The Best Guidance For Young, First Time Homeowners

The Best Guidance For Young, First Time Homeowners. Buying a home for the first time is both incredibly exciting and scary as heck. Its a huge step into adulthood and responsibility but its also the opportunity to finally be truly independent. It takes awhile to really sink in but, eventually, the awesomeness of your own home and being able to do with it what we want, when we want to, is pretty much the greatest moment ever. It deserves some time off to really appreciate it for sure!

(This is a contributed post, for more information about my compensation please read my disclosure policy)

It can be hard leaving home for the first time. We all do so at different ages. Some might find themselves living with another relative at a young age, or leaving at eighteen when they start to earn a wage. Others may live at home well into their mid-20s as they pursue their studies and hope to save money. However, from that point on, we learn that living in the real world does require attention, consideration, and no uncertain amount of planning to make a success of things.

This is true even if you’re living by yourself, or with flatmates, in apartments near Birmingham. For some, it comes as a big shock. However, you can imagine how this feeling is emphasised in those who come to live in their own homes, either as part of starting a family or not. Running a homestead, no matter how humble, can feel like a large burden. However, all you need is clear attention, the willingness to commit to maintenance and some basic knowledge to help you keep on top of things.

It’s that knowledge and loving guidance we hope to impart here. If you’re a new homeowner, never fear. The following advice can help you through and through:

Secure Your Home

It’s important to feel safe in your home, and for that reason, securing your home is an important measure to take. We cannot expect anyone else to be responsible for the safety of our home. Installing a security alarm can be important, because it will alert us to an issue as well as the neighbors and the potential trespasser. 

But prevention is more important than a cure, particularly where these matters are concerned. Floodlights are great tools to use, especially motion-sensitive light installations, as they allow for night movement to illuminate part of your property. From setting these up in the driveway to the garden and side alley of your home, you will find that light and pure illumination is enough to add a guarded sensibility to your home.

Furthermore, you can use real or false CCTV cameras, and both will have an effect to show anyone on your property is being recorded. Joining the local neighborhood watch program can also bring people together, and help you note any suspicious activity to those who live near you. Strong doors with strong locks and windows with strong double glazing are also useful in this context. When you are able to combine all of these measures, you secure your house more appropriately. No matter where you live, this is the height of homeowner wisdom.

Care For Maintenance Tasks

It’s very important to care for the basic maintenance tasks of your household, and to learn how to care for them. For instance, learning how to identify and inspect damp can then help you continue on to other measures, such as alleviating its presence, and preventing it from occurring again thanks to worthwhile air flow.

Maintenance tasks can also be as easy as choosing the right channel drain with Swiftdrain, or it might mean learning to oil the chain that lifts your garage door automatically each morning. When installing new apparatus or considering a room in the house, ask yourself if it needs to be inspected, and how regularly. For instance, checking out the roofing felt in our attics once every two months can help you notice inconsistencies that lead to bad insulation. Even emergency issues, such as cracks in the wall, can be easily taken care of if you notice them ahead of time.

Remember, you don’t have to be perfect or have the best eye to care for your home well. Over time you will learn your home requirements, and with a few services saved in your address book, you can call on a professional every time.

Learn Basic DIY

Learning basic DIY can help you avoid having to hire a tradesmen for every single job you wish to attend to. It can also help you feel more comfortable and secure in fixing a problem to begin with. First, we need to know which areas of improvement are within our grasp. We heavily advise you against dealing with anything to do with your electrical wiring outside of flipping fusebox switches as appropriate. Without being qualified as an electrician, you should never mess with electrical systems. Calling a professional in this case is fundamental.

However, basic DIY can include putting up shelves, or learning how to tie a water control nut, or how to sand down your kitchen table, or how to even commit to basic woodwork. Still, be sure to research your projects adequately and to stay aware of the best practical maintenance of your projects. The last thing you need is a shelf falling on your head as you’re trying to watch television late at night.

Meet Your Neighbors

Enjoying your stay in a home means more than just perfecting your DIY skills. It can be nice to feel socially secure in your home, too. Meeting the neighbors on either side of you, and across the street, can be a good way of introducing yourself and thus creating allies around you.

In rural environments, where neighbors are less common, it’s even more important to know the people who reside around you. Don’t insulate yourself. Remember, you don’t have to invite them into your home, nor do you have to become friends with your neighbors. However, you can smile and nod at them when you pass on the road, or be gracious if their child kicks a ball into your back garden.

When you set up this founding relationship, it makes asking them to regulate their noise volumes late at night, or reporting suspicious activity in the neighborhood much easier to deal with. That way, you’re more likely to enjoy a common level of respect with those around you, and are less likely to develop unneeded hostilities.

Prepare Your Garage

Take it from us, garages can often become unkempt environments in your home, and that’s never a good idea. New homeowners may use this space to store their bicycles, their unneeded items that cannot fit in the attic, and other junk they may not attend to for years. Keep this environment cared for, cleaned, and organized. We’d also recommend that you plan for pests, such as putting out mousetraps or spraying bug-repellent formula to keep the environment in good condition. Preparing your garage in this way will ensure it is cared for adequately.

It can also help you use your garage for what it is intended for, protecting your vehicle. Too often, families can use their garage for other purposes. It’s not for us to judge that of course, but it can be nice to feel as though your garage can fit thanks to your organizational might. This is one simple bugbear can burden the back of your mind for years, so it’s best to at least attend to this now. The more you do, the better you will feel.

Inspect Your Garden

You don’t need to have the greenest thumb in order to care for your garden well. However, learning to inspect it for issues can be a lifesaver. For instance, tree rot can be a common problem that requires the attention of a tree surgeon, otherwise falling debris or harmful toxins can be a real problem for the rest of your garden space.

Inspecting your garden may mean being able to put up strong fences to protect against the neighbor’s dogs, or to prevent trespassing. Inspecting your garden may also mean learning to lock up your ladders and other valuables. Perhaps you simply do wish to take the time to care for your garden, be that through setting up a greenhouse or zoning and planting a vegetable garden.

No matter how you approach this task, remember to have fun. Your green space is there for you to enjoy, and with a little maintenance and care, it can be the source of many summers of love.

Make Your Voice Heard

When you become a homeowner, you have a vested interest in the wellbeing of the neighborhood. This doesn’t mean you have to become a busybody and have your nose in everyone’s business. However, you have the right to voice your opinion well. Perhaps you’re unhappy with how additional housing estates are being packed behind your property, despite this being beautiful rural farmland as of the moment. Making your voice heard here could mean writing a petition to the local council with those in agreement. 

This is just one example. There are thousands of situations in which you may feel like speaking up. When you have a home in a certain area, you are a resident there. You deserve to speak if you can, no matter if that means getting involved in the local authority or attending meetings with your neighbors when you can. Sometimes knowing this is a reasonable response will help you move forward with care.

With this advice, we hope you can follow the best guidance for young, first time homeowners.

(This is a contributed post, for more information about my compensation please read my disclosure policy)