First time homebuyers are probably a little naive when it comes to buying a house! I know we definitely were! We had no real idea of what it took to keep up a house! But let's back up a little. We didn't even know what it took to find the right house and the right realtor to help you find that right home!
Almost 10 years ago we decided to buy our first home as a couple and family. We had three kids at the time, our oldest was three, our twins were one and I was pregnant at the time and we needed more space for everyone.
We started looking online at the homes that were within our price range and had enough bedrooms for us, with some room to grow. We called on a home and got a realtor to take us thru this house. We didn't care much for the house, but ended up using this realtor to look at more houses. She was ok and helpful, but we found a home that was brand new on the inside. It was duplex that someone had built but had never finished. Someone else came in and bought them and finished them to sell.
We loved the thought that everything was going to be brand new, including appliances and everything! We were told by the realtor that we needed to put an offer on it because it wouldn't last and it was great for us. It had 4 bedrooms and 2 or 3 bathrooms, which was great, the only thing I wasn't sure of was that the master bedroom was upstairs and all the rest were in the basement, which would have been fine if our kids were older, but not when they were so young!
We put an offer on the house but in the back of my mind things just weren't right. I decided we needed to change our search and look for something that we could finish a basement to make more room. I found a home that I liked the pictures and the lay out and decided we had to see it.
We came in and walked thru and just knew this is where we were supposed to be. It had e everything we wanted and especially the fenced yard for the kids to play.
We pulled our offer from the other home and put an offer on our home. We had great financial help with it all, but in the end, we should have shopped around for a better realtor that would have listened to us more.
We have loved our home and would totally stay, if our kids weren't getting so big. But over the last 10 years we have learned it takes a lot of work to keep up a yard and especially a house. Here is just a few things that we have learned and I'm passing on to you because maybe you don't know either.
Tile grout has to be sealed at least once a year. No one told us this and our shower grout and caulk has gone black because we never did.
When you have a leak in your shower, fix it quick and then make sure it hasn't damaged your flooring. If it has, fix your flooring quick and seal your sub flooring so you don't get mold and rotting wood.
Check your toilets reguLarly for leaks and running water, it can add a lot to an already high water bill.
Learn how to fix and replace sheet rock. This has come in handy, since we have boys and they get mad and punch the walls. We have fixed many holes and become pretty good with patching and sheet rock.
Clean your wood canisters reguLarly, especially around the table and if you have kids. They get very grungy and wood is harder to clean than other surfaces.
This is all just a small part of what we have learned as first time homebuyers and with our next home, we will be led to where we will be next, but I have some things in mind that I want in our next home and we have found a different realtor who so far has been great to listen to us and should be good to work with.
If you are a first time homebuyer, good luck. Don't be too naive, listen to your gut and go where feels right to you!
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