Just wanted to share the news with everyone. Since I am a single, first time homebuyer, I'm rather excited and pretty terrified. I've been looking since March and strange stuff has happened to keep me from getting a couple of other places, so I think this one is meant to be. If all goes well, I'll be closing on September 15.
So any great words of wisdom from you homeowners out there?
I bought a house today!
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rebl_rn
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I bought a house today!
Wash your hands. Cough and sneeze in your sleeve. Stay home if you are sick. Stay informed. http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu for more info.
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The Weekenders
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Congrats, first of all.
My prediction: you will spend the first two years making it livable to your standards. Brace yourself for a lot of Home Depot visits. No matter how decent a house seems, there are always a series of things you find unacceptable about it.
And, capitalize on that energy you have, because after a while, you get tired of doing all that work.
Remember to distinguish between maintenance and improvement. Maintenance comes first but the two get blurred at first.
My prediction: you will spend the first two years making it livable to your standards. Brace yourself for a lot of Home Depot visits. No matter how decent a house seems, there are always a series of things you find unacceptable about it.
And, capitalize on that energy you have, because after a while, you get tired of doing all that work.
Remember to distinguish between maintenance and improvement. Maintenance comes first but the two get blurred at first.
How do you prepare for the end of the world?
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djm
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Whatever you paid for your house, expect to pay as much to furnish/decorate it. Whatever you paid for your house, expect to pay half as much again in the next ten years on maintenance/disasters. And now the bad news ....
Just kidding! Enjoy!
djm
Just kidding! Enjoy!
djm
Last edited by djm on Fri Jul 22, 2005 4:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I'd rather be atop the foothills than beneath them.
Congrats!
Big scary step, I know. I went from a single renter to a married homeowner in under a year, and kept having moments when I felt like a total imposter - I *knew* I wasn't really grown up enough and was afraid people would find out.
Still not grown up enough, but I'm better at hiding it these days.
Of course, now I'm boggling because daughter #1 will be heading to a university 400 miles away from home in a couple of months. If *I'm* not really grown up I *know* that she isn't!
More seriously - yes, a home *will* eat your time and money - but the payback, both emotional and monetary, can be enormous.
Big scary step, I know. I went from a single renter to a married homeowner in under a year, and kept having moments when I felt like a total imposter - I *knew* I wasn't really grown up enough and was afraid people would find out.
Still not grown up enough, but I'm better at hiding it these days.
Of course, now I'm boggling because daughter #1 will be heading to a university 400 miles away from home in a couple of months. If *I'm* not really grown up I *know* that she isn't!
More seriously - yes, a home *will* eat your time and money - but the payback, both emotional and monetary, can be enormous.
Re: I bought a house today!
.rebl_rn wrote:Just wanted to share the news with everyone. Since I am a single, first time homebuyer, I'm rather excited and pretty terrified. I've been looking since March and strange stuff has happened to keep me from getting a couple of other places, so I think this one is meant to be. If all goes well, I'll be closing on September 15
Congrats.
Learn to do plumbing. Hire roofers.rebl_rn wrote:So any great words of wisdom from you homeowners out there?
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Paul
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Good luck getting out of there for less than $100.00 per visit!The Weekenders wrote:My prediction: you will spend the first two years making it livable to your standards. Brace yourself for a lot of Home Depot visits.
That's the thing, you know. You buy a house and then you turn it into a home. Weeks is right too. It takes about 2 years. Congratulations on your 1st house, rebel rn. 
Oh, and here's a housewarming cheese for you!
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perrins57
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ENJOY IT!!!!! Don't let what you haven't yet got, of haven't yet done to the house rob you of enjoying it now. You dont need the best of everything to make a home (only to make a show home). Make your house inviting, do plenty of entertaining and you will love it.
"Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
(Name's Mark btw)
(Name's Mark btw)
Congrats big time! Yeah, the house never stops asking and demanding money, but there is a definite sense of 'home'. . .not just a place to rest your head at the end of the day.
We bought into the home ownership 13 years ago, and its been a ceaseless round of tending the yard (who knew I would care about outdoor plantings!), painting, crap there goes the water heater, drat this room is dingy, gotta shovel gotta mow gotta do the roof.
Expect major buyer's remorse. . .and also expect the very sweetest holiday season you ever imagined come December!
We bought into the home ownership 13 years ago, and its been a ceaseless round of tending the yard (who knew I would care about outdoor plantings!), painting, crap there goes the water heater, drat this room is dingy, gotta shovel gotta mow gotta do the roof.
Expect major buyer's remorse. . .and also expect the very sweetest holiday season you ever imagined come December!
Remember, you didn't get the tiger so it would do what you wanted. You got the tiger to see what it wanted to do. -- Colin McEnroe
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cowtime
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OH BOY!!! What FUN!!!
But those who said it will take 2 years......they are wrong.......you will never get done with what you WANT to do. That's the fun part, getting to make those little(or big) changes eventually.
My house is my other obsession, besides music. We live in the house my husband was born in, his grandparents built it. This year we have begun major restoration work and I'm in hog heaven. Except for the little irritation of major surgery which has but a hold on my work for a couple of months. But I can still boss, much to my husbands sorrow, and today I was able to weld my trusty paintbrush. Tomorrow they will be moving the 5 1/2 foot long kitchen sink to it's new home on a brand new ca.1930 sink base!!!!
Here's a link to pics of what we've been up to-
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/drumnacou ... .dir=/4c2a
If you want to know how to do anything to your house, check out
http://americanbungalowmagazine.com/ubb ... hreads.php?
This is an entire forum of bungalow addicts who have done everykind of work on a house that could be imagined.
Post pics. We want to see
Houses are wonderful!!!
But those who said it will take 2 years......they are wrong.......you will never get done with what you WANT to do. That's the fun part, getting to make those little(or big) changes eventually.
My house is my other obsession, besides music. We live in the house my husband was born in, his grandparents built it. This year we have begun major restoration work and I'm in hog heaven. Except for the little irritation of major surgery which has but a hold on my work for a couple of months. But I can still boss, much to my husbands sorrow, and today I was able to weld my trusty paintbrush. Tomorrow they will be moving the 5 1/2 foot long kitchen sink to it's new home on a brand new ca.1930 sink base!!!!
Here's a link to pics of what we've been up to-
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/drumnacou ... .dir=/4c2a
If you want to know how to do anything to your house, check out
http://americanbungalowmagazine.com/ubb ... hreads.php?
This is an entire forum of bungalow addicts who have done everykind of work on a house that could be imagined.
Post pics. We want to see
Houses are wonderful!!!"Let low-country intruder approach a cove
And eyes as gray as icicle fangs measure stranger
For size, honesty, and intent."
John Foster West
And eyes as gray as icicle fangs measure stranger
For size, honesty, and intent."
John Foster West
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rebl_rn
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Thanks everyone! It's going to take a long time for it all to sink in. The house is in great shape, so hopefully it won't need TOO much work at the beginning - although I know there's always something that will need to be done!
Here's a few pics - the house is a zero-lot line (in other words, half of a duplex). Obviously, the furniture isn't mine!
Here's a few pics - the house is a zero-lot line (in other words, half of a duplex). Obviously, the furniture isn't mine!
Wash your hands. Cough and sneeze in your sleeve. Stay home if you are sick. Stay informed. http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu for more info.
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jen f
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Re: I bought a house today!
Paint. It allows you to make a big impact on a room for a very small amount of money.rebl_rn wrote:So any great words of wisdom from you homeowners out there?
Congratulations! I hope you have fun making it the home you want it to be!