Everything is happening so fast: You’ve bought your new home, sold your old one (Or moved out of an apartment), your home is full of boxes, furniture needs rearranging, and about a thousand things need to be hung on the walls. Why add one more thing to the list when your home had to be inspected during the selling process?

While you won’t have to have a professional in right away, it is a good idea to find one in your area who can not only fix problems in the future, but also annually check on the property. Below is a list of reasons why this is a good idea:

They Can See Problems Before They Become Expensive

In a home, there are a lot of instances that you want to avoid: Your water heater flooding your basement, the ac unit not working, the furnace going out (This is a concern even during the warm months, because it needs to be ready when the cold comes or you might need emergency furnace repair), your pipes needing replaced, and many other problems that can arise. Many of these issues, when they arise, involve a lot of money and involvement from your homeowner’s insurance (more money). You want to spend your money on other things: recreation, paying down debt, furnishing your new home, and entertaining guests (Showing off your new home). If you bring a professional in once a year just to check on things, they can recommend maintenance that can prevent problems that can become money pits later on in the life of your home. If your home is not new and you have lived there a awhile, this is especially true, as there may already be issues building up. Getting the problem taken care of early could help keep your money in your pocket, not to mention your peace of mind. For example, furnaces last about 15 to 18 years and it is recommended they be annually inspected after 10. In Duluth, it is no secret that furnaces work harder than in many places around the country. It is likely a good idea to have them inspected every year.

Efficiency Saves Money

If your home is a new construction, there is a good chance you have high-efficiency heating and cooing, among other things. However, if your home is older, a yearly inspection can yield recommendations for keeping your home running more efficiently. For example, switching to a high efficiency ac unit, combined with other efforts, reduce your A/C’s energy consumption by 20% to 50%. Combined with this, research has shown that, while US homeowners spend more than $11 billion annually on ac unit related costs, regular maintenance is recommended. Who could be better at performing this maintenance on your ac unit than someone that is familiar with your home? Your water heater can also bring inefficiency to your energy consumption. In fact, an old water heater can account for up to 30% of the entire energy consumption of your home. If your inspecting professional see this issue arise, you could lower your utility bill in the long run with a new water heater. It might also be recommended that you purchase a tankless water heater.

Maintenance Can Be Performed

The more the same professional inspects your home, the more familiar they will be with it. Therefore, maintenance can be performed during or following the inspection. Even if the professional is not qualified to do more specialized work, they can typically spot an issue. For example, if a potential problem is spotted with your home’s plumbing and it needs plumbing services, an experienced plumber could be recommended. It is also a plus if your professional can perform plumbing services, as 13.7% of water use is due to leaks and $6 billion worth of water (1,000,000,000,000 gallons) is wasted each year due to leaks.

These, combined with other reasons, prove that annual inspections by a professional can save you money in the long run in many ways. While it may cost money in the short term, consider giving a local professional a call, such as Carlson Duluth Company, as they are recommended by many.