Worth it?
Some of what gets sold to you is worth paying for. Most of the argument is about which.
A quote arrives, or someone knocks, or an ad follows you around. These pages answer the only question you actually have, in the first line: yes, no, or yes in these specific situations and not otherwise.
Then the reasoning, the cases where it is genuinely worth the money, the cases where it is not, the cheaper thing to try first, what it costs, and how not to be taken for a ride if you go ahead.
The verdict gets written before we think about what it earns us, and it does not bend afterwards. No link on this site currently earns us a commission, and when that changes it will not change an answer.
Answered
- Is air duct cleaning worth it?Usually not. Routine duct cleaning is one of the most oversold jobs in the house. Here is what the evidence actually supports, the four situations where it is genuinely worth paying for, what it costs, and the $80 to $180 inspection to buy instead.
- Are gutter guards worth it?Rarely, at the installed price. Professionally installed gutter guards run $3,000 to $9,000. Cleaning the gutters costs $100 to $250, and guarded gutters still need cleaning at least annually. Here is when they are genuinely worth it, and the DIY price that changes everything.
Being worked through
- Is a water softener worth it?not yetAt which hardness number it starts paying for itself
- Is basement waterproofing worth it?not yetInterior versus exterior, and the cheap thing to try first
- Is spray foam insulation worth it?not yetWhere it earns its price and where it is the wrong product