House owners can influence their living costs
If you have never owned a house before, you may have a lot of questions about living in one. Because a house owner is liable for all maintenance-related costs, one frequent question concerns the living costs and how they change compared to an apartment.
According to our Economist Juho Kostiainen, single-family houses are usually subject to the same costs as apartment blocks, but they are just financed differently. He also mentions that the living costs per square metre are not necessarily higher in a house than in an apartment.
Some common house repair and maintenance costs include exterior house painting, road maintenance, private road snow clearance and chimney sweeping.
“Sometimes costs may be lower for a house owner than for an apartment owner, as you can take care of small renovations and outdoor maintenance yourself,” says Juho Kostiainen.
If you’re planning to buy a house, consider how much time you’re willing to spend on chores inside and outside the house, such as gardening and snow removal.