Things to Buy After Buying a Home - Figuring Your Home Start-Up Budget
Many first-time home buyers, after weeks of waiting for mortgage approval and then signing piles and piles of documents that nobody reads -- because if you don't sign, you don't get the loan -- might think a major hurdle has passed when closing finally happens. However, that stuff is only the calm before the storm.
So, with keys in your hot little hands, you open the front door to your marvelous new home. This is where you ask, "But where are the window coverings?" Ordinarily, that's when you discover that you still have a lot of shopping to do
Things to Buy After Buying a Home
You probably have not thought about all the items you will need when moving into a house that you did not need in an apartment. This news comes as a shock to many first-time home buyers. So, if you've scraped together your last two nickels to pay closing costs, here are ways you can save a little on some of your new purchases:
· Keys & Locks
The first thing you should do is re-key or change your door locks. If the previous sellers were like most people, the neighbors, friends and coworkers all might have a set of keys to your house. Even new home builders give out keys to contractors. It's smart to change the locks and / or install deadbolts.
The easiest solution is to remove the locks from your doors and take them to your local hardware store to re-key. You can buy all new locks, but that's expensive, or you can call a locksmith to change the locks for you.
· Lawnmower
Unless you plan to hire a gardener or your yard is filled with rocks, you will need to buy a lawnmower. Many new homes in California have no lawns. The back yards are dirt, which means new homeowners here are forking out cash to lay sod or growing their own grass from seed.
· Garden Supplies
Every home needs a garden hose. You can buy those at a low price, plus find adjustable sprayer heads or lawn sprinklers in any gardening department. Don't forget about weed-whackers, trowels, shovels, rakes or hoes. A push broom comes in handy for sweeping your garage floor, plus the handle unscrews so you can use it as an extension pole with a wall sander. Consider a watering can, and wheelbarrow or wagon.
· Tools & Repair Items
Every home needs a well-stocked tool box. Essential items are:
1. Hammers: Ball & Claw
2. Assorted Screw drivers: Flathead & Phillips
3. Hacksaw
4. Pliers
5. Plumber's Wrench
6. Basin Wrench
7. Small Drill & Drill Bits
8. Nail Driver
9. Staple Gun
10. Tape Measure
Useful items to stock up on include:
1. Paint Brushes: one-inch to four-inches
2. Paint Scraper with steel brush for cleaning paint brushes
3. Five-Gallon Container for mixing paint
4. Paint Screen
5. Paint Roller & Sleeves
6. Drop Cloths or plastic sheeting
7. Electrical Tester
8. Wire Nuts
9. Assorted Screws and Nails
10. Assortment of Sandpaper
Outdoor Entertaining
Lawn chairs, patio furniture and umbrella, and a barbecue grill are among the starter items most people put out back. A nice starter grill is a Weber charcoal grill, and it's very inexpensive.
· Window Coverings
You can choose from blinds, drapes, Roman shades, scarves, toppers, curtains, honeycombs, sheers or shutters.
If your budget is stretched too thin, check out self-adhesive paper blinds with clips. These attach by peeling off the adhesive covering and sticking the top of the blind to the underside at the top of your window. They are pleated, so you can fold them up and clip them when you want to open the blinds. They cost less than $5, and serve as a good temporary solution.
· Appliances
Many new homes are equipped with new appliances, but when buying an older home, depending on where you live, it might be customary for the seller to take the appliances.
At the very least, you will need a:
1. Cooktop / Range
2. Refrigerator
3. Washer & Dryer
4. Dishwasher
5. Microwave
· Linens, Towels and Floor Coverings
Now that you can paint your rooms any color you choose, you might also find a need to buy new towels for the bathroom. Newly painted walls call attention to older, worn items, and your towels might be better suited for washing the car than hanging in a fresh, new bathroom. Consider also floor mats for the bath or area rugs for your larger rooms.
