Newbie homeowner seeks advice

thinksincode

Hi all,

I've been in my new house for almost two months now, and it's still very overwhelming.

What piece of advice do you wish someone gave you when you bought your first house?

mickey cassiba

Get a pre-nup

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Mickey

One of these hammers will fix it.

Ron6519

What is so overwhelming, living in a house?
Is this the first house you've ever lived in? Parents rented or were home owners?
It's just a matter of familiarizing yourself with the houses' systems.
If you got an inspection report, you know the homes condition.
Get one of those home repair books and look through it. Your local library should have a copy or two. Find one that speaks to you and buy it. It will take the mystery out of home ownership.
And it you can't figure out an issue, the DIY forum is the place to ask any questions.
Enjoy the house and relax, we got your back.

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Ron
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
B. Franklin 1759

gregzoll

Make a very long list, then figure up how much money you have, and then figure a time frame for each one. Some projects are more important than others. Plumbing, Roof, Electric, hvac, water heater, leaking windows & doors that will not close are more important, than finishing floors, updating Kitchen or Bath, or painting.

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PoleCat

The longer you put off doing something the more likely it is you'll end up being glad you didn't do that after all.

kwikfishron

Well …“thinks in code”… it maybe time for you to get in touch with the physical world, hammers, nails, screw guns and paint.

You did come to the right place though, ask specific questions in regards to your overwhelming house and specific answers you shall receive.

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gregzoll

It only took me eight years to clean up some wiring in my basement. Figured that it worked when I first redid the wiring, when we moved in, so why mess with it. Of course, that does not hold true, when circuits get changed, in an ever evolving home remodel.

Me, I am on the 20 year plan to have it done by retirement.

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: That's just it. We don't know. Maybe something bad, maybe something good. I guess we'll never know, 'cause you're going to guard it. You won't touch it, will you?

Blondesense

When we bought our home in Oklahoma, the first thing my father did when he visited was to make sure we knew what to do in an emergency.
How to turn the water main off.
How to turn the power off.
And make sure the breaker panel is labeled correctly.

ddawg16

When we bought our house 11 years ago....we never used the kitchen...within 6 weeks of move in....we gutted it...and I mean GUTTED....

As mentioned....make a list....get to know you house....know where everything is...

Personally....I would concentrate on the garage first....get it organized....it will then become a tool for the rest of the house.

You might want to have a look over at Garage Journal for some garage ideas......good way to get your feet wet....

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dougp23

ENJOY THE HECK OUT OF IT! I love being a homeowner even with all the things that can go wrong. I can't imagine living in an apartment and having no control over the plumbing, electric, etc.

All in all, it's just a great life experience. YMMV....

swschrad

we basically put up pictures and did nothing else for a year. oh, replaced all the outlets because they were loose and didn't hold plugs, and slapped a coat of basic beige on the walls to clean it up.

then, nothing. lived in it for a year.

THEN we knew what we didn't like, what didn't work, and what order was important to us to do things in.

CoconutPete

Are you married? Do you travel for work? I do so:

I made sure I showed my wife how to shut off breakers, including when to kill the main breaker and how to shut off the water. Also made sure she has the phone # for the electrician, plumber & the HVAC guys.

One piece of advice .... "sh#t is going to break - it just does". Take a deep breath and take it bit by bit.

thinksincode

Good point. I don't really travel for work (I live in my cubicle!). But I definitely will show Mrs. ThinksInCode the shutoffs.

gregzoll

If anything, make a sheet and laminate it, and keep on the inside of the Breaker panel. It should state who to call, what to throw first, and a map with placement of the shut-offs for gas, water. My wife always calls me first, before doing things, and in turn it takes five minutes before she even starts the process. A lot can happen in five minutes.

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thinksincode

I guess that means I should find a good plumber/electrician/etc whose number I can put on such a sheet.

Good idea, though. I already made a floorplan diagram of the house in MS Visio, so I'm on the right track I guess. (Attached to show off my Visio skills [or lack thereof]).

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