Owning a home involves a lot of expenses and home repairs are the hardest to plan for. 

Whether they’re low-cost minor refurbishings or pricey maintenance projects, homeowners would do well to be prepared.

Here are some of the most expensive repairs and what you can do to avoid them.

1. Foundation Repair

Your foundation could be at risk if your home is in an area where the soil tends to swell with rains and contract during periods of drought. To identify if you have a problem, look out for cracks, sloping floors or water pooling  in your basement or around the edges of your house.

To prevent spending anywhere from $450 to $11,000, take necessary measures to ensure proper drainage during the rains and use soaker hoses around the perimeter during summers to keep the soil from drying out.

2. Roof Repair

In order to do its job right, your roof needs to be well maintained. When you notice a leak or missing shingles, call a handyman immediately.

To avoid shelling out $650 for partial repairs or $6,000 for roof replacement, hire professionals to inspect your roof on a regular basis. You can also attempt to identify weak spots and address minor repairs yourself.

3. Termite Damage

While bugs of all kinds are an inconvenience in your home, termites cause a lot more trouble than any of the others, so it’s important to tackle them as soon as they appear. If you spot swarms of small bugs, or wings in the basement, hollowed out wood or mud tunnels, it’s time to call in an exterminator. To avoid treatment costs of $541 and repairs worth $7,229, you can choose to install termite monitors, keep wood and mulch away from the outside of your house and inspect for termites once a year.

4. Plumbing Issues

Pipe repairs or installation are an enormous expense, as they’re generally located underground and inside walls. To know if you need to call in a plumber, check for discoloration or flaking in exposed pipes, leaks and rusty water. The average cost of repairing a sewer line is $2,443 and $559 to repair a drain pipe. It’ll cost you about $1,054 to install new pipes. To avoid these expenses, avoid using chemical products to unclog drains, insulate your pipes during the winter and get your sewage pipes professionally cleaned once every few years.

5. Mold Removal

Mold causes a number of health issues, particularly for family members with allergies. It can also have a serious effect on your home’s resale value, so never ignore any discoloration in the walls or ceilings, musty odors or allergy symptoms. To save on expenses of $2,155, immediately attend to leaks and inspect your home for signs of mold periodically.