The Garden State costs the most green
Don’t want to spend all your cash on boring home maintenance costs? Then avoid buying a house in New Jersey. According to a new analysis, the state boasts the highest home maintenance expenses in the entire nation.
Where home maintenance costs the most
According to a new Porch.com study, the state of New Jersey has the highest home maintenance costs in the country. Homeowners in the Garden State apparently pay an average of $18,151 a year to maintain their properties.
Other states with high maintenance expenses? They’re mostly in the Northeast, with Washington, D.C. at $18,119, Connecticut at $17,782, Massachusetts at $17,699 and Rhode Island at $17,034.
California and Hawaii are the only non-Northeastern states to make the top 10.
More affordable maintenance is in the South
All of the country’s most affordable states for home maintenance are located in the South, with Mississippi taking the No. 1. Spot. Home maintenance in the state costs just $14,890 — well below the national average of $16,000.
West Virginia came in with the second-lowest costs at $15,068 per year, while Arkansas took third at $15,115.
Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, New Mexico, Alabama, Louisiana and Oklahoma rounded out the top 10.
Home maintenance: essential for preserving home value
Why are these costs of maintaining a home so different? According to Porch.com, it depends on a lot of factors.
“The cost of buying a house obviously fluctuates based on where in the U.S. you live — but so do the styles, ages, and types of homes you might find in each state,” Porch.com reported. “From craftsman homes in Alabama to ranch-style abodes in Alaska, the type of house (and how old it is) could factor into how much you’ll have to pay on a yearly basis to maintain it.”
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Get today’s mortgage rates
Want to buy a house where maintenance costs won’t run you dry? Then shop around and see what mortgage rates you qualify for today.
