Thanks to its rich history and being the home ground for America’s founding fathers, Alexandria, VA, is the home for 159,200 people. Of all of these people, 42.9% are homeowners. Being a homeowner is fun until you have to take care of various challenges after buying a house. You may hire an Alexandria plumber to fix the plumbing problems of your home, but the list of work doesn’t end here. There are many common problems a new homeowner has to face after buying a home. Here are five of such problems.
- Adjusting with Property Taxes
Many first-time homeowners forget that now they have to pay property tax once they buy a new house. Paying property taxes can pressure your finances, especially when you have spent an enormous amount of money buying a home.
You can ease a good portion of this financial burden by looking for any tax incentives that you can leverage. Many tax exemptions and benefits are specially made for new homeowners to ease their financial burden. Here are some of them:
- Using credits for installing green energy and medically necessary home improvements
- State and local property tax deducted during federal return filing
- Home office expense based deductions
A little help from a professional like a tax filing expert can help learn more about various tax exemptions for homeowners.
- Dealing with Hard Water
Hard water is one of the most common issues faced by new homeowners.
The issue of hard water is mainly faced by people who use well water. But, even the neighborhoods with municipal water face the same problem. The high concentration of minerals like magnesium and calcium can cause hard water.
Hard water blocks water pipelines and faucets and also causes corrosion. It isn’t useful for drinking or washing either. Here are some other problems caused by hard water. :
- Faded colors of the clothes after washing
- Spots and streaks on utensils
- Dry Skin and hair
- Blocked faucets, showerheads, and pipes due to limescale buildup
Hiring a professional Alexandria plumber can solve these problems by using the necessary tools and products like faucet water softeners.
- Maintenance and Emergencies
Do you remember calling your landlord to fix various household problems like leaking faucets or broken windows? Now that you are the homeowner, you have to take care of any problems in your home. Apart from such sudden expenses, you also have to take care of various routine expenses like water tank cleanups, building maintenance, lawn care, etc.
All of these expenses can put a lot of stress on your pockets. Without adequate funds, it is difficult to pay for all these expenses. If you want to handle all these expenses without burning a hole in your pocket, you have to take preventive measures. Regular cleaning of gutters and pipelines can help you reduce corrosion, save you from hefty maintenance costs, and prolong the lifespan of fixtures.
- Keeping Track of Maintenance and Repairs
It’s best to keep track of all the expenses you take care of as a homeowner. Renovations, routine maintenance, and repairs take up a big chunk of your funds. It would be best if you documented these expenses to get a clear idea of the cost of maintaining your home.
These records will help you justify the asked value of your home if you want to sell it in the future. It also ensures the potential buyers that you have taken all the necessary steps to keep the house in the best shape. It will also help you create an annual maintenance plan to manage the funds in time instead of panicking about the problems.
- Electricity Problems
Power cuts are annoying, especially when you have to pay for all the work done to restore the power. Power cuts are more frequent during storms when you have to wait for the power company to fix the problem. Sometimes only a part of the home has no power, which means something is wrong with the electric circuit in your home.
You can fix some of the electrical problems yourself, but it’s better to hire an electrician for more extensive electricity work. It doesn’t matter if the problem is small or big; a homeowner has to take care of power-related issues, which sometimes can cost a fortune.
These were some of the common problems faced by new homeowners. If you plan to be a homeowner in Alexandria, VA, you need to be prepared for such issues. Professionals like electricians, plumbers, and cleaners can help you reduce work overload and stress so that you can enjoy the time in your new home.