I just bought my first home, what are some tips you may have?
We just purchased our first home and we get the keys tomorrow, I’m looking for some tips of the trade that can help keep up with a home. What good home habits can we start for day 1?
Congratulations. The American Dream!
The best tip I can offer is not to be in a big hurry to do everything – especially decorating. Take your time, do your research, know what you want, and then go shopping.
Maintenance issues will come up from time to time. No big deal – you will handle them one at a time. Hopefully, you had a home inspection done before you bought and you know if there are any problems.
Make sure the ground right next to the house is sloped away from the house. This will prevent water from accumulating and maybe getting into the basement. For the same purpose, you should definitely make sure you put window covers over the basement window wells. They only cost about $10 each. Other than that, I would suggest browsing around the website listed below. Lots of good info about specific concerns.
Best of luck!!
June 25th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
Congratulations, nothing makes life more comfortable than having your own home. Along with this goes the big responsibility of organizing everything, maintaining the interior and the exterior as well.
‘You may want to take one section or room at a time to decorate or paint or whatever you want to do. Also when doing one room, think of the whole so that one space can flow into another.
Keep good records for each part of your home and one good thing is to start your home maintenance manual, measure each room, including the size of windows, etc. keep color swatches of pillows or anything you may want to match and always record all things that you do such as adding appliances, or other repairs. Detail records over the years are great to have on hand.
References :
June 25th, 2010 at 1:41 pm
First of all, congrats! What a thrill! As for tips, regular upkeep is the key. Keep it neat. Keep it clean and the home will last for you and yours. Take care of the regular small things and you will keep your home nice and healthy for a long time to come. Some bigger or potentially bigger items to consider: most roofs should be replaced about every 10 years, most decent heating/air conditioning units should last a good 8-10 years (clean your ducts, change your filter, especially the filter), if you have a unfinished basement, go around the walls and floors and seal the foundation cracks with paint made for the purpose, sub-pump for the basement, make sure it is working well and working properly or you may be in world of hurt when heavy rains come, windows (replace them to high energy efficient ones if you could, cost now but save much later, tax deductable too) and insulation, make sure you have enough of it and all in good shape. Otherwise, enjoy your new home!
References :
June 25th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
Change all the locks right away.
You never know who has a copy of those keys.
make a fresh start.
We were robbed after we built a new home years ago.Some one obviously had keys.
Good habits are: pick up what you took out. Vacuum often, at least once a week do a heavy cleaning or the kitchen and bathroom.I do small small cleanings every day in those areas.
References :
June 25th, 2010 at 3:17 pm
take your shoes off every time you come inside.
1 – Its your home, so enjoy walking barefoot!
2 – the grime on shoe soles will destroy your flooring and carpeting fast
Also, as for repairs and renovations. Keep your sanity, remembering that nothing you are thinking of is totally unique. Its all been done before.
Chances are if you are handy, you can learn how to do just about any repair, and do it BETTER than the ‘pros’. My experience with hired help is that they tend to be high school drop out losers who do a shoddy short cut job, while I had visions of Bob Vila doing work when I signed the contract.
The last piece of helpful advice is to manage your finances carefully. Keep on top of those mortgage payments. Don’t be afraid to consider refinancing if rates drop substnatially from your current note rate.
References :
June 25th, 2010 at 3:38 pm
Congratulations. The American Dream!
The best tip I can offer is not to be in a big hurry to do everything – especially decorating. Take your time, do your research, know what you want, and then go shopping.
Maintenance issues will come up from time to time. No big deal – you will handle them one at a time. Hopefully, you had a home inspection done before you bought and you know if there are any problems.
Make sure the ground right next to the house is sloped away from the house. This will prevent water from accumulating and maybe getting into the basement. For the same purpose, you should definitely make sure you put window covers over the basement window wells. They only cost about $10 each. Other than that, I would suggest browsing around the website listed below. Lots of good info about specific concerns.
Best of luck!!
References :
http://www.continuous-home-improvement-help.com