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Are you ready to move from renting an apartment to owning a house? Read our basic basics and tips for a new homeowner.
Did you know about that 33% of people Buying a house this year for the first time? If you’re about to become a new home owner, or have just received the keys to your first home, you may feel a little overwhelmed.
Even if you’ve rented a house in the past, owning one is a whole new ball game. You are faced with a variety of responsibilities and decisions that you have never considered.
That’s why we’ve put together this list of the best tips for new homeowners! With these tips, you can easily conquer your to-do list.
Let’s start!
- Create a homeowner’s files
As soon as you start buying a home, you will be swamped with paperwork. Organization is the key to keeping an overview.
Create two houses for your files: one on your computer and one in a folder or accordion organizer. Organize things into sections in these folders so that you can easily find everything you need.
It’s better to be on the safe side, so save everything. Keep everything from your mortgage information to warranties and manuals for your devices. If you ever need to refer to insurance or repairs or decide to sell your home in the future, you have all the information you need.
- Assemble a home maintenance team
Properly maintaining a home is a lot of work, so it’s wise to make a list of professionals to help you as quickly as possible. Don’t wait for an emergency to begin searching! Make a list of all the services you may need and those you would like to have.
When creating your list, make sure that:
- roofer
- Pest control
- HVAC Company
- electrician
- plumber
- General artisan
Then there are optional services that you may not need but may want to enjoy. This includes things like a cleaning service or a landscape designer.
It’s a good idea to have an idea of who you would hire, even if you don’t need them right away. For example, you might think you could do your own landscaping, but then you come across questions like: can prune kill a tree? In this case, it can be of great help to have a landscaper with whom you have already spoken and with whom you are familiar.
- Meet your neighbors
This may wait until you have settled in, but at some point you should take the time to get to know your neighbors!
First of all, being familiar with the people around you can be a great source of comfort.
Having friends in the neighborhood can also be useful if you ever need to leave town. You will always have someone to water your plants or bring your mail in when you are gone. And of course you should offer the same services to your neighbors.
- Don’t try to accept too much at once
When you move in for the first time, it’s not a bad thing to have a list of improvements and changes you want to make. It simply means that you have a passion for your new home! However, biting off more than you can chew will overwhelm you.
Instead of trying to do a complete rebuild at once, make changes slowly! Divide your project list into two categories: wishes and needs. Then rank each category by importance.
Cope with your most pressing needs first and then work your way through the rest of the tasks. As you approach your home improvement this way, you can save money and save time to make sure you make changes that you will love in the years to come.
- Set up an emergency fund
Speaking of saving money: One of the most important tips for new homeowners is to set up an emergency fund as soon as you can move in. As a tenant, your repairs have probably been done for you. But as a homeowner, you have to pay the bill for any problems you encounter yourself.
The hardest thing about owning a home is that it can be quite expensive. Sooner or later you will encounter a major repair, such as: B. an air conditioner or a roof replacement. If you have prepared yourself for such an event with an emergency fund, you will save yourself a lot of stress.
- Familiarize yourself with ROI and neighborhood caps
Every improvement you make to your home has an ROI (Return on Investment). In addition, your neighborhood has an upper price limit, which is a maximum price at which a house can be sold.
Even if you never intend to sell your house, you should always be prepared for a worst-case situation. Finally, if there is a time when you are forced to move, you want to find out that you cannot sell your home for what it is worth.
Take the value of each project into account as you approach them, and be careful not to improve so much that the costs won’t pay off in the long run.
- Clean and paint before moving in
If you’ve ever painted a house, you know that this is much easier without having to work around furniture and other items. In addition, color vapors are not exactly pleasant and can actually be harmful. As long as you can fit it into your budget, you should paint all the pictures you need before moving in.
Regardless of whether you want to paint your house before moving in or not, you should do a thorough cleaning. The previous owners may pay for professional cleaning as soon as they move out, but do not expect it.
As with painting, it is much more difficult to thoroughly clean a house full of belongings. When it is empty, scrub the floors and disinfect all surfaces, especially those in the bathroom and kitchen. You will thank us on the day of the move if you can unpack in a fresh and clean room.
- Get a home energy audit
Believe it or not, your local utility company is likely to offer free home energy audits! A representative comes to your home and checks it for energy efficiency.
After their inspection, they will give you a list of recommendations for improving the efficiency of your home and Lower your electricity bill there.
There are countless small changes you can make, such as: For example, changing the type of lightbulbs you use or adding weather protection to your outside doors, which has a drastic effect on your monthly electricity bill.
- Make a list of fixed expenses
As a new homeowner, you will assume some expenses that you did not have before. To simplify budgeting, it’s a good idea to make a list of fixed costs and determine when to pay them.
Your new expenses include home insurance and property tax. Both are sometimes included in your mortgage, so it is important that you know them in advance. If you ignore them, you may receive an invoice that you cannot afford.
Take your time and do a lot of research before deciding on home insurance. You must be adequately secured to protect yourself from potential natural disasters and other incidents.
The type of insurance you need depends on your region. For example, flood insurance is required in certain areas and not in others.
- Change your locks when moving in
Once you get the keys to your new home, you need to change them. We never want to believe that someone would intentionally harm us, but home invasions are all too common.
While the person or family you bought your home from is most likely a decent person, you should never take risks with your safety. After all, you never know who the previous owner gave keys to, or whether a key was ever lost or stolen without their knowledge.
With these tips, you can be a new homeowner like a pro
As a new home owner, you are faced with a multitude of unusual decisions and tasks. If you follow this advice, you will find that maintaining your home with a little careful organization is not as stressful as you might have thought.
If you ever feel overwhelmed by everything there is to learn and do, remember that becoming a homeowner is a great achievement!
You can find more tips on how to make the most of your home on our blog!
