First Home Owner Moving in. Advice and Tips Please!

ajwhi on 20/04/2018 - 14:31
Last edited 21/04/2018 - 10:39 by 1 other user

Hi OZBargain community,

After what seemed like a long time, my fiance and I have finally received notice of our date of settlement for our first house! We are obviously very excited and can't wait to have our own place (moving to eastern suburbs in Melbourne).

I wanted to reach out because you are all amazing. What tips would you offer a couple in their mid twenties who just purchased a property?

Everything from bills and savings management, heating and cooling suggestions, what to fix up and what to leave for a little while when we first get in there. What you needed straight away (fridge obviously) and what you lived without while you figured out monthly expenses etc.

Anything you wish you had known or think would benefit us would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance everyone.

Home & Garden

Comments

  • Halo375 on 20/04/2018 - 14:39
    +18

    Only by living in place will you learn what's really wrong with it. Focus on structural integrity first - fix anything that leaks or doesn't drain properly. Paint before you move everything in if that's something you'd like to do. Consider changing the floors now (tiling, new carpet, polishing floorboards, etc) - whilst there is nothing in the house.

    Or just do nothing and see what breaks first! Congrats on the new home, I hope it turns out well for you both!

    • Ugly on 20/04/2018 - 14:58
      +14

      This.
      Water is your enemy. Things like leaking or blocked pipes, or roof or gutter leaks will all result in very expensive repair costs if you don't fix them quickly.
      I would suggest checking in the roof (and under the house if applicable) for any signs of water damage, and checking all of your gutters, downpipes and drains run properly the next time it rains.

      Other than that, if this is an existing house, then try and do any re-painting or flooring replacements while the house is empty. It's so much easier without furniture in the way.

      (Oh - and change the locks. Who knows how many friends of the previous owner might have keys)

      • ESEMCE on 20/04/2018 - 15:08

        +1 to checking for leaks, downpipes and gutters. Especially heading into Winter!

      • ajwhi on 20/04/2018 - 17:51

        I'll be sure to jump up onto the roof and check the gutters :) Building inspection went well, not much at all of concern.
        Changing locks is a good one, hadn't thought of that.
        Thank you!

        • buckster on 22/04/2018 - 17:36

          Lol that and making sure there is no acid in the toothpaste I guess

        • [Deactivated] on 22/04/2018 - 17:46

          @buckster:

          Test it yourself and see how long you can go without water for vs how long you can go without sunlight…

        • Ughhh on 22/04/2018 - 18:20

          @Warier:

          You consider heating more of a headache than flooding, mould and rust?

        • [Deactivated] on 23/04/2018 - 11:31
          -2

          @Ughhh:

          Yes, because heating melts snow caps that cause rivers to swell and flood. A rise in temperature also causes humidity and rain in the air which fuels mould and rust to occur…

        • Ughhh on 23/04/2018 - 11:38
          -1

          @Warier:

          You're arguments are so off topic it's ridiculous, perhaps you're trolling but I'll play along.

          Tsunamis have killed 100 thousands of people. Many kids have drowned in pools, beaches etc.

          But wait… If you try to walk on the sun, you'd die….I guess you win the argument.

        • [Deactivated] on 23/04/2018 - 11:43
          -1

          @Ughhh:

          Water is perfectly level and still unless agitated by a source of energy. On the Earth, the Sun is the source of that agitating energy.

        • Ughhh on 23/04/2018 - 13:44

          @Warier:

          Considering your comments on this thread https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/372409
          Gday troll.

    • ajwhi on 20/04/2018 - 17:50
      +2

      Thank you very much for the suggestions!

      I think we will paint before we move big items in for sure. There is a slight leak in the roof which we are going to get repaired in the first few days as an absolute priority :)

      • dcep on 20/04/2018 - 22:35

        use zero voc paint

  • Quantumcat on 20/04/2018 - 14:40
    +4

    Ask if the owners/tenants will sell you their furniture. I really liked the tenants' style and was able to buy most of their furniture which made moving a breeze. Most of my furniture from my previous place were freebies from the side of the road or cheap things off gumtree, so I gave away most of it and just kept a few nice things - a single bed I haven't put together yet that will go in the spare room, my desks and computer chairs, and a solid, really well built low chest of drawers (got it for $5 originally :-)) that my TV is now sitting on and my electronics/appliances obviously.

    • 87percent on 20/04/2018 - 14:57
      +3

      Yeah I second this.. when I bought my first house, i bought the old owners fridge, tv, sofa for cheap. Saved them moving, and me buying stuff.

    • mintysaurus on 20/04/2018 - 15:23
      +1

      Facebook marketplace has some great bits of furniture for cheap too. Might be worth checking out

    • ajwhi on 20/04/2018 - 17:53

      The owner gave us a dresser type piece of large furniture however nothing else was appealing to us. But great suggestion, thank you.

      • aong152 on 22/04/2018 - 19:13
        +1

        Check to make sure the furniture doesn't have any spyware. Maybe reinstall it's windows.

    • Love a bargain on 21/04/2018 - 13:40
      +1

      Get decent secondhand furniture & appliances if you can. Good for you & good for the environment.

      PS. You don't need to have "everything" in the beginning.

  • geek001 on 20/04/2018 - 14:41
    +2

    Congrats on getting your life sorted early, I was still drifting when I was in my mid-twenties. Is it a new house or an old house?

    • ajwhi on 20/04/2018 - 17:55

      It was built in the mid 70's. Double brick home which our building inspector said was in great condition :)

      • dcep on 20/04/2018 - 22:36
        +2

        any asbestos ?

        don't simply drill holes or dismantle anything

        • ajwhi on 23/04/2018 - 18:27

          Building inspection came back negative for abstestos. We got lucky :)
          More than half of the hosues we looked at had it somewhere in the roofing.

  • garetz on 20/04/2018 - 14:46
    +13

    Don't spend a bunch of money on new furniture, take your time, buy what will fit well in the house and you actually will use and need instead of just buying things for the sake of filling up the house then finding you didnt really need or use it at all.

    • ajwhi on 20/04/2018 - 17:56

      Thanks for this one, as an ozbargainer I won't have a problem with that. I'll have to convince the fiance though, she's keen to buy nearly all new furniture.

  • kolorijo on 20/04/2018 - 15:05
    +1

    Internet, electricity, water and gas

    Fridge, microwave, washing machine & dryer

  • ESEMCE on 20/04/2018 - 15:10
    +2

    Gumtree, for pretty much everything you need furniture-wise.
    Get solid pieces that wont break easily.

    Even strongly consider Gumtree for Whitegoods, especially Whitegoods for sale due to a couple moving in together.

    • ajwhi on 20/04/2018 - 17:57

      Now that we have a date and know when we can actually get in, i'll definitely be looking there. Thanks!

  • [Deactivated] on 20/04/2018 - 15:24
    +8

    Less furniture is more.

  • tsunamisurfer on 20/04/2018 - 15:25
    +8

    Make sure to christen every room, including the garage and rear shed.

    • [Deactivated] on 20/04/2018 - 19:52
      +12

      Or christen the rear shed in every room…

      :)

  • [Deactivated] on 20/04/2018 - 15:29
    +6

    buy a toilet plunger before you need one. its a crappy feeling going to kmart to buy one at 2 am covered in smells.

    • ajwhi on 20/04/2018 - 17:58

      That's a great one. Sorry if that happened to you but thanks for passing on the tip!

      • maximum on 21/04/2018 - 19:44
        +1

        YouTube is your friend https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLfJwK9k-z0 Anything you need to fix it'll teach you how - learnt this trick at midnight in an apartment in Hong Kong.

        Also join Facebook buy swap and sell groups for your local area. Heaps of people get rid of almost new furniture when they move because it won't fit in their new place.

  • PAOK11 on 20/04/2018 - 15:44
    +1

    don't scratch the floors

    • [Deactivated] on 20/04/2018 - 20:35
      +5

      Yeah. Landlords get pissed at that… Wait… Nvm. Go nuts.

  • atris17 on 20/04/2018 - 15:56
    +7
    • Go Efficient with Appliances, 4 Star
    • Look at all the available rebates you can qualify as a Home Owner
    • Consider Solar Panels + Hot Water Tank + Paladin Solar Diverter
    • Gumtree Ikea Furnitures, there so many good stuff for 1/2 the price at good condition
    • ajwhi on 20/04/2018 - 17:59
      +2

      Thanks mark17kazou, i'm making a list and all of these are now in there. Much appreciated.

      • atris17 on 20/04/2018 - 18:17
        +6

        If you have a mortgage

        • Pay Fortnightly
        • Put all your savings into Offset Account
        • Used Credit card, but pay full the balance every month when it due. Maximize offset balance
        • Renegotiate mortgage IR every year, or change provider
        • ajwhi on 20/04/2018 - 19:36
          +1

          Planning for fortnightly (extra couple payments per year).
          Might be a dumb question but i've never had a credit card, what's an Offset Account?

        • Quantumcat on 20/04/2018 - 20:18

          @ajwhi: it's a bank account that reduces the interest payable on your loan but you can redraw from it without penalty. It's like paying extra on your loan with all the cash you have but the cash is still available. Saves a bit of money in interest. Having a credit card as mentioned above means you can maximise the amount of cash in the offset account so it is reducing your interest even more. Spend now, pay at the end of the month and keep your cash until then.

        • dcep on 20/04/2018 - 22:40
          +3

          is there difference in fortnight payment is you already put all savings in offset ?

        • atris17 on 21/04/2018 - 05:16

          @ajwhi:

          Some mortgage comes with a No Annual Fee Credit Card, check if yours provide them
          Offset Account
          - Help reduce the interest payable of the mortgage
          - EG $400,000 Mortgage loan, $300,000 in Offset account
          - Mortgage Interest rate will be on the $100,000 Mortgage loan (400,000 - 100,000)
          - Instead of the $400,000 Mortgage Loan

        • atris17 on 21/04/2018 - 05:17

          @phunkydude:

          • Yap, best you check with an Online Offset Calculator and see the difference
          • It one way to reduce Interest Payable without doing too much
        • ajwhi on 21/04/2018 - 14:47

          @mark17kazuo: Very interesting, i'll definitely look more into this. Thank you very much!

        • Love a bargain on 22/04/2018 - 15:58

          @ajwhi:

          I presume you've already got a home loan arranged. It either has this feature or it doesn't.

          & if you haven't heard of it, then your home loan probably doesn't offer this option.

          Might be useful when you refinance but probably a little too late now.

        • redfox1200 on 22/04/2018 - 16:02

          @phunkydude:
          no

  • try2bhelpful on 20/04/2018 - 16:39
    +9

    Make sure you contact all the utilities people and tell them what your start date is well beforehand to get everything settled for when you move in, including electricity, gas, internet - as required.
    Do a complete clean of the house before you move as it will be much easier to do. Especially check for any insects and "insect bomb" if necessary. When we moved into our first place the fleas were visibly jumping from the carpet.
    Make sure you read the documentation on the inbuilt appliances including the hot water system.
    As others have said do a thorough inspection of the house including in the roof and under the house - look for termite damage, water damage, subsidence, etc and get onto any issues like that ASAP.
    Don't make any "improvement" renovation works until you have lived in the place a while. I guarantee that eyesore garage you intend to tear down will still be there when you move out - do the works that will make you happiest first.
    Find out about any parking "gotchas" in your area - particularly if you have to park on street. No parking times for street cleaning is one of them.
    Work out how you will flow through your kitchen before putting stuff in cupboards. Think about their position in relation to their use - if the distance is more than a couple of steps you might want to rethink.
    Put in a power board with a safety cut out for where your appliances will be used. The points in the kitchen are never enough.
    Find out if your home would work for natural drying rather than a clothes dryer. We have two stories and have found our airers, combined with the metal banisters, provide enough space to dry all our clothes, sheets, blankets, etc. Our dryer is currently covering the gap that is next to the washer and that is about all we use it for.
    Sit down and work out all your costs for the year and budget for them, including rates, insurances, strata title fees (if necessary), etc.

    Get a pet - nobody can tell you not to anymore. (I'm only half kidding here, so many hearbreaking stories of people in rentals not being able to have pets. We were lucky, our rental places never had an issue with us having a cat and we were very careful to ensure the animal did not cause damage or make a mess - but when we got our own place it was such a relief.)

    Best of luck with the house. It is a great feeling when you get your own property - particularly when you finally pay it all off.

    • Quantumcat on 20/04/2018 - 17:46
      +3

      Get a pet - nobody can tell you not to anymore. (I'm only half kidding here, so many hearbreaking stories of people in rentals not being able to have pets. We were lucky, our rental places never had an issue with us having a cat and we were very careful to ensure the animal did not cause damage or make a mess - but when we got our own place it was such a relief.)

      This was the best part of me buying, I could finally have a nice place and didn't have to settle for the scraps that allow you to have pets. And I could install cat netting and finally let my cats outside. I hope they're grateful!

      • try2bhelpful on 20/04/2018 - 18:03
        +1

        So you need to add to your list of "things to do" to include putting in a cat door so the little ones can let themselves in and out and ensure there is a staging area they can sit at whilst they make up their mind if they are going in or out.

        Also provide them with some grass to eat and a sheltered private area they can use as a loo. Make sure the netted area includes some perches where they can survey the property they now own. Rather than netting you might want to look into some of the other products you can put around the fencing to stop them getting out, then they can have the whole back yard. if you do let them under the house, and our cats love to go under there when it is hot in summer, then make sure they can't escape that way either.

        We used to have a saying - "we pay the mortgage but the cats own the house" - the mortgage is now paid but the cats still own the house. We have a converted warehouse and we kept the original beams - we also put in a rat run between a couple of bookcases so they can cover a fair bit of the house at the first floor level. I think we are both truly "(profanity) whipped".

        Give your kitties a cuddle from me.

      • [Deactivated] on 20/04/2018 - 19:54

        Always pictured you as a dog person…

        [Deactivated] on 20/04/2018 - 19:54 (Collapsed - Offtopic. Show)
        • Quantumcat on 20/04/2018 - 20:14

          Me or try2behelpful? Haha

        • [Deactivated] on 20/04/2018 - 20:34
          +1

          @Quantumcat:
          You. Dogs are awesome.

          My favourite thing about dogs is that they don't scratch the fk out of my face and leave my needing to dab antiseptics whilst screaming into a napkin. Great attribute.

        • try2bhelpful on 20/04/2018 - 21:16
          +1

          @tshow: My kitties don't scratch me intentially and nothing beats the sound of a cat purring for stress reduction.

          I love looking at the doggies in the park playing with each other but dogs are just too "needy" for me.

          If we want to look at the ultimate of dogs Vs cats then the statistics show that you face a much bigger risk of death or serious injury from a dog than a cat.

          Dogs cost more to upkeep including higher pet insurance costs.

          True Ozbargainers know cats are the best value for money.

        • [Deactivated] on 20/04/2018 - 21:34

          @try2bhelpful:
          Cats shed more hence why they make those furball things. I needed a huge ass air purifier, like much bigger than those pleb Xiaomi ones. We're talking industrial stuff. I needed to change the filters every 6 months.

          That cost money too.

          Besides, dogs can be like a moving inventory when you go for runs. Have like your wireless earbuds on but the phones tucked into ol Betsy's vest. That's gotta be worth like.. $7 each run or something.

        • Quantumcat on 21/04/2018 - 00:16
          +1

          @tshow:
          I personally like how dogs kill small children, how they stink and cause anyone with indoor dogs to have a smelly house no matter how much they clean (like smokers), I like how dogs love everyone so it means nothing that they love you, so horrible people can still have pets that love them and don't need to earn it. I love how insanely expensive dogs are, like my sister spent over $30K on her German Shepherd over his lifetime and that was WITH 80% cover pet insurance. I love how needy they are and make you feel guilty any time you aren't patting them so you get no pleasure from patting them only relief from the guilt. I love how they stick their wet noses in your skin when you aren't expecting it and give you a fright or disgust you. I love how they stick their heads under your elbow and lift their nose up suddenly when you are holding a mug of coffee and you spill hot liquid all over yourself, your couch, and your book or laptop. I like how they chew up video game controllers, remote controls, shoes, books, basically anything that means anything to you or cost money. I like how you can't leave them alone for a weekend because they'll either rip your house apart or escape from the backyard and get themselves hurt or hurt people or just lost.

          Meanwhile, isn't it terrible how when cats jump onto your lap or sit next to you it is special and you feel pure love emanating from them, and they're so gentle that they don't annoy you with their affection (unlike licking, cold nose, being jumped on etc). And it's awful how they don't smell and their vet bills are cheaper, and the only object on the house they're attracted to destroying is the couch which is easy to train them out of (as opposed to any object that can fit in the mouth). And it's also awful how you can tell a worthy person by whether their cat loves them or doesn't, but that isn't possible to tell with a dog because they love all people, no matter how bad they are as human beings.

          To be fair I did really love one dog in my life, a black Briard called Max that my family had when I was a kid until I was about 20, but he was special. All other dogs I have ever met have been either terrifying or darned annoying or just stinky.

        • [Deactivated] on 21/04/2018 - 00:30

          @Quantumcat:
          I like how dogs protect me from small children, they creep me out.

          They mask the smell of my wife's cooking.

          I like how dogs motivate me to keep my finances in check.

          I like how they stick their wet noses against me. Helps with my dry skin.

          I like how they chew up the unnecessary distractions in life.

          You haven't named a single con about dogs. :)

        • Quantumcat on 21/04/2018 - 00:36

          @tshow:

          they don't scratch the fk out of my face

          Well when you get attacked by a dog you have a good chance of being dead, which of course is better. If you get scratched by a cat you are upsetting or hurting it in some way, so it is easy to avoid: treat cats with respect and be a decent person. How not to get mauled by a dog - you can't!

          So weighing this up, we have a completely preventable attack which you will naturally avoid when you are nice to animals (or you could just not own a cat), and that is very mild, and then we have a completely UNpreventable (unless you lock yourself in your house 24 hours a day) attack that will leave you with lasting injuries and/or kill you. Hmmmmmm I wonder which one I would prefer here? A little electric shock which I could avoid by not being an idiot and sticking my fork in the toaster or getting flattened by a truck driven by a drunk while out for a walk in the neighbourhood?

        • Quantumcat on 21/04/2018 - 00:41

          @tshow: I know you're being silly, but you're welcome to like what you like. I'm sure I like things that others think are weird : and that's ok :-)

        • [Deactivated] on 21/04/2018 - 00:42

          @Quantumcat:
          I have cats too. :) They do scratch my face though.

        • Slippery Fish on 21/04/2018 - 00:44

          @Quantumcat: lol your a loon.. I've owned dogs my whole life and they have never attacked anyone.

        • Quantumcat on 21/04/2018 - 07:50

          @Slippery Fish: that's a bad argument. "I've never worn seatbelts and never had a crash = shouldn't wear seatbelts"

        • Slippery Fish on 21/04/2018 - 08:46

          @Quantumcat: only as bad as yours, you basically said if you have a dog it will eat your face…

          Dogs are pack animals so they need to be treated as such if you do dumb shit that makes them think your challenging their place in the pack they defend it.

          This is why the dogs master will almost never get attacked by their dog.

        • Quantumcat on 21/04/2018 - 10:06

          @Slippery Fish:

          This is why the dogs master will almost never get attacked by their dog.

          I found only 2 reports of a dog mauling and killing its owner, so maybe that's right (you'll be safe if you live alone and never have visitors) but your kids, family and friends are not safe.
          Four in five dog attacks on children are by their own family pet
          77% of dog attacks are to the family or a friend
          The overall number of dogs involved in attacks in 2011/2012 was 0.42% and is as high as 2.7% for pure breeds and 5.7% for cross breeds (not counting the rare ones where there are very few registered). Maybe I am too risk averse but I wouldn't have something in the house with that sort of chance of hurting my baby or someone else's.
          Until you're actually involved in something like that you'll probably keep the same attitude, which may be fine for you if your dog never attacks anyone. I hope for your sake they don't.

        • [Deactivated] on 22/04/2018 - 15:15
          +1

          @Quantumcat:
          I agree that dogs have a higher potential to cause harm.

          I do also think that argument is like comparing a dog to a knife or stove. Some people seem to keep having kitchen accidents, some never do.

          My dogs (7 dogs to date) have never hurt anyone. They require observation and training. Also, some breeds are aggresive to begin with so I do not condone people keeping them as pets.

          Some people also have kids that are pretty feral.

    • ajwhi on 20/04/2018 - 19:04
      +1

      Thanks very much for your detailed response. Will definitely consider these, especially the kitchen suggestions which I hadn't started thinking about yet.

      I am very keen to get a dog, neither me nor my partner were allowed pets growing up (many siblings kept our parents busy I guess) so this is something we are both very much looking forward to!

      Thanks again :)

      • [Deactivated] on 20/04/2018 - 21:37

        Tibetan Mastiffs. They make great lap dogs.

        • Quantumcat on 21/04/2018 - 00:22
          -2

          My parents had one and it escaped the yard and attempted to kill a baby in a stroller, the mother had to beat it and stab it with her umbrella to get it off. It was very calm and nice when at home, the very picture of the sort of dog owners would say "oh, my Charlie, he'd never hurt a flea! Burglars would only have to be worried getting licked to death. Hahahaha".
          I wouldn't get within 30 feet of one unless I was happy being charged with manslaughter later on.

        • [Deactivated] on 21/04/2018 - 00:24
          +1

          @Quantumcat:
          I think I have come to a conclusion. Your natural frequency, what some people call aura, causes canines to go into a baby/small child killing frenzy.

          I am sure there's a spray for that.

        • Quantumcat on 21/04/2018 - 00:39
          -1

          @tshow: somehow there are regular news reports about kids getting mauled, when I'm nowhere near them. I don't think dog attacks have anything to do with me (and in any case I hadn't visited home for six months when it happened)

        • [Deactivated] on 21/04/2018 - 00:43
          +1

          @Quantumcat:
          You need the long lasting spray.

  • Ohreally on 20/04/2018 - 16:49
    +1

    A big congratulations to start with. Considering all the other expenses, don’t over indulge in buying new things to make the place look pretty. At the same time invest in a new fridge, washing machin and a good quality mattress. Why I said New is it will take a couple of months for you to have some time after buying a new property. These above said things are hit and miss in gumtree. So why should you have another headache? Buy old furnitures in gumtree and op shops and put a little over in the mortgage every week. Make the payments weekly and not anything else as it will save one week in a year. Good luck

    • ajwhi on 20/04/2018 - 19:34
      +1

      Thank you Cheapbunny, the first few months will definitely be a learning experience. Thanks to a lot of these suggestions, hopefully they won't be expensive ones :)

  • [Deactivated] on 20/04/2018 - 20:36
    +1

    Rotating Vietnamese Shame Wheel

  • [Deactivated] on 20/04/2018 - 21:33
    +1

    In hindsight I realise I never needed so many kitchen appliances. They are rarely used and just take up storage or bench space.

    I get a lot of use out of the microwave. And a stick blender/food processor in one gets a lot of use. But nothing much else

    • [Deactivated] on 20/04/2018 - 21:39
      +1

      You've obviously haven't tried to make froyo with your microwave and stick blender.

      • [Deactivated] on 20/04/2018 - 21:47

        True. Or fairy floss, or hot dogs, or Dutch pancakes, or ice cream.

  • nebula98 on 21/04/2018 - 08:18

    To help pay my home loan sooner when we took in a border ,one that had a TV and washing machine ,tho been in alone with wife would have been nice if took years of my loan.this was in 1990 when interstate rates where 16%.
    Anyone e who says that those high interstate rates will never happen again is just fooling themselfs.
    Even boom has been followed by a bust,every drought has been broken by a flood.
    Look at what happened to Ireland to see what house prices can do…….

    • ajwhi on 21/04/2018 - 14:45

      Appreciate the idea, not something that we would do however.

  • Masher84 on 21/04/2018 - 09:22

    Congratulations. I think the best advice we got about renovating was to live in the house for at least a year before doing anything. Your views on what’s important will change. Don’t get things like dishwashers because ‘everybody’ has one. Put that money towards a better cooktop. Above everything else though, pay off as much of the loan as you can while you can. Calculate your loan rate at 1 percent higher than it is and pay to that. Smart people tell us the only way interest rates are going is up. Good luck.

  • ramshead on 21/04/2018 - 12:05
    +2

    I'd be careful with tree planting. Don't plant anything big near where your utilities enter your block of land. Tree roots can be a nightmare around water pipes.
    Also large tree roots can lift and crack concrete driveways and can also cause damage to the house foundations and/or slab.
    I like trees and have lots of them, but plan before you plant.

    • ajwhi on 21/04/2018 - 14:44

      Will definitely keep it in mind when I start planting/gardening. Thank you

  • lightcn on 21/04/2018 - 13:57
    +1

    Hey mate. Congratulations!

    As others have suggested above, don't go all out on furniture. If you do buy new furniture, I would suggest trying to bundle it altogether at the one place as they can usually give you a better deal.

    I bundled a lot stuff from Amart and their furniture is alright for now. Then when these get a bit old, I can upgrade and see what I use most and what I really need. Play hardball when negotiating and you might save yourself a lot of money!

    All the best!

    • ajwhi on 21/04/2018 - 14:43

      Thanks, will do!
      Obviously being on here, I love bundling and negotiating so will see what I can arrange :)

  • jace88 on 21/04/2018 - 19:00
    +1

    Easier to clean before you've moved in than after. Moment you get keys, check everything is in there that should be (eg fixtures like washing machine if in contract), then release cockroach bombs in every room, and then come back and clean thoroughly. Every surface, window, cupboard, shelf, etc… Do this BEFORE you move stuff in.

  • smuggler on 21/04/2018 - 19:31

    Chuck a tomahawk Mortein bomb to get rid of all the insects. DO the same for the attic and basement/underneath the house if you have one.

  • Thiefsie on 21/04/2018 - 21:27
    +1

    Hound the bank so they don't royally screw up your settlement (very common). Chase your conveyancer also, though they are usually okay…
    Buy stuff slowly.
    Get an offset account, pay principle and interest down fortnightly or weekly, rather than monthly (extra payment per year).
    If you plan to flip, you can renovate cheaply, If you plan to keep (for at least 5-7 years), do it properly first time.
    See what insulation is in the house, as it can easily be added to within reason. Dbl brick should be pretty good, but have a look under the floor and in the roof.

    • KangaBanga on 21/04/2018 - 22:15

      Doubt op will be flipping or using this as a investment property.

      I also highly doubt op has any spare cash to renovate.

      • ajwhi on 23/04/2018 - 18:32

        You're correct in your assumption in that we are not flipping this house and it is not an investment property.
        We do however have some savings left over which we could use to renovate, luckily the only work that NEEDS to be done is a slight roof repair ($1500 max) so the rest we will be holding onto, using for the wedding (nearly fully paid anyway) or socking away for a rainy day :)

    • rvsure on 22/04/2018 - 09:27

      I second Thiefsie on hounding the bank. We moved into our first home couple of weeks back only. Our settlement got delayed because of the bank failing to apply for our FHOG application in time. Lucky the seller was happy to extend the settlment date without any penalties. In general the bank's response was very slow, so keep chasing up with the bank.

      • ajwhi on 23/04/2018 - 18:32

        I will make sure they are ready to rock! Thanks for the tip :)

  • Yola on 22/04/2018 - 10:13
    +3

    Do not pay any money off your mortgage, keep it in the offset. If you decide to make it into an investment property in the future you will still have a large mortgage to negatively gear. You cannot top it up later. This strategy will not affect how much you end up paying. You can rent out your home for six years before having to pay capital gains tax.
    Do not buy a lot of cheap stuff for your home. I think it is better to buy good quality, and of course good value items, as you can afford them.

  • soyea on 22/04/2018 - 13:40
    +1

    Devils Advocate. Actually still live the life that made u guys buy the house together. Dont waste time in trying to figure what will go wrong! When it does, Pay the monies get the man!. Life is too short for fretting up!. What is obvious fix it, what is not there is no control.This is assuming basic homework was done when buying the property!.

  • [Deactivated] on 22/04/2018 - 15:26
    +5

    Buy one of those folders with plastic pockets. Place the manuals from all your appliances in there, +/- receipts for each.

  • MessyG on 22/04/2018 - 21:35
    +3

    We're in our second year of our first home. Insights so far:

    • resist the temptation to change too much in that first year, get used to living with your stuff first and by the end of that year you'll have a really good sense of what you like and don't.
    • play tetris with your belongings, where you put them at first might not be the most optimum place so move them around a bit.
    • if you've got a garden, don't be afraid to experiment with plants! Move them around, learn what spots they like and don't like. You might kill a few in the process but that's okay.
    • word of mouth works best for tradies, but make sure it's word of mouth from people you trust. A couple of people got ripped off on my local neighborhood Facebook group following recommendations from there, so try to get them from people you know. I always go and leave a good review on Google and Facebook for them too and put them in my contacts if they're good.
    • get some kind of budget tracking somewhere so you can track when the big bills are going to come in - between rates, home insurance, car insurance, electricity, gas, water, car rego, it all gets a bit out of hand at certain points in the year so you need to make sure you're not going to be blindsided. Ours all come over a 3 month period and it's a tough period.
    • photograph every receipt for everything major thing you buy. Our washing machine's PCB just failed and my awesome husband had kept a photo the receipt from 7 years ago. Samsung replaced the board for free in spite of being well out of warranty because it was a known fault.
    • embrace energy efficient heating and cooling. Our place had a million year old wall aircon just a gas heater in the lounge so we had to use oil hearts and our heating and cooling bills were huge in the first year. We ended up getting 5 star energy rated aircon put in, in a few rooms and our bills dropped.
    • I wish we had of had the floors sanded and polished before we moved in - I didn't realise what bad shape they were in until afterward and now it's all too hard.
    • Aliexpress is AMAZING for home stuff - I did my lounge curtain setup for cheaper than I could ever make them, I've bought handles for cabinets etc really cheaply. Better range then Bunnings et al too.
    • Try to increase your repayments a little bit every year, it all adds up.

    And finally, don't get too depressed about how much you can't do in because mortgage. We went through a period of feeling a bit down about things because your disposable income isn't the same anymore and you can't just go out and make big purchases without it having an impact anymore. It slowly gets better.

    But mostly, just enjoy it, it's a great feeling, enjoy the serenity!

    • ajwhi on 23/04/2018 - 18:35

      Thank you for this Miss G, I really appreciate the insight and time taken in your reply :)

  • Oofy Doofy on 22/04/2018 - 21:48
    +2

    Make sure the fundamentals are in good shape. The roof isn't leaking, gutters aren't full of holes/cancer, no termites, no efflorescence (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Efflorescence) from your brick walls or otherwise (rising damp etc, depends on how bad it is).

    • ajwhi on 23/04/2018 - 18:44
      +1

      Thanks Bamboozle, had a pretty comprehensive inspection done which showed a slight leak in the roof we need to fix. Other than that, in great shape.
      Thanks :)

  • lainey13 on 22/04/2018 - 22:30

    Congrats! It sounds like you guys don't live together. Get ready for quite a few months of adjusting to living with another human being. Oh the arguments about how to fold things.. where to put things away… how to clean something.. not leaving stuff around the place… etc etc.

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