Yeni ev sahiplerinin yaklaşık % 75 'i 2 yıl içinde sürpriz onarımlara 10.000 $ harcıyor ve bazıları onlar için hiç bütçe ayırmıyor

Nearly 75% of new homeowners spend $10,000 on surprise repairs within 2 years — and some never budgeted for them

Aditi Ganguly

Sat, August 8, 2026 at 3:10 PM GMT+3 10 min read

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First-time homebuyers have their fair share of ups and downs to deal with, but one downside many don't expect can decimate the most carefully planned of household budgets.

That budget-buster is home maintenance and repair bills, which rarely makes it into the "expected expense" column, according to a new study from Jobber (1), a provider of home service software. While 93% of Americans say they're pleased with own a new home, 58% discovered unanticipated repair needs right after move-in day. What's more, 72% of newly minted homeowners say they spent about $10,000 on those unexpected fixes within two years of buying the property.

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"The biggest mistake first-time buyers make is assuming that if they can afford the mortgage payment, they can afford homeownership," Daniel Amodeo, president of Boston-based Amo Realty, told Moneywise.

The first two years of home ownership often bring expenses people never planned for, from replacing a water heater or HVAC system to higher insurance premiums, property taxes, landscaping, and routine maintenance.

"I always tell buyers to leave the closing table with a healthy emergency fund because it's usually not a question of if something will break, but when," Amodeo said. To Amodeo's point, 45% of those surveyed in Jobber's study said they'd warn future buyers to pad the household repair budget with more cash than they think they'll need.

Buyers too often focus on the initial costs of a home like the listing price and mortgage but fail to account for additional expenses. "First-time homebuyers often lack the experience to understand the surprise expenses," Wyatt Simon, founder at Omaha Home Advisors, told Moneywise.

Here's where the biggest early home repair bills originate

New homeowners can do themselves a big favor by focusing on the critical infrastructure of a home, which holds it together, ensuring it operates efficiently and safely. It's more important than decor or cabinet space.

"Most surprises are seldom cosmetic," Alexei Morgado, a Florida-based real estate agent and founder at Lexawise, a digital real estate exam preparation platform, told Moneywise.

"They're related to the age of roofing systems, heating and air conditioning units, water heaters, plumbing or electrical systems, and insurance deductibles."

Those cost headaches tend to surface at the same time, since the systems may well be close in age. Additionally, most buyers aren't adequately prepared for these costs since qualification for a mortgage focuses more on affording the monthly payment than on the maintenance.

"Home inspection represents just a snapshot and is no guarantee of the life left in the equipment," Morgado said. "Most of the buyers may use all of their available funds to pay for a down payment, closing costs, moving, and furniture."

Insurance and property taxes are changing homeownership economics

Many new homebuyers also discover too late that a fixed-rate mortgage is not a fixed total housing payment.

According to Cotality (2), non-mortgage housing costs soared by 30% in 2025. Meanwhile, ATTOM (3) finds that the national average on property taxes was $4,427 in 2025, representing a 3% annual increase.

New buyers must factor in insurance costs and taxes when purchasing the house because they are just as as mortgage rates and payments

"The buyer must be aware that it may cost more to buy a cheaper house in a high-risk insurance area, one that needs to have additional wind and flood insurance, which has a large deductible or a potential reassessment of the property following its purchase," Morgado said.

Here's how to keep on top of surprise home repair bills

As the old saying goes, a little bit of preparation goes a long way, and that goes double for accounting for home repairs.

Home experts say that while due diligence on maintenance may dent the budget, it's a whole lot better than the cash you'll spend addressing big repairs. "Save at least 1% of your home's value each year for maintenance, Melanie Musson, insurance analyst at Clearsurance.com (4), told Moneywise. "If your home is older, you should save at least 3%."

That budget target means if you bought your home for $400,000, plan to spend $4,000 a year maintaining it, which breaks down to about $333 a month.

If you're about to buy your first home, avoid steering every dollar you have into the down payment. Instead, reserve $5,000 for home maintenance if you can.

"Then, when issues arise, and you're getting used to how your lifestyle changes from the financial impact of homeownership, focus on function," Musson noted. "Fix the problem without going overboard."

For example, if your dishwasher breaks, look for a scratch-and-dent model to get you through to next year. Eventually, when things settle down, you can splurge for the incredible high-end dishwasher you always wanted.

"Just don't do that right away, and instead, save money during those first two years of ownership," Musson said.

Build a robust emergency fund

A house doesn't care about your budget. Appliances fail, pipes burst and HVAC systems seem to quit at the worst possible time.

That's one reason why many financial experts generally recommend keeping three to six months' worth of living expenses in an emergency fund. Having cash set aside can help you cover unexpected repair bills, giving you a financial cushion so you aren't forced to borrow at steep interest rates just to keep your home in good shape.

Or, even worse, tap into your investments to fix a leaky roof.

A high-yield account like a Wealthfront Cash Account can be a great place to grow your uninvested cash, offering both competitive interest rates and easy access to your money when you need it.

A Wealthfront Cash Account currently offers a base APY of 3.30% through program banks, and new clients can get an extra 0.75% boost during their first three months on up to $150,000 for a total variable APY of 4.05%.

That's 10 times the national deposit savings rate, according to the FDIC's July report.

Additionally, Wealthfront is offering new clients who enable direct deposit ($1,000/mo minimum) to their Cash Account and open and fund a new investment account an additional 0.25% APY increase with no expiration date or balance limit, meaning your APY could be as high as 4.30%.

With no minimum balances or account fees, as well as 24/7 withdrawals and free domestic wire transfers, your funds remain accessible at all times. Plus, you get access to up to $8M FDIC Insurance eligibility through program banks.

Save on other housing expenses

Once you've budgeted for your mortgage, property taxes and utilities, it's easy to assume you've accounted for the biggest housing expenses. But insurance is one bill that's been climbing fast — and many homeowners don't notice until renewal time.

Average homeowners insurance premiums climbed faster than inflation across all major regions in the U.S. between 2018 and 2024, and they've risen another 7% since the start of 2025 (5). The National Association of Realtors estimates that home affordability is roughly 10% lower than it would have been had insurance costs remained stable since the late 1990s.

Rather than automatically renewing your policy, it may be worth comparing rates. Insurify lets you compare accurate, real-time quotes from 100+ top insurance companies in minutes, helping you see whether a better deal is available in your area.

Just answer a few basic questions, and the platform will show you the most affordable deals in your area in as little as 5 minutes.

Even better, the process is 100% free, and there is zero obligation to switch unless you find a better rate. Plus, you could also save up to 20% by bundling your car insurance and home insurance together.

Consider tapping into your home's equity

Even the best emergency fund has its limits. The repair bill can simply be too large to cover out of pocket — even if you've done everything right. Rather than financing the expense on a credit card with double-digit interest, it may be worth looking at the equity you've already built in your home.

A HELOC lets you borrow against that equity as needed, meaning you pay interest only on the funds you use. It can be a practical solution for major repairs, renovations or upgrades that help you stay comfortably in your home for years to come.

You can tap into your home equity with a HELOC from AmeriSave and access your full funds right at closing.

You can choose a draw period that fits your life — three, five, or 10 years — along with 20- or 30-year terms to suit your budget. And with a 10-year interest-only option, you can keep monthly payments manageable while you plan ahead.

It's essentially a flexible credit line secured by your home, delivered through a mostly online application process. Just make sure you understand the repayment terms before committing.

Invest fractionally in real estate with as little as $100

The financial reality of owning a home often looks very different from the American dream. While real estate can be a lucrative investment, it isn't always a cheap one — especially when it comes to down payments.

In fact, among homeowners who regret something about purchasing their current home, 42% complain that maintenance and hidden costs turned out to be far more expensive than expected (6).

Fortunately, buying an entire property isn't the only way to gain exposure to real estate. Crowdfunding platforms like Arrived allow you to invest in shares of rental properties across the country with as little as $100.

Arrived handles the day-to-day responsibilities of managing the property — so you can sit back and relax without any headaches.

To get started, simply browse through their selection of vetted properties, each picked for their potential appreciation and income generation.

Arrived also distributes any rental income generated by properties to investors monthly, allowing you to potentially set up a passive income stream without the extra work that comes with being a landlord of your own rental property.

The best part? For a limited time, when you open an account and add $1,000 or more, Arrived will credit your account with a 1% match.

— With files from Brian O'Connell