One of the most important considerations when buying a home is the property’s age. The age of a home can be a major determinant in the purchase price and the expected cost of maintenance over the coming years. In order to plan ahead for maintenance, repairs, and replacements, it is useful to know just how long the components of your home will last. When does the roof need to be replaced? Is it time for a new hot water heater? In this blog post, we’ll take a deep dive into the components of a house and what the expected life span is for each.
Structural Components
Roof: 20 - 30 years. Life span depends on the materials used, the quality of workmanship, the overall climate of the home’s location, and the regularity of maintenance.
Driveway: 15 - 20 years. A standard asphalt driveway should see close to two decades of use before significant replacement or repair is needed.
Windows: 15 - 30 years. Good installation and proper sealants are of utmost importance to the longevity of windows. Double pane, or even triple pane windows can extend the life of your windows as well as save on the energy bill and help keep your home at optimal temperature.
Slab Floor: 100 years. The stone or wood slab foundation of a home should last 100 years. A problem with the foundation would be result in a very expensive repair cost.
Exterior Paint: 10 - 15 years. Although cosmetic in appearance, exterior paint plays a significant role in sealing your house against the elements. Power washing and touch-ups can help to extend the life of a paint job.
Rain Gutters: 15 - 25 years. Gutters can last as long as your roof, so long as they are kept clean of debris and patched up when showing areas of weakness.
Wood Deck/Fence: 10 - 15 years. Regular staining and treatment can prolong the life of a deck or fence.
Mechanical Components:
Furnace: 15 - 18 years. A timely maintenance schedule is vital to keeping a healthy and efficiently running furnace.
Heat Pump: 15 - 18 years. Ensuring day-to-day use will keep a heat pump running smoothly past the first decade of ownership.
Electrical Switches/Sockets: 10 - 20 years. Cosmetically these may look more worn out after a decade as styles change, but their functionality should last much longer.
Garage Door Opener: 10 - 15 years. Occasional maintenance can help keep these running well.
Home Security System/Smoke Detector: 5 - 10 years. Most of these are labelled with their life expectancy. Testing these every so often is the best way to ensure they are working optimally. For an easy way to remember when to test, do so every season change.
Air-Conditioning (AC) Unit: 10 - 15 years. AC units have become popular in newer homes and are very helpful in the hot summer months. Ensuring that the filters are cleaned and replaced as necessary should enable a healthy life span.
Heat Recovery Ventilation (HRV) System: 10 - 20 years. These have also become popular in newer homes and should last upwards of a decade with routine cleaning. A clean HRV system is also best at providing fresh air throughout the year into your home.
Plumbing
Kitchen Sink: 8 - 12 years. These are most often coated in steel and can therefore take a beating for over a decade.
Kitchen Faucet: 15 years. Style may change, but they are built to last.
Garburator: 4 - 8 years. Most homeowners get far less of a life span out of these due to improper disposal.
Toilet: 25+ years. Toilets are one of the longest lasting components of a house, although cosmetic upgrades may be desired before their lifespan is up.
Shower Enclosure & Tub: 25 - 50 years. A well built and properly sealed shower enclosure and tub will last the majority of home ownership. If tiled, be sure to maintain the grouting!
Tub & Shower Faucets: 15 - 20 years. Similar to kitchen faucets, you may want a style update, but that will likely happen before the hardware is no longer working.
Appliances
Dryer: 8 - 12 years. Keeping those lint traps clean is the simplest way to ensuring a longer life for your dryer.
Washing Machine: 8 - 12 years. Using steel-braided hoses and keeping the wash drum clear of debris will assist in having a healthy washing machine.
Refrigerator: 10 - 15 years. Your fridge will probably function just fine long after you get tired of looking at the colour of it.
Cooking Range: 10 - 15 years. Another item in the home that needs some cleaning love once in awhile, but should last long if maintained.
Microwave: 7 - 10 years. The lifespan of a microwave can vary by luck. Replacing them can often be cheaper than repairing them.
Dishwasher: 6 - 10 years. Dishwashers tend to wear out a little faster than other appliances as debris and food waste can often get caught up in the parts and result in a shorter life span.
Oven: 10 - 12 years. The heating elements of an oven should run for over a decade.
Miscellaneous Components:
Kitchen Cabinets: 25 - 40 years. A set of well built cabinets should last a very long time. Refacing cabinets may be necessary to update the look.
Carpet: 8 - 15 years. Carpet can start to look worn out in high-use areas, but depending on quality, carpet lasting over 10 years should be possible.
Laminate Flooring: 15 - 20 years. Chances are you’ll want to modernize your home before this wears out.
Floor Tiles: 20 - 40 years. Tiles are prone to cracking when things are dropped on them, so having a few spares is always a good idea.
Wood Flooring: 25 - 50 years. Quality wood flooring can literally last as long as home ownership.
Interior Paint: 10 - 15 years. Unless you need to change the appearance of your home more frequently, paint should serve its purpose for over a decade before needing a fresh coat.
There it is! The life span of your home broken down by component. The key to a healthy home is regular maintenance, servicing, and cleaning. Fortunately, most maintenance can be done by an owner with the help of YouTube and the many easily-available online guides. For specialized equipment, such as your furnace and appliances, it would be wise to contact a professional for routine care.
A home inspection for your own home
Just like human beings, homes need check ups too! After all, there are many components to a home and often times, problems that go undiagnosed can become expensive and laborious to repair. Home inspections in BC cost around $400 - $700 depending on the size of your home. Investing in getting an inspection done every 3 - 5 years can help serve as a guide for any repairs or maintenance needed.
The 1% Rule
One thing I advise all my clients when owning a home is to follow the 1% rule. By putting aside 1% of your home’s value every year, you’ll have a safety net of funds to handle any surprise expenses that arise with home ownership. Of course, if you go several years without any problems and your safety net grows excessively, you can always use that money for renovations and updates!
Hopefully you found this information useful. If you have any questions on how to maintain your home and ensure it is at optimal value, feel free to reach out to me anytime at adil@adilkhimani.com
Thank you for reading,
Adil