Rhode Island, Mass. among most expensive states when it comes to home-maintenance spending

Home maintenance and repairs are among the most unpredictable costs associated with homeownership. The amount you can anticipate spending depends on the age and condition of your home, appliances and systems. In addition, the amount will vary according to where you live. It’s generally recommended to be prepared to spend 1 to 2 percent of your home value each year.

Now Porch, a site that matches homeowners and home-services providers, analyzed average maintenance costs in every ZIP code to determine where costs are highest and how people spend home-maintenance money in each area.

According to the site, the average annual home maintenance spending nationwide is about $16,000.

Porch also found that the locations with the highest annual spending are:

• New Jersey: $18,151

• Washington, D.C.: $18,119

• Connecticut: $17,782

• Maryland: $17,699

• Massachusetts: $17,461

• Rhode Island: $17,034

The state with the lowest annual home maintenance was Mississippi at $14,890.

Porch’s study also looked at some of the most expensive home-maintenance tasks and estimated how much you’d need to save and spend on those items. Among the most expensive are repairing a subfloor, caring for a swimming pool and repairing water damage.