Home maintenance and repair costs

[econberkeley]

Labor for home repair and maintenance costs can break the budget pretty quickly. What should I implement to lower these costs? I was shocked recently by the quotes I got from a major hvac repair company for the outside pipe cover installation for the a/c unit. I called these guys to fix items that pointed out by the inspection report.  I was going to do it on my own, but my in-laws insisted that they are done by a company. Anyway, their quote was $299. It was no more than 10 minutes work. Part cost should be only few bucks.  They advertise on tv and radio like crazy. How do I find low cost reliable independent contractors? What should I look for when I do my search? Also, how do you guys maintain hvac, water heaters and home appliances to increase their lifespan? I bought a groupon couple of years ago to get the HVAC and water heater checked. They told me that $1,000 worth of repair needed to be done. I got suspicious and called another hvac guy. This time, I was told no repair needed, but found something to fix. It was not something major, but I guess he felt guilty not doing anything. It was such a waste of time and money. Any tips?

[nawhite]

Keep looking for someone who you like to work with. Get referrals from friends, family and co-workers, and keep trying. Almost every company will do a housecall for free or close to it if they really want your business. If you don't like what they are doing or telling you, try someone else.

As for ways to increase their lifespan, add insulation and seal your house better so your HVAC systems don't need to run as much. If they don't run as much, they wont wear out as fast. My AC runs about 2 days per year (came with the house) and I expect it to last many many years with no repairs.

[AlanStache]

Find a friend with AngiesList. 

Few years ago I need foundation work, by far the highest quote was from the guys that heavily advertised.  They wanted to do a gold plated solution where everyone else was happy with concrete and wood.  Guess who we hired.

I dont think most companies make money off gropons, they are like coupons you pay for to get you in the door.  Maybe they were looking to make some work for themselves?

[Milspecstache]

I did not like Angie's List.  I never hired anyone off of there and yet I was always adding in the people that I hired.  With that model, they should have been paying me, not the other way around.

To do my HVAC work I found someone licensed to handle refrigerant that does the job on the side.  He was more than willing to be reasonable and I even paid him extra when he spent longer to do the job right.

One thing I can tell you: always get multiple quotes, at least 3.  Just doing that alone will help you figure out labor, parts, and the plan on how the professionals would do the job.  I never get one quote and go with that guy.

[Insanity]

I did not like Angie's List.  I never hired anyone off of there and yet I was always adding in the people that I hired.  With that model, they should have been paying me, not the other way around.

To do my HVAC work I found someone licensed to handle refrigerant that does the job on the side.  He was more than willing to be reasonable and I even paid him extra when he spent longer to do the job right.

One thing I can tell you: always get multiple quotes, at least 3.  Just doing that alone will help you figure out labor, parts, and the plan on how the professionals would do the job.  I never get one quote and go with that guy.

Another reason to dislike Angie's List - their cancellation policy is annoying.  you can't just cancel your account, you have to talk to someone.  And then when you talk to them not only do they try to "discount" the deal (since they have more than reviews: discounts for various things), but then they set the cancel date to the end of the membership.  This isn't bad for month to month where there is no refund.. But there is a refund for the year long purchase.  I had to tell the rep I wanted to cancel now in order to get that refund, she basically set it to the end of the year.  I hate when services do that kind of shit.