Life Expectancies of Common Household Items

Ever wonder how long the various components in your home will last?

If I buy this new fridge, how many years will I get out of it?
How many years do I have left on this roof?
What's more durable laminate or vinyl flooring?

You never really can know for certain how long something will last, but it doesn't seem to stop us from trying! And it's not a bad practice. Knowing approximately how long things will last in your home can help you make decisions to stagger your big purchases, and better plan your "rainy day savings" habits so you are more prepared when those items do decide to conk out.

Now you could ask a trusted friend for advice or base your life expectancy estimates on past experiences, but that's not too scientific, so lucky for us, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) did a study on hundreds of home components (appliances, cabinets, masonry, faucets and fixtures, etc.) and released a report this year that published their findings. The link to the full report is below, but here are some of the highlights:

Keep in mind that many factors affect the life expectancy of housing components and need to be considered when making replacement decisions, including (according to the NAHB), "the quality of the components, the quality of their installation, their level of maintenance, weather and climatic conditions, and intensity of their use." These information above also do not take into account that some components remain functional but become obsolete because of changing technology or styles. Though it may be perfectly functional, you may not wish to keep your trendy new item around for 25 years if it goes out of style in 5, or something new and cooler comes around. But as a general guide, we hope you find this information useful.

Read More: View the Full NAHB PDF Report.