It’s important to prepare your home for the onslaught of holiday visitors. If you’re going to make repairs before your guests arrive for visits over the holiday season, it’s best to know where to start and how much it will cost you.
Get Home Appliances in Ship Shape
Hosting for the holidays will put a tremendous strain on your appliances. Call the manufacturer or retailer and schedule a repair if you have newer appliances still under warranty. If you have older models, it’s time to upgrade!
According HomeAdvisor’s True Cost guide, homeowners spent between $106 and $237 on repairs, with the average price coming out to $170. If you’re upgrading, here’s what you can expect to spend on new appliances:
- Refrigerator: $900 to $8,000
- Range/Oven: $650 to $2,000
- Washer (Laundry): $700 to $1,000
- Dryer: $400 to $1,000
- Dishwasher: $400 to $700
Install Outdoor Lighting
The holidays mean less daylight and more foot traffic. That’s why it’s important to have adequate lighting on the exterior of your home. Purchase a new floodlight or other outdoor lighting to cover your driveway and front walk. Hire an electrician to install the fixture if you’re not comfortable with electrical wiring. The average cost to hire an electrician is $322, but the range runs from $160 to $514.
Fix Newel Posts
The newel post is the large post at the bottom of your stairs that anchors the balustrade and supports the railing. If you’re going to have overnight guests, especially grandparents or older aunts and uncles, it’s important to have sturdy stairs. A loose newel post can result in weak railing and sub-par support. Hire a handyman to secure your newel post and ensure a strong staircase.
The average handyman costs about $391 for a visit. Learn more here.
Inspect and Repair Your Fireplace
Hire an inspector and chimney sweep to assess the condition of your chimney. Cracks in your chimney can lead to smoke leaking into upstairs areas of your home. Chimney blockages will also keep smoke indoors instead of allowing it to flow outside. An inspector will look for all of the following:
. Malfunctioning dampers
. Damaged brickwork or masonry
. Missing or damaged flue caps
Tune Up Your Furnace
It’s important to provide visiting friends and family with a comfortable environment during their stay. If you haven’t done so already, hire an HVAC company to inspect your furnace to ensure it’s ready for the increased workload of the holiday season. A quick inspection will ensure your home remains comfortable and efficient. A professional furnace inspection costs an average of $100 to $125. You can replace your own furnace filters for $10 to $30, depending on the materials and size of the filter.
Seal Gaps and Improve Insulation
You can also lower the burden on your furnace by ensuring that your home is properly insulated. This starts with checking for any gaps or improper insulation around windows and doors — which are common leaking points in many homes. Local utility companies offer energy audits to help you identify areas of your home in need of insulation or sealing. The average home energy audit costs $373, with a range of $218 to $551.
The Bottom Line
The holidays are filled with the love and warmth of family. Before you open your home to others for the holidays, consider some of these home holiday repairs.
{loadposition user99}