In addition to continuing COVID-19 concerns, inflation has been creeping up especially in 2022 to over 7%. While many causes are to blame, the effect of inflation is that your home budget won’t cover as many expenses as before. This includes regular home maintenance expenses like gutter cleaning and lawn mowing.
Expenses for gutter cleaning, lawn mowing, window cleaning, and other normal home maintenance services can be “inflation-proofed” to a large extent however. Taking the few simple steps outlined below can reduce your expenses by ten to 20 percent or more – even after taking inflation into account. 805 Gutters offers these tips for homeowners to help lower their costs for gutter cleaning and home maintenance this year:
Do a Little Work Yourself Ahead of Time
We’re not suggesting that you start cleaning gutters yourself or doing your own pest control. But you can help lower your costs by doing a little work before the services are hired. Trim back trees and landscaping that may be contributing a large amount of the debris in your gutters. Clean up around your home and make it easier and faster for workers to do their job. Time is money and you will be charged more if a service provider comes to your home and sees trash and garbage piled up around your house, broken down cars in the drive, or a pool covered with leaves and debris.
Get Services Booked Ahead of Time
The worst time to get services like gutter cleaning is when the schedules are full and everyone on the block is trying to get their gutters cleaned out too. Good old supply and demand. We’re not saying you should have your gutters cleaned at the wrong times of the year – we are saying that if you book ahead you will pay less. You can normally book your gutter cleaning and other home services six months ahead of time which means you’re locked in for the work and usually locked in for the price. And the price will always be higher if you book at the last minute when everyone is busy. A typical $200 gutter cleaning service can go up to $300 or more in peak times.
Invest in Maintenance Contracts
When an annual service agreement or maintenance contract is available for things like gutter cleaning take advantage of the savings and sign up. You may need to agree to two or three cleanings but you are locked in to a cost that is going to be significantly lower than getting a quote at the last minute (when there is probably a bigger problem or more demand). Maintenance agreements can save you 20-40 percent on typical home maintenance services like gutter cleaning, pest control, lawn services, or window cleaning.
Keep Your Home in Good Repair
It always costs less to keep things clean than it does to clean them the first time. Everyone knows that. When times are tight and tough, keeping your home in good shape can be a challenge for sure but it is not impossible. If you have had your gutters cleaned regularly they will be cheaper to clean overall. If you are keeping your lawn cut, it is cheaper to keep it that way than to let it get waist-high and then call someone to cut it.
Ask For Discounts and Credits
This may be a little tougher to do depending on where you live, but most – if not all – home services are negotiable to some extent. Don’t haggle with a service provider over the cost but do ask what you can do to get a discount. Refer a friend or sign up for two cleanings? Simple. Schedule the work to be done at a more convenient time for the vendor? Do it. And don’t forget to ask for any discounts the vendor may provide to first-responders, veterans, seniors, teachers, or members of an association. If you qualify or are entitled to it, use it.
If you are a member of a homeowners association, neighborhood watch group, garden club, or other local group of people who may all need the same service, ask the vendor if they can bundle you together and give everyone a better price. You may also qualify for discounts on many home services through your employer. You need to ask!
In Conclusion
Inflation proofing home maintenance costs like gutter cleaning doesn’t take a genius. It does take a little thinking ahead and looking for ways to make getting a discount a win-win for you and the vendor. Things like gutter cleaning should never be ignored or avoided simply over the price of the service. If you do ignore it, the costs to repair the damage that clogged gutters can cause can make the original cleaning cost insignificant in comparison. A cleaning may cost $200 but repairing a roof that leaks from water damage caused by clogged gutters can cost thousands! So don’t short-change yourself and your family and skip gutter cleaning. But certainly look at our examples and be a little ahead of the game and you will be well on your way to inflation-proofing your gutter cleaning costs and more in the year ahead.
805 Gutters is your choice for fair, up-front prices, guaranteed services, and easy scheduling in hundreds of cities across the country including St. Louis, MO and Cleveland, OH through our network of local professionals. Click or call today to get your quote and book your gutter cleaning. Save time and avoid the risk. Get great gutter cleaning from 805 Gutters today.