--- title: 5 Inevitable Home Maintenance Expenses to Prepare For description: If you're new to investing in property and becoming landlord, congratulations! To help fully equip you for the journey, here are several home maintenance expenses you should prepare for! Preparation keeps you ahead so you won't be caught off guard with any surprises! image: https://www.hometeampm.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/home%20maintenance%20expenses.jpg --- [![Group 5068](https://www.hometeampm.com/hubfs/Group%205068.svg "Group 5068")](https://www.hometeampm.com) - [About](https://www.hometeampm.com/about/about-hpm) - [Our Company It’s been over 20 years and our goal hasn’t changed](https://www.hometeampm.com/about/about-hpm) - [Our Team Meet the Home Team Property Management Team](https://www.hometeampm.com/our-team) - [Why Choose Us No matter your property management goals, we will get you there](https://www.hometeampm.com/why-choose-us) - [Careers Take a look at our open positions and feel free to submit an application if your experience is a match](https://www.hometeampm.com/about/about-hpm) - [Vendors We are continually seeking out qualified, professional vendors to fulfill goods or maintenance contracts](https://www.hometeampm.com/about/vendor-relations) - [Connect With Us Reach out to our expert team to see how we can assist you with your property management needs](https://www.hometeampm.com/contact-us) - [Testimonials Read HomeTeam Property Management client testimonials here](https://www.hometeampm.com/testimonials) - [MANAGEMENT SERVICES](https://www.hometeampm.com/management-services) - [Residential View our residential property management services](https://www.hometeampm.com/management-services/residential-management) - [Commercial View our commercial property management services](https://www.hometeampm.com/management-services/commercial-management) - [Marketing View how we market your property to prospective tenants](https://www.hometeampm.com/management-services/marketing) - [Accounting We specialize in complete financial services for our property owners](https://www.hometeampm.com/management-services/accounting) - [Maintenance Property maintenance is one of the most important aspects of maximizing your investment](https://www.hometeampm.com/management-services/maintenance) - [Leasing Our leasing department utilizes the latest in application and credit screening procedures](https://www.hometeampm.com/management-services/leasing) - [Free Rental Analysis Get a free rental valuation of your investment property](https://www.hometeampm.com/management-services) - [Get a Quote Learn how much it would cost to manage your property](https://www.hometeampm.com/management-services/getting-started) - [OWNERS](https://www.hometeampm.com/owners) - [Marketing Your Property Learn how we market your property to ensure the maximum exposure to qualified buyers](https://www.hometeampm.com/owners/marketing-your-property) - [Renting Your Property We provide you with guidance on how to ready your property to compete in the ever-changing rental market](https://www.hometeampm.com/owners/renting-your-property) - [Maintaining Your Property The best approach to maintenance is preventative maintenance, and this is HomeTeam Property Management policy](https://www.hometeampm.com/owners/maintaining-your-property) - [No - Eviction Guarantee We are so confident in our tenant selection process that we include a No-Eviction Guarantee](https://www.hometeampm.com/owners/no-eviction-guarantee) - [Free Rental Analysis Get a free rental valuation of your investment property](https://www.hometeampm.com/owners) - [Owner Portal Login Sign-in to monitor your account](https://hometeam.appfolio.com/oportal/users/log_in) - [Get a Quote Learn how much it would cost to manage your property](https://www.hometeampm.com/management-services/getting-started) - [TENANTS](https://www.hometeampm.com/tenants) - [Rental Search Find your next place to live in San Diego](https://www.hometeampm.com/properties) - [Tenant Portal Login Sign-in to monitor your account](https://hometeam.appfolio.com/connect/users/sign_in) - [Pay Your Rent Paying rent on time has never been easier](https://www.hometeampm.com/tenants/pay-your-rent) - [Future Tenants Important information for tenants wanting to lease a property from HomeTeam](https://www.hometeampm.com/tenants/future-tenants) - [Move Out We want your move-out to be a pleasant and successful one](https://www.hometeampm.com/tenants/move-out) - [Notice To Vacate Moving out? 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Especially for anyone buying investment property and is new to the [landlording business](https://www.hometeampm.com/property-managers-tips-good-landlord). You see, as the landlord, you're the sole person responsible for maintaining every aspect of the house and property even when circumstances are beyond your control. When something goes wrong, it's up to you to judge how much each repair will cost and what you want to do in any situation where a major repair is necessary. While you may feel everything is locked down and low-maintenance, never forget that sometimes weather and environmental circumstances can require a major repair no matter how well you planned for more predictable circumstances. To help equip you to be a responsible landlord or decide that it's time to hire a property manager, let's look over some unavoidable home maintenance expenses requiring repairs, whether you're prepared for them or not. ## 1) Roof Repair After a Storm You may be able to predict an upcoming storm, but you certainly can't stop. Even if your roof is in perfect condition before a big storm, high winds, hailstones, and flying tree branches could result in anything from a few hundred to several thousand dollars worth of repairs. You might have to replace a few loosened shingles or, in worse cases, extract a chunk of tree from your attic before repairs can even begin. ## 2) Foundation Repair on Clay Soil Is your investment property built on top of clay-rich soil? While this is a very important detail, it's not one that most homeowners think to ask, investigate, or know about. The importance of clay-rich soil is how it responds to moisture (like rain and drought). The clay expands when it's wet which can push your foundation up unevenly. It also contracts when it's dry, which can pull your foundation apart as it sinks. If the house happens to be on clay-rich soil, you're likely to wind up paying for foundation reinforcement, if not, full crack repairs. ## 3) Water Heater and HVAC Replacements Homes are built with the water heater and HVAC (heating ventilation and air conditioning) appliances included. In fact, it's in place every time the house is sold. Like the roof, the basic home appliances are easy to forget about and are simply assumed that they'll last forever. However, both the water heater and the air system are only rated for about a decade of regular maintenance before needing to be replaced. Fortunately, this is also a great opportunity to install more modern and efficient models. ## 4) Pest Extermination Another act of nature few homeowners can fully prevent is infestation. When the weather cools down and the bugs try to move indoors, or the weather warms up and they wake from hibernation, you're at a higher risk of some damaging pest like termites or carpenter ants. These kinds of pests can cause structural damage as well as a health risk. ## 5) Plumbing, Burst Pipes, and Replacement Finally, there's the plumbing. Pipes also wear out in a house and the amount of time this takes varies depending on what they're made of and how they were installed. You may find your pipes can't stand up to rigorous use within the first few weeks or experience a burst frozen pipe several years after buying an investment property. In any case, you'll need a plumber, replacements, and possibly water damage repairs for your home near the damaged pipes. Becoming a landlord is one of the best routes to passive income, but 'passive' is a relative term. Expect to be called on for maintenance needs, big and small, several times a year for each residential property you invest in. This is why many landlords choose to work with property managers who can handle all the day-to-day and even year-to-year maintenance needs of each house. For more information about property maintenance or how to begin working with a property manager, [contact us today](https://www.hometeampm.com/contact-us/south-bay-office/)! ![icon](https://www.hometeampm.com/hubfs/Home_Team_2022/Group%205168%20(1).svg) #### SUBSCRIBE TO RECEIVE THE LATEST NEWS Stay in the know with the latest news form the leaders in property management ### Subscribe Here! ### Popular Posts #### The Great Pet Debate: To Allow Pets In Your... | HomeTeam Property Management | 30 January 2020 When you become a landlord, it is up to you to decide what you will... [READ FULL POST](https://www.hometeampm.com/blog/great-pet-debate-allow-pets-in-apartment) #### What Counts as a Rental Home Maintenance... | HomeTeam Property Management | 11 November 2020 Tenants are often shy about calling for repairs from their landlords... 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