Soon to be home owner looking for what are the bare essentials items to have? - Page 2

E61Silver · #11 03-10-2007, 11:48 AM

I would think a self propelled mower is the way to go. I am assuming you would be buying a house on a half acre or less. When it comes to self propel mowers I would get a Honda. They cost a little more but will give you years of service with no repair cost. I would not spend money on a blower at this time, you might get lucky and have a helpful neighbor with a blower or the shovel may be all you need.

You may find that the down payment and closing costs for a home requires a lot of cash and the best thing to do is to save-up now.

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B-Line · #12 03-10-2007, 01:11 PM

I'm with Gresch on window coverings. I just did mine recently, and don't be surprised when the cost estimates come in at $10,000 - $30,000 depending on your windows and hardware.

Once you own a home, you want to start putting nice furniture in. This is also a HUGE expense. Don't be surprised if the couch you want costs $8K, or the master, king sized bed is $8k. And that's not including the mattress and box spring.

Closets are also expensive to have built. Your going to want drawers, a dry cleaning valet rod, etc. That's another $5k-$10k.

And that your going to want that home entertainment system, plasma, subwoffer, surround sound, blu-ray, etc. That's big, big, money.

If you have a nice kitchen and you like to cook, your going to want some really good knives and pots and pans. Also a big expense.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

B

p.s. - I also HIGHLY recommend a VERY HIGH QUALITY "Shotgun Safe". You don't need to keep guns in it (unless you have guns.), but it's good to have a nice, big, safe in your house. Get the best you can afford and with a numerical digital combo vs. old style twist. This is good for keeping anything obvious of value and a good place to keep important papers, passports, tax returns, etc. I can't stress enough, get a good one, alarm it if you can, bolt it down, etc. They are usually made for either fire or theft prevention. But don't get a small one, get a huge one. You won't regret it.
and the digital numpad ones are easier to get in and out of and also are BETTER and more secure.

SilverBullet · #13 03-10-2007, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B-Line

I'm with Gresch on window coverings. I just did mine recently, and don't be surprised when the cost estimates come in at $10,000 - $30,000 depending on your windows and hardware.

Once you own a home, you want to start putting nice furniture in. This is also a HUGE expense. Don't be surprised if the couch you want costs $8K, or the master, king sized bed is $8k.

Closets are also expensive to have built. Your going to want drawers, a dry cleaning valet rod, etc. That's another $5k-$10k.

And that your going to want that home entertainment system, plasma, subwoffer, surround sound, blu-ray, etc. That's big, big, money.

If you have a nice kitchen and you like to cook, your going to want some really good knives and pots and pans. Also a big expense.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

B

I hope he has a move-in budget of $100k.

4.6is Ryder · #14 03-10-2007, 01:31 PM

Whatever you do, don't use credit....pay cash. The title company will check your credit on the morning you close. Talk the fiance' into all of your home theater equipment NOW. Once you're in the house, window treatments, kitchen gadgets and bathroom accessories are going to take over your life. You'll need a good theater system as your getaway spot. Good Luck.......Phil

Chris F. · #15 03-10-2007, 01:50 PM

Having just been through this myself, I wouldn't go so crazy on any luxuries just yet. It's all the LITTLE things that add up....outdoor yard equipment for example. I'm talking about simple stuff -- hoses, sprinklers, rakes, broom, garbage bins, lawn fertilizer, grass seed, wheed whacker, lawn mower, the list goes on and on.

Inside....I would say move in there and figure out whats on the priority list first before you start buying stuff. Do you need furniture or can you live with it for a few years? (BTW, B-Line...8 grand on a couch? Man you got expensive taste!)

I moved into a house that was ALL ORIGINAL....it was built in 1967. The first stuff for me to do was to get the house structurally good. By that I mean replace garage doors + openers, new windows, new siding. I splurged and did central air conditioning. Then I went to work on each room, one by one. I did painting, ripped up old carpet and either replaced or redid the wood floors, put in all new white trim around windows/doors, put in recessed lighting, etc.

I think the most important improvements right off the bat are paint (unless the previous owner picked colors you liked), floor coverings (carpet, wood, area rugs, etc), curtains/wall coverings (go wherever you want and go cheap -- you can ALWAYS replace 'em in a few years).

It depends upon what kind of person you are. I like to get my house in good mechanical shape before I start diving into the cosmetics. If you have a newer house or feel that the mechanical stuff (furnace, windows, roof, siding, electrical, etc) are in good shape, than start with the cosmetic stuff.

Again..I can't emphasize this enough...don't be tempted to go out and splurge....you WILL run into some repairs and need stuff you weren't expecting. It's a house. Be prepared.

Contractors can be both good and bad. Get referrals from friends and neighbors. DO NOT call people blindly. Don't go to home shows and drop your name and number at each booth. Those people will hound you...they want your money and they'll do anything to get it. There are still reasonably priced contractors in the world but they are FAR and few between. Materials have gone up so much in cost that things like windows and siding are 20-30% more than they were a few years ago. Hows that for inflation?

It will feel very overwhelming at first, but you'll do just fine. You will learn to become very handy....otherwise you'll go broke having people do stuff for you.

4.6is Ryder · #16 03-10-2007, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris F.

Having just been through this myself, I wouldn't go so crazy on any luxuries just yet. It's all the LITTLE things that add up....outdoor yard equipment for example. I'm talking about simple stuff -- hoses, sprinklers, rakes, broom, garbage bins, lawn fertilizer, grass seed, wheed whacker, lawn mower, the list goes on and on.

Inside....I would say move in there and figure out whats on the priority list first before you start buying stuff. Do you need furniture or can you live with it for a few years? (BTW, B-Line...8 grand on a couch? Man you got expensive taste!)

I moved into a house that was ALL ORIGINAL....it was built in 1967. The first stuff for me to do was to get the house structurally good. By that I mean replace garage doors + openers, new windows, new siding. I splurged and did central air conditioning. Then I went to work on each room, one by one. I did painting, ripped up old carpet and either replaced or redid the wood floors, put in all new white trim around windows/doors, put in recessed lighting, etc.

I think the most important improvements right off the bat are paint (unless the previous owner picked colors you liked), floor coverings (carpet, wood, area rugs, etc), curtains/wall coverings (go wherever you want and go cheap -- you can ALWAYS replace 'em in a few years).

It depends upon what kind of person you are. I like to get my house in good mechanical shape before I start diving into the cosmetics. If you have a newer house or feel that the mechanical stuff (furnace, windows, roof, siding, electrical, etc) are in good shape, than start with the cosmetic stuff.

Again..I can't emphasize this enough...don't be tempted to go out and splurge....you WILL run into some repairs and need stuff you weren't expecting. It's a house. Be prepared.

Contractors can be both good and bad. Get referrals from friends and neighbors. DO NOT call people blindly. Don't go to home shows and drop your name and number at each booth. Those people will hound you...they want your money and they'll do anything to get it. There are still reasonably priced contractors in the world but they are FAR and few between. Materials have gone up so much in cost that things like windows and siding are 20-30% more than they were a few years ago. Hows that for inflation?

It will feel very overwhelming at first, but you'll do just fine. You will learn to become very handy....otherwise you'll go broke having people do stuff for you.

Well put Chris....I built my home last year...so to Chris's point...the little things become big money. Start pricing lawn and garden equipment, start pricing paint and painting materials and watch your pockets tighten up. The biggest advice I would give is....take your time.........Phil

trueX5er · #17 03-10-2007, 02:30 PM

Does your house have an alarm system? If not, get a reputable 24hr monitoring company and put in a system. I have ADT.

Estroil 4.8is · #18 03-10-2007, 05:30 PM

Thanks for all the advice. I really think that a $8k couch is not in the budget. But I'm VERY handy around the house. I do all the repairs on friends and families homes. I'm planning on doing everything similar to what Chris F. wrote. One room at a time and not go over board. I can always upgrade once the house is fixed to our liking. Were charging some of the items to build point on my credit card. Then pay them off right away. Hopefully it will help to pay for the flight on our Honeymoon. As far as my spot it will be the basement or/and the garage. I will definitely have a finished basement. My buddy just finished his and it came close to $15K and that was just a basic refinish and a .25 bath. But before and after was unbelievable!

So we have a joint account that we both direct deposit money into each week for the deposit, which I love. It's been adding up so quick and I really don't see it in my check each week. It's to bad one day and Bam! It's gone. Oh well we are both giddy everytime we buy something together. Sound funny but we are both so excited. I'll keep you guys posted on the new house. And hopefully some before and after pics.

So next on the list;
Mover, Shovels, Weed Wacker, and a part time job!

B-Line · #19 03-10-2007, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by driverX5

I hope he has a move-in budget of $100k.

LoL, I did not have a move in budget of $100k. I had sheets on my windows for three years until I finally pulled the trigger and sprung for the curtains.
Same goes for couch, bed, etc.
You have to space this stuff out, but once you own a home, you want to have nice stuff to have in it. Not the junk you moved from apt. to apt. while renting.
- The good stuff is expensive. And $8K for a couch is really not that expensive when you are buying to decorate your home. My couch is the centerpiece of my house. But even a good leather couch with love seat, etc. will run you about $6k or more. And that's not even a designer couch.
Same with the bed. Figure low end, $5K to high end $10K. The mattress, if you get a good one is going to run about $2500 alone, not including the sheets, pillows, pads, which is another small fortune.

Oh, and don't forget the energy efficient, front loading, LG washer and dryer. That's another $2500.

Again, I have been doing this stuff over time. Here is what my home is starting to look like: (And no, I am not using an over the top budget, my budger is very reasonable for anyone driving an X5.) Yes, you can always shop at IKEA or you can do it right the first time.

Couch -- Also take note of the curtains.

Entertainment unit -- Had to have this custom built for a caddy corner.

Decorative chairs - lol, she gets the chairs, I get the 65" plasma

Everything I have purchased for my home in the last four years has been beautiful, purchased with discount and budget in mind, and still costs a fortune. Home ownership is the BIG TIME, everything costs a lot, but again, it's your home. Do you want to drive an X5 or a Honda Pilot?

B

SilverBullet · #20 03-10-2007, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B-Line

LoL, I did not have a move in budget of $100k. I had sheets on my windows for three years until I finally pulled the trigger and sprung for the curtains.
Same goes for couch, bed, etc.
You have to space this stuff out, but once you own a home, you want to have nice stuff to have in it. Not the junk you moved from apt. to apt. while renting.
- The good stuff is expensive. And $8K for a couch is really not that expensive when you are buying to decorate your home. My couch is the centerpiece of my house. But even a good leather couch with love seat, etc. will run you about $6k or more. And that's not even a designer couch.
Same with the bed. Figure low end, $5K to high end $10K. The mattress, if you get a good one is going to run about $2500 alone, not including the sheets, pillows, pads, which is another small fortune.

Oh, and don't forget the energy efficient, front loading, LG washer and dryer. That's another $2500.

Again, I have been doing this stuff over time. Here is what my home is starting to look like: (And no, I am not using an over the top budget, my budger is very reasonable for anyone driving an X5.) Yes, you can always shop at IKEA or you can do it right the first time.

Couch -- Also take note of the curtains.

Entertainment unit -- Had to have this custom built for a caddy corner.

Decorative chairs - lol, she gets the chairs, I get the 65" plasma

Everything I have purchased for my home in the last four years has been beautiful, purchased with discount and budget in mind, and still costs a fortune. Home ownership is the BIG TIME, everything costs a lot, but again, it's your home. Do you want to drive an X5 or a Honda Pilot?

B

No, I agree. Home ownership is a long-term project. Love the setup.

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