You signed your mortgage and after a long wait, the home is finally handed over to you. Congratulations!
As a first time homeowner, you are overly excited to open the front door of your new massionate. “After all, the daunting task of handling piles of paperwork is over”, you think to yourself. Plus you are already armed with one of the best home protection plans.
You open the house and the first thing you notice is that it’s so bare that you can’t call it home. This is when it dawns on you that you still have lots of items to attach to your new home.
Start checking off this list before you move into your new home, be it a condo, a bungalow, or a flat.
Top 10 Things Every New Homeowner Should Buy
Here are the things you need for your new home.
Keys and locks
You don’t want to realize that you can’t lock your beautiful home. As it is with many homeowners, people only realize they lack a key to a bedroom, or there is no lock for cabinet days after they move in.
Your sellers should hand over all sets of keys and locks for your home. If you are like me, you would remove the locks from the doors and take them to a hardware technician for re-keying. That is if you are not willing to incur extra costs for a new set of keys and locks. This makes it hard for anyone to re-access your residence after you have moved in.
Gardening tools
Are you proud of maintaining an attractive garden or backyards? Then don’t forget about weed whackers, shovels, rakes, pruning scissors, hoes, and ratcheting loppers.
Also, consider a wheelbarrow to transport the garden waste and a push broom to sweep your garden waste. Don’t forget to buy a handle screw which you would use as an extension pole with a wall sander.
You will also need items such as watering can, gumboots, aprons, headgears, trowels, and others.
Tools for repair work
As a new homeowner, chances are after a few days residing there, you may experience some minor breakdowns. These may not necessarily get the attention of a home warranty provider because you can repair them easily. That’s why a toolbox is an essential ingredient for homeowners.
A toolbox basically contains:
- Ball and Claw hammer
- Assorted Screwdrivers
- Hacksaw
- Pliers
- Plumber’s Wrench
- Basin Wrench
- Power Drill and Drill Bits
- Nail Driver
- Staple Gun
- Tape Measure, and others
Window Coverings
You have unlimited options for window coverings from drapes, blinds, scarves, curtains, etc.
Depending on your budget, you may consider self-adhesive paper blinds. Peel them off and stick the top of the blind to the lower side of the window top. Although these are so cheap, they only provide a temporary solution.
Pets
Not only do pets provide companionship, but they also help reduce stress. Unfortunately, some public residences don’t allow pets in the compound.
With your own home, you can freely adopt a domestic pet of your choice.
However, be sure to check with your local authorities the number of pets allowed in a single home.
Security cameras
You need to keep track of what’s happening within and outside the house. When you keep an eye on your loved ones and pets, you are guaranteed extra comfort especially for a new neighborhood that you are not used to.
The best way to do this is by installing a camera that can capture live images as well as recording activities.
Smoke alarms and Fire extinguisher
Smoke alarms can detect and warn you in case of a fire breakout. It’s an essential element for your new home safety.
Apart from smoke detectors, you also need to equip your home with fire extinguishers. In case of a fire incident, you can use the extinguisher to save the life and assets that would otherwise be lost with ordinary efforts. That’s why these gadgets are key to ensuring the lives of those in the home are safe.
Smart Doorbell
Another security measure for new homes is doorbells. Modern doorbells have got an IQ boost. They can not only alert you about someone at the door, but they will give a clear HD picture for easy identification of the visitor or intruder.
Smart doors can be connected with a smartphone and other devices. This means you can answer a knock whether you are home or away. This denies a potential intruder a tip-off of your whereabouts.
Snow removal equipment
The truth is that when the ground freezes, you won’t pretty much enjoy your new home. Snow can cause havoc in driveways, garage, and sidewalks.
Invest in snowblower, snow shovels, ice chippers and a pack of salt to help you when the season throws snow home.
Appliances
When buying a new home, you will realize that not all appliances are already fixed. Check if the following basic appliances are available which can greatly enhance your stay in your new home.
- Wash dryer
- Refrigerator
- Cooktop / Range
- Ironing board, among others