Phillius, it all depends on whether or not you can live with it "as is" for awhile, you should also consider the disruption to your household in living there during a remodel if you don't have family to stay with. In our case, we wish we would have removed the hated cheap "spa tub" before we moved in, as it is in the one and only bathroom in the house.

Take a walk through the house prior to settlement to see if the brass outlet covers, heavy acrylic bathroom shelves, and light fixtures in bathroom and kitchen and bedrooms are still there. We didn't; we got burned. Thank goodness they couldn't walk away with the furnace! Seriously, always do a walk-through before settlement.

I used rolls of Christmas paper to cover the windows that had specialty measurements until the custom window coverings finally arrived.

Bought my first home about a year ago. I had buyers remorse for a bit but that's normal. Homes are very expensive, taxes are insane and it seems like costs are never ending. I guess my advice would be to be prepared for a lot of work and spending money endlessly, especially when first moving in. Save more money than you think you need for tools, maintenance expenses etc. Also, I probably would go against what most people would say, but wait longer and save more money and spend more money to get the house you want, not a starter house. Financially, it makes more sense in the long run because if you move after 5-7 years, you'll lose money most likely. You get what you pay for. We spent a little more than what we wanted but have much less to worry about because the foundation is solid..the a/c, deck, roof, windows, boiler fairly new-- basically the essentials of the home are all new so no big expenses for awhile. This also means we will stay in the house much longer and its a good size for what my wife and I want for the future (kids). Last tip would be, ENJOY IT. Buying a home is very stressful at first but there is nothing better than calling a place home. A place that is unique to your personality and a place of comfort and enjoyment for many years, god willing. Best of luck to anyone looking for a new home!

good points, diy. my son and his wife are looking for their first home, and i told them, unless one knows one will be poor "forever" and/or is amazingly clever with tools and industrious beyond words, its much much cheaper to wait and buy what you want rather than *pay* to renovate what you want.

nnigrt, thanks. We made sure the core of the home was solid so that we hopefully don't have any huge expense in the short term. We had to refinish the floors and we're looking to install a glass shower sooner than later. We painted much of the home already and man, what a difference that makes and its not that expensive. Overall, those are cheap renovations compared to what most people have to do. I've become extremely handy once I realized how much money I can save and also get things done faster, customized to what I want and for literally a small fraction of the cost. My diy of choice is furniture. So many things in my home I built myself. And what's even better, we have chestnut trim around all our doorways and entryways in our home. I was able to match the stain and have made a coffee table, side table, console table, pantry among other things. I also made a patio table and 2 benches for the backyard, all of these things saving me literally thousands of dollars. My new diy kick has been landscaping which can be extremely expensive. I did it all myself saving me thousands of dollars once again. Thankfully I have the time because of my work schedule. I'll only pay for certain things like an electrician or plumber if I absolutely need to. And, if I do pay someone, I watch them so I can learn about it and take a crack at it myself before calling someone. Cheers.

Make sure to have a large cash reserve! The day we moved in we found out the freezer had holes in it and was not staying cold enough! Then the stove stopped working. So we replaced all of the major kitchen appliances with a new set and found that the dishwasher did not have proper plumbing! The supply line was a garden hose! A few weeks later the washing machine stopped working. There always can be something wrong, so when you use any reserves work toward replacing them!

If your talking about the actual moving experience. go to the liquor store and get smaller boxes. They are not as heavy to fill and if you happen to have books, they are a boon. If they have boxes with dividers they can be used for glasses or goblets.

The first move we made I wrote what was in the boxes so I would know where they go. That was fine, but better and faster to put a number on all 4 sides of the box (so you can see it no matter which sides is out) and keep a spiral notebook with the list of things in the box and the number of the box. JUST DON"T LOSE THE NOTEBOOK! (yes, that IS the voice of experience)! You can put the room name such as Master Bedroom and then a number so you know at first glance what room the box goes in. And if you should lose the list at lest you have the boxes in the correct rooms.

Put your hanging clothes into large garbage bags with the hangers at top and tied. I like the "stretchable" bags best. it keeps the clothing tighter together. Group about 10 items together, depending on the weight.

Pack your dishes with styro plates and bowls or paper plates and bowls between them to prevent them from breaking. Again, smaller boxes are best for dishes because of the weight. You can save the paper plates after to be used for eating if you are the frugal type.

Cut handle holes into the side of boxes to make them easier to carry. Just cut a rectangle leaving the top attached and fold the cardboard inside to make comfortable handles

The last room to pack and first to unpack should be your bedroom. If you don't get finished in one day, you at least have a place to sleep.

The next should be the kitchen. It has the most packing and unpacking and you can get a lot of boxes out of the way doing it ASAP. Plus you can then actually fix something to eat sooner.

We have moved in the past several times with kids. Assemble the kids bedrooms first, with some of their toys , games, and coloring books. It will keep them occupied. Also don't fall for the line of the moving men to help uncrate your dishes, glasses. All they can do is unwrap them and stack them on the table or floor.

When moving also bring bars of soap and towels for the kitchen, and bathrooms. You can bathe the children before bed and yourselves. Bring a broom some dust rags, and plastic bags for trash - you will start using right away. I did the numbering of boxes and listed what was on the inside and kept a 3 ring binder listing the box number and what each box contained. So easy to find a needed item right away. Also our table wasn't unpacked until last so

we had a picnic on the floor for lunch and snacks.

I also recommend stocking up on power strips to plug in before any heavy furniture is placed blocking an outlet!

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Before any other furniture in the house, make sure you get the beds set up in bedrooms because when you are done for the day, you will be collapsing in those beds! Also make sure you have your soap and shampoo for that shower you will be needing.

Everyone wants to show off when it comes to moving into their first home because many dreams are connected with it. That’s why it’s important to hire a landscape contractor service first. I personally know the best landscape construction service provider: Landscape Structures & Designs Inc. They can help you to choose a full range of designs and services that meet your needs.

Everyone’s dream is to have a home. There is a list of such items like tile installation, wall decorating, landscaping, hangings, etc. as far as interiors are concerned. But when we talk of an outdoor area, “railings” are the first thing that should come to mind, as they make the home look lavish and are available at an affordable cost. I recently attended the National Home Show in Toronto where I saw the range of products from CPL Aluminum Railings & Glass who specifically displayed their topless glass railings and wrought aluminum railings.