  • Hiring a plumber: $362

  • Unclogging a drain: $260

  • Fixing a bathroom fan: $260

  • Repairing a ceiling fan: $162

  • Fixing flooring (like replacing tiles or hardwood): $947

Even with this limited list, you can see that maintaining your home out of pocket can become expensive. But if you have staff that does all these things for you, you save plenty of money--potentially thousands of dollars.