As a homeowner, you need professional tradespeople that you can trust and depend on to perform maintenance, repairs, replacements, upgrades and so forth. You may have to rely on multiple companies to oversee the different aspects of your home. That would not be the case, however, if you chose Huft Home Services. Our company specializes in cooling, heating, insulation, indoor air quality, plumbing, electrical and other areas relevant to your home. We also offer home maintenance plans that are designed to save our customers time and money and protect them over the years. Your plan is customizable to your unique home and preferences and can cover all or just some of those areas listed.
Seasonal Inspections of Your Home and Major Appliances
An effective way to maximize the investments in your home is to have those major appliances inspected during the relevant seasons, such as inspection of your air conditioner prior to the cooling season. Where applicable, these appointments not only include a multipoint inspection but a comprehensive cleaning and tune-up. Many homeowners take a break-fix approach to home maintenance, but this strategy will almost assuredly cost you more over an extended period. With preventive maintenance, you avoid most serious home repair issues by dealing with them before they ever manifest. Furthermore, your home maintenance company can track and schedule your inspections for you, and that takes most of the hassle and concern out of ensuring that your home gets the upkeep that it needs.
Lower Month-to-Month Costs Through Seasonal Tune-Ups
When considering home maintenance — whether it be an overarching plan or a plan for an individual area — homeowners will sometimes focus on the upfront costs. Although a relatively small one, it is undoubtedly an additional expense. But what we think is often overlooked in this consideration is the money that it can save you. Consider, for instance, furnace, heat pump and air conditioning maintenance. Such maintenance absolutely does pay for itself over the course of the season, and this is not just our company or industry that is confident in this. The EPA estimates that the average American home can lower their energy costs by at least 10% a year through tune-ups, and that will usually cover the cost of the plan and then some in addition to the peace of mind and other protections that it provides.
Correcting Wear and Tear to Avoid Major Repairs
Understanding what a tune-up — a service that may go by a different name depending on the appliance — entails can help you to appreciate the value of a home maintenance plan. Your major appliances have moving parts and electrical components, and in both cases, that means that they are subject to regular wear and tear during use. Wear and tear accumulate over time and will eventually result in a failure if not dealt with. In fact, most major home repairs are not due to sudden part failure and the like but rather wear and tear that has added up and developed into a serious problem.
Priority Service and Discounts in the Event Repairs Are Needed
But what if a breakdown does occur? No company can guarantee you that an appliance will not break down due to maintenance. While maintenance certainly makes it less likely, component failures do happen, and these are not just limited to defects either. Parts eventually get too old and fail. The good news is that maintenance plans will often include some form of protection to help offset that bad luck. Many companies provide their plan members with priority service and do not charge for emergency and overtime fees and the like. Many will also provide a set discount on parts, material, labor and so on.
Longer Appliance Lifespan and Lower Cost of Ownership
Regular maintenance also plays an integral role in appliance lifespan. Take the modern furnace, which is expected to last at least 15 years and often 20 years or longer. But furnaces that receive no maintenance at all can fail much earlier than that, and some industry estimates have the effect of maintenance at about 50%, such as a furnace failing after 15 years rather than 10. Did you also know that many major appliance warranties require it? They do, and if you cannot prove that you have scheduled regular maintenance on the unit, a company can deny your claim on that basis alone.
Winterization
Another excellent reason to consider a home maintenance plan is if you leave it for an extended period, such as to go on vacation. Your maintenance company can provide the specific maintenance that you require for that particular period. Winterization is a great example of this. Leave your home for an extended period during winter, and you can be returning to pipes that froze and then burst and caused serious damage as result. Your maintenance company can turn off your water main and drain all pipes and appliances and, then, return when you do in order to get your water flowing again.
Building a Relationship With Your Maintenance Company
As a homeowner, one of the challenges you face is hiring companies that you can trust and rely on. It certainly makes it easier when you hire an established company like Huft Home Services and just have to hire one company overall, but it is even better when you have built a relationship over time. Your maintenance company will get to know you and your home, and they can provide you with professional advice within that context. This relationship becomes even more rewarding when the company is not just working on your heating and cooling, for instance, but also your plumbing, electrical and so forth.
Developing a Proactive Plan for Home Improvement
Another benefiting of having a home maintenance plan over time is being able to better plan for those larger maintenance costs, such as replacing a tank water heater or upgrading that old water heater to an on-demand system. Your maintenance company will not only provide you advance notice but can help you prioritize your replacements and upgrades. It is invaluable to have a company that knows your home and can help you make these decisions based on your particular budget.
Your Home Maintenance Experts in California
If you are interested in a home maintenance plan, turn to the established and trusted professionals at Huft Home Services. Our company has locations in Elk Grove, Sacramento and Yuba City, and we provide our services throughout the surrounding areas. In addition to home maintenance plans, we offer maintenance, repair and installation for all manner of home heating and cooling equipment. Our team includes expert plumbers who clean drains and work with both tank and tankless water heaters, and our electricians install lighting, surge protection, generators and EV chargers. Call us today or contact us online to learn more or to schedule an appointment or on-site consultation.
