Throughout the process of buying the property, you will have undoubtedly inherited a wealth of new knowledge. However, the learning process doesn’t end when you pick up the keys, and your first few months in the new home will teach you plenty of new things.
Now that you’re a homeowner, there’s no rush to make things perfect. Still, there are a number of things you should know straight away. Here are five things you should know from the day you move in. Use this info to your advantage, and you’ll be sure to achieve that happy home environment in next to no time.
Don’t Take Surveys As Gospel
Before buying the property, you will have paid someone to conduct a search of the building to check that things are OK. However, the reality of the situation is that they probably missed one or two issues. Once you’ve moved in, it’s imperative that you do a little analyzing of your own. This is especially true when looking at the safety features.
You cannot afford to put your family’s health or lives at risk. Spotting signs of damp and exposed wires could go a long way to protecting your home and loved ones. Meanwhile, it’s imperative that you invest in high-quality fire detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. Otherwise, a potentially small incident could escalate into a disaster.
Essentially, those surveys should be considered a guidance rather than gospel. The sooner you accept this, the better.
The DIY Option Is Often Best
When you move into the new home, you’ll have a very long list of jobs to complete over the coming months and years. In some cases, you don’t have any choice other than to hire a professional. However, there are many situations where you can complete the tasks yourself. And it will save you huge amounts of time and money.
Every new homeowner should invest in the necessary equipment. This power tools guide from Woodworking Fuel provides great insight into the items needed for most household jobs. Meanwhile, the tool box should always be supported by an array of nails, nuts and bolts.
Possessing the right tools is one thing, but you also need the knowledge. Thankfully, the internet is bursting with online tutorials that can guide you through various tasks. Whether you’re a regular DIYer or a complete newbie doesn’t matter. With a little positive, great things can be achieved.
Safety Is Everything
The new property may be perfect in terms of its dimensions and function. However, none of that matters if you don’t feel safe. After all, this is your family’s castle, and you must be made to feel secure at all times.
Of course, this does tie in with the point about surveys. However, you also need to take the safety to another level with sufficient childproofing. Whether it’s making electrical sockets safer or removing the dangers of sharp edges doesn’t matter. Furthermore, you must also look to keep dangerous items out of the reach of youngsters.
Safety should also extend itself to home security. Adding CCTV and motion-detecting external lighting will go a long way to helping. Try to establish a positive bond with the neighbors too for extra support and emotional comfort. You will not regret it.
Running Costs Matter
If this is your first property, you’ll probably find that you’ve underestimated how expensive running a home can be. Even if you’ve made the switch from renting to buying, the shock will hit you hard. As such, the only suitable solution is to tighten your grip by trimming the fat.
When it comes to upgrades, look for green solutions. This guide to improvements that’ll pay for themselves by Business Insider will point you in the right direction. It might be some time before you break even, but it’ll be worth it in the long run.
More importantly, though, you need to think about your daily habits. Start recycling. Grow fruit and veg. Turn lights off when you leave a room. Individually, those ideas may seem small but, together, they’ll make a huge impact.
Comfort Is King
Once you’ve entered the new property, you’ll have desires to add luxury items like big TVs, swimming pools, and advanced tech systems. Budget permitting, they can all come in good time. Before worrying too much about those elements, though, you must focus on adding the simple pleasures and comforts.
In truth, your new home could be making it very difficult to sleep. If this is the case, you must look to rectify this issue immediately. Failure to do this will bring long-term problems for your physical health, motivation, and energy levels. On a similar note, you need to know that the essential features like HVAC are working as expected during the days.
Meanwhile, adding a dimmer switch to the lighting systems or installing a new shower can have a bigger impact than the show off features. As long as your priorities are in good health, you won’t go far wrong.
