Is this something you have ever thought about? “Does my house have a life span?” It does, however there are many factors to take into consideration here, there is no simple answer. Life expectancies are averages, this means some may last longer and some shorter. Things also may vary vastly depending on level of maintenance, quality of installation, and intensity of use and climate conditions. Here is an interesting thing to take into consideration; more than 30% of all homes in the U.S. were built before 1960. This means about 1/3 of all homes in the U.S. are almost 60 years old. Over 6% of all homes in the U.S. are over 100 years old! So, houses do have sustainability, if they are cared for and updated.
Let’s break this down a little and discuss what lasts and what may need replacing sooner rather than later. Components that are made of concrete or brick, cast iron or copper tend to have longer life spans, lasting up to 100 years, based on a study of home components’ life expectancy. Unfortunately, appliances have shorter life spans:
- Trash compactors (8-10 years)
- Refrigerators (8-10 years)
- Microwave ovens (8-10 years)
- Humidifies (8-10 years)
- Gas range (13-15 years)
- Aluminum roof coating (3 to 7 years)
- Enamel steel sinks (5 to 10 years)
- Security system (5 to 10 years)
- Carpet (8 to 10 years)
- Smoke detector (less than 10 years)
- Faucets (10 to 15 years)
- Garage door opener (10 to 15 years)
- Air conditioner/Heat Systems (10 to 15 years)
- Asphalt Driveway (12 to 15 years)
- Wood Decking (20-25 years)
- Good quality interior paint (15 years)
While it is nearly impossible to predict how long a house will last (I mean think about it, crazy things happen all the time) about 42% of all houses were built before 1970; that means most houses in the Unites States are almost 50 years old or older. So, when you are in the market to purchase a home, these are things to really look at and take into consideration. How much money are you investing in the purchase of the home and how much money are you going to investing into the remodel or upkeep in the near future?