Buying your first home is one of the most exciting and challenging times you’ll experience. Even after you’ve gone through the maze of getting the right financing, looking through all the homes in your price range and finally getting the keys to the one that suits you best, another real need for some first time home buyer advice comes into play.
For instance, there a are few unexpected expenses you might not have put a little extra cash away for.
Changing the locks. One of the most important first timer home buyer tips you don’t want to bypass is making sure you control who gets in and out of your new home. Although you can save some money by going to the local home improvement store and making this it do-it-yourself project, you can still run up a bill if there are a few locks to switch. You need to remember your house has more than likely had a few owners and was maybe even rented at some point, so you don’t want to skip this step since there could still be a few keys floating around.
Furnishings. If you’re like a lot of new home buyers, you’ve more than likely imagined what each room in your new home will look like with your personal touch and the furniture choose. Of course it’s solid first time home buyer advice not to go overboard and outfit every room with brand name furniture you put on credit, but there are a few staples you might need at first. For example, you could need a bigger dining table if you’re planning on entertaining when your in-laws hint they want to see the place, but being selective and frugal in those early years is good practice.
Finally, no set of first time home buyer tips would be complete without mentioning those expenses that always seems to be going up without your ability to control them. For example, property tax is a great reason why you should have a little extra cash on the side to cover the increases of the cost of owning your first house.
