Re: Post from BAH

emily1004 · March 2014

Not getting a lot of feedback over there,

So a big AW! We finally found a house we love, we put in an offer and we're now under contract! It took us longer then expected but that gave us plenty of time to plan and save. I know there are going to be a lot of things we need for our new house, but I would like to start buying some stuff now. My parents kept things in storage after they moved into their condo. We have garbage cans for the curb, a lawn mower and some other things. They don't need it since the associate take care of everything.

What will we need to get? What were things that you didn't think about? I would love to see your lists! Light bulbs, shovels, etc?

Thanks!

CuriousKiddosMama · March 2014

Actually, I wouldn't go on a buying spree yet. Most likely they will run another credit check right before closing and if you have charged a lot, or if your savings account/checking has dipped a lot to fund the shopping spree you may end up with an issue. It's been a while since I closed on my house, but I remember being told to keep my credit cards almost paid off by the banker.

moonprincessd · March 2014

rakes, shovels, lawn mower, snow blower, garden hose, ladder, step stool, mop, dust mop, brooms, dust pans, furniture, that's about all I got...

you shouldn't need light bulbs unless you want to replace the ones they have with energy efficient ones... normally people don't take the light bulbs, that would be odd...

vlagrl29 · March 2014

It's been so long for me I have kinda forgotten. The first house we bought in 2006, I remember we just moved in and bought what we needed after the fact. When I moved back in as a single person in 2008, I did some things beforehand. I needed to stock the fridge, my dad bought me a shop vac, ladder, big trash cans for the garage and I bought all the furniture and decor I wanted before the move. The 2nd move was different though, I already had my name on the house and was relocating from my parents basement. It sure felt different.

moonprincessd · March 2014

Vikingsfan 71713 said:

Actually, I wouldn't go on a buying spree yet. Most likely they will run another credit check right before closing and if you have charged a lot, or if your savings account/checking has dipped a lot to fund the shopping spree you may end up with an issue. It's been a while since I closed on my house, but I remember being told to keep my credit cards almost paid off by the banker.

oh yes totally forgot about this! our Realtor told us not to spend until we closed as well because they might do another credit check and anything unusual might prevent you from getting the house. You can still buy groceries, but if you go out and spend $1000 on something that you normally don't it looks bad...

brij2006 · March 2014

One thing I can recommend to do while you're waiting to close is to go browse around the local Menards/Home Depot, etc. Bring a pen and paper with you and write down the things you see that you know you may need once you officially move in. Then as you're moving in, you can cross things off that you've realized you already have or didn't need.

It will help you to not purchase duplicate items, not pick up things you need and forgot about, and not cause a dip in your bank account beforehand.

hoffse · March 2014

Maybe an Amazon wishlist would help also? I figure that when H and I take the plunge, lawn and garden stuff is going to be the bulk of the little things we need, plus potentially some large appliances (depending on what comes with the house).

We'll also probably buy a grill and a deep freezer.

Oh and a couch... we have a loveseat in our apartment.

After that we'd probably move to things like window treatments and fabric to recover some of our chairs.

strickland8052 · March 2014

Blinds, curtains, shower curtains, RUGS (maybe our biggest expense), artwork, lamps, a lawn mower, a weed eater, a doggy door, a fence, washer/dryer (we thought it came with the house, but the washer broke after 2 washes). There were also a lot of things that were very specific to the house that we really didn't know would bother us until we moved in. For example, we started feeling like we just HAD to have a liquor cabinet in the dining room and a bench in the mudroom (which we still haven't bought). I'd budget for about $2-4k of miscellaneous expenses.

daisy662 · March 2014

I recommend not buying anything until after you move in. I remember when I bought my first home I went and bought new furniture and when I moved it in it didn't fit and I was stuck with it!

strickland8052 · March 2014

I also recommend not buying anything until after you move in. Not only is it a good move financially, but you'll probably get a better idea for what you like/dislike about your house once you move in. (For example, you may think you need more storage, but then realize that it actually has plenty.)

maple2 · March 2014

We have been in our house 2.5 years now, and we've been slowly but surely making purchases as we have the need or the money. Right around move-in we bought: washer, dryer, lawn mower, shovel, leaf rake, garden rake, hoe, garbage can, house cleaning supplies (gave away the old ones since we were moving to a new state), toilet paper, and hose with nozzle and winding stand. Over time we have also acquired a grill, snow shovels, outdoor table and chairs, chest freezer, wet vac, weed eater, fabric for curtains, new drill, sawzall (more power tools are on the wish list), misc. furniture, and wall decorations.

We did go ahead and order our washer and dryer before moving in because we had little kids (and used cloth diapers), so we really didn't want to live without laundry any longer than necessary. We did have to explain that purchase to the bank, but it wasn't a big deal.

cbee817 · March 2014

Buy toilet seats- it should be the first thing you replace!

IAmSherlocked · March 2014

We're in the same boat as you. We closed on our house a few weeks ago and finally got everything moved over. I just went out and restocked all our kitchen food essentials (most of our things like spices, etc. were old anyway and it was just easier to go buy new stuff than move everything). We were lucky in that our families have been gifting us power tools and house stuff for the past few years, for whenever we did finally buy something. I would definitely make a list of things you need and buy a little at a time so it doesn't feel like you're spending a ton of money all at once.

I think the only major purchase we made was a new washer and dryer, but we waited until after closing to buy those. We actually went from the closing, to Lowe's (we already knew which ones we wanted), and they delivered it the following Monday. We also bought new locks for the exterior doors--that was the one thing I wanted to make sure we got.

We're big into gardening so we're slowly accumulating things like shovels, garden hoses, etc. I've also been hitting up places like Ross and TJ Maxx and I can occasionally find good deals on home decor stuff there.

Also, you may want to consider having the house cleaned professionally before you move in. Our sellers were supposed to get someone to clean the house, but didn't. At the time it wasn't a big deal, but after spending hours cleaning someone else's grimy kitchen and bathrooms (and finding dog hair EVERYWHERE!) I wish I would have just spent the extra money to hire someone myself. We also have someone coming out this week to clean the ducts and chimney--I figured it's better to get all that done and get things as clean as possible before getting too settled in.

emily1004 · March 2014

Thank everyone. I wasn't talking about furniture or wants. (Sorry I should of clarified) I mean things I am going to need, like toilet paper, garbage bags and cans, batteries, cleaning products etc. I'm trying to figure out what I am missing. A lot of this stuff I can go "shopping" for in my mom and dad's storage unit.

CuriousKiddosMama · March 2014

emily1004 said:

Thank everyone. I wasn't talking about furniture or wants. (Sorry I should of clarified) I mean things I am going to need, like toilet paper, garbage bags and cans, batteries, cleaning products etc. I'm trying to figure out what I am missing. A lot of this stuff I can go "shopping" for in my mom and dad's storage unit.

Then I guess I misunderstood the question. I would totally hit the dollar store/big lots for as much of this stuff as you can find there. You can often find name brand stuff at the dollar store!

JuneMrs · March 2014

I wouldn't buy things until you need them.

ta78 · March 2014

I guess I am confused. Where do you live now? You shouldn't need to many new things.

I think it'd be easiest to walk around Lowe's and take note of what you may need or want.

Off the top of my head... cleaning products, broom, mop, vacuum, paper towels, garbage bags (kitchen and outdoor), garbage cans (indoor and outdoor), ladder, yard tools depending if you have a yard or not, rugs, door mat.

emily1004 · March 2014

ta78 said:

I guess I am confused. Where do you live now? You shouldn't need to many new things.

I think it'd be easiest to walk around Lowe's and take note of what you may need or want.

Off the top of my head... cleaning products, broom, mop, vacuum, paper towels, garbage bags (kitchen and outdoor), garbage cans (indoor and outdoor), ladder, yard tools depending if you have a yard or not, rugs, door mat.

We currently rent a condo, we are buying our first house. We don't need our own garbage cans (outdoor) at our current place. We also don't need a shovel or snowblower, etc. I am just looking for ideas of things I may need; things I may be forgetting. For example, I'm going to need to bring toilet paper to the new place while we are still at the old place. We will be over lapping for about a month and half. We will be cleaning and renovating a little so we are staying in our condo for that time after we close.

CCinLove · March 2014

I wouldn't buy anything yet. The old owner might leave things, so you will be in a better position to make a list once you see what they leave. When we moved, we left an outdoor broom, painting supplies, trash cans, fire extinguisher, and other odds and ends that the new owners probably weren't expecting.

formerlyGDaisy09 · March 2014

don't buy anything 'til you close. we definitely made 2-3 trips to home depot the weekend we moved in. (and many weekends after that)

we shopped as we needed (with the exception of big things like snowblowers, grills, lawn mowers...that often go super on sale at the end of the season).

I think in the first year we ended up getting a ladder, a shop vac, snow blower, lawn mower, hose, shovels, rake, some additional smoke detectors, new deadbolts for the doors, a roof rake, towel hangers for the master bath...) as you live in the house you'll realize what you need, you'll actually get a better idea what you need during your first week in the house. The first night I went to wash my face and realized there was no place for my towel.

katlizabeth · March 2014

We bought a lot of our outdoor and tool type things at estate sales over the years. Buy only what you need and then pick up things used.

formerlyGDaisy09 · March 2014

We've also been able to borrow a lot of tool-type things from neighbors when we need them.

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