In exactly one month, I’ll close on my new home. Approximately 1000 square feet of Portland will belong to me (who am I kidding, it’ll belong to the bank, but it’ll be my neck that gets wrung if things go south) and I keep thinking about how things will be. Will my life be much different?
I realized that I might be a bit of a country bumpkin, because the amenities in my new place seem really fancy, and they are, but especially since I’ve been renting a small, humble basement apartment for over a year.
I’m excited to use the garbage disposal, for example.
To take a bath.
To paint a wall or a ceiling, just because I can.
To get that perfect sear on a piece of fish that I’ve been missing out on since I haven’t lived in a place with a gas range in a very long time.
To determine whether the chicken nugget button on the microwave or oven produces a superior nugget. I’ll report back on those.
I’ve gone through the numbers six or seven (hundred) times, and I’m no longer worried about the money. I can afford it. I can afford it. See, I’m still trying to convince myself.
I’m mostly excited to have my own place. To change the locks, install curtains, and have a seat in my own home.
It’s the entry point to adulthood. I thought buying tires made me an adult, and while that sucked (nobody likes to put that much money on their car without getting something like a musical horn in return!), this is bigger.
I have to sign sixteen thousand more pieces of paper. I have a great (if perhaps a bit too detail-oriented) realtor, and she’s keeping me informed of everything that may come up. I’ve been told we’re on pace to close May 23rd.
I’m planning on doing very little to the place at first, other than buy a washer and dryer and hang curtains for privacy.
And yet, I feel like I’m missing something.
Or maybe a lot of somethings.
Any Advice For The Newbie Homeowner?
I’ve had the home inspection. I’m buying a sparkly new place, so the list of requirements is short. My parents are gifting the down payment, so I don’t have to worry about that. The seller is covering most of the closing cost. We have an appraisal scheduled.
Am I missing anything?
I feel like I do when I’m going on a long trip, knowing deep down that I’m missing something, and then leaving anyway, and having to buy a hairbrush or socks when I get to my destination.
I don’t know the neighborhood (ahem! I mean my neighborhood) very well yet , so clearly I’ll need to find my closest bar and coffee shop. To cover all the vices, you see.
But I’d need to do that if I were renting, too. So that’s not different.
I need to buy only a few things, but that’s a little scary. I mean, have you seen Pinterest? Or watched home improvement shows? It seems like somehow, by the magic of just being a homeowner, I’m going to all-of-a-sudden have color themes in my rooms. I’m not interested in themes. I want to hang my art and use the couches I already have and see if I want to paint a wall or three.
My home will be cozy. But it will not be fancy, nor will it be exceedingly coordinated.
I’m okay with that.
But I’m wondering — what things did you wish you knew when you were getting ready to move into your first real place?
Kathleen writes at FrugalPortland about her path to financial independence as well as ways to save money, live simply, and enjoy the fun things that Portland has to offer.
John Schmoll says
I like the approach you’re taking Kathleen. I say take time to see what you might want to do or change and go from there. Since it’s a new place there’s likely little that HAS to be done right away. So, I say enjoy it and take your time in determining what, if anything, you want to do with the new place. Congrats btw!
David says
Kathleen you are approaching this very soundly. My mom used to stagger house projects to one project a summer. Buying a home is in it of itself a working project.
Michelle says
Buying your first home feels amazing! Congrats!
Pauline says
Have you transfered your mail and let the whole financial/administrative world you are moving? I would also make a good selection of what is worthy of the cool new place and what should be thrown away, to avoid moving things you won’t use over there.
jill says
I bought my first home, on my own, (a condo in real estate crazy Vancouver, BC) last year. I had a couple melt downs leading up to closing. Withdrawing so much money from savings, knowing I would be in debt for the rest of my life (practically), worrying I wouldn’t be able to afford it and would have to live on raman noodles… In the end everything went off without a hitch and now, over a year later, I am doing great. I love my home, I am managing so well financially and I couldn’t imagine life any other way.
My advice for you is don’t try to do it all at once. When I moved in, I wanted to make it MY space and put my own mark on everything. I wanted it RIGHT NOW. I refused to wait. I wanted it done and deocrated and ready to show off to all my friends within weeks of moving in. I spent a fortune on new furniture, decor, paint etc etc trying to get it just right. I rushed everything and now am finding I’m not happy with how I styled & decorated certain things. I’m realizing I should have invested in new appliances instead of decor items (I HATE my refrigerator). My advice is to take your time, live in the space and get a feel for it before you make any major decorating decicions or purchases. In the long run, you’ll be happier with the space you end up creating.
Good luck and enjoy!
Grayson @ Debt Roundup says
It is getting closer Kathleen. The things that I wished I knew before buying my house was how to tell how well the house was built. The inspector did his job, but there were many things that the inspector wouldn’t have caught onto prior. I should have researched the builder to find feedback. I also wish I knew how much things actually cost. It can add up fast.
Lance @ Money Life and More says
Does your new condo come with blinds? Or are you just going to use curtains?
Claudia says
When we moved into our home (when I was a teen, “we” meaning my parents and siblings) the previous owners had left this binder of things they had done in the house- when certain things in the garden had been planted, when they last replaced the dryer hose, who they bought the siding from, the last guy they called for the HVAC, etc. This house was built in the 1940s and transitioning was so much easier with this “house binder” they had left for us.