First time homeowner struggles

12 years ago

last modified: 12 years ago

Before buying your very first home, were you given lots of advice? Did you have a set of expectations around buying and maintaining your home--only to discover it was nothing like you expected?

Share your first time home buying and maintenance experiences and let us know the most important lesson you learned throughout the process! If you have a photo of your first home, post it too. :)

Ranch Re-invigorated · More Info

Featured Answer

kday72

12 years ago

last modified: 12 years ago

Last year I bought my 5th house over that last 20+ years or so. In this time I've learned a few lessons which I hope will help some of the younger generation as they buy, build and become good stewards of their own homes.

1. Location, Location, Location
The two things that can not be changed is your property's location and size. You can only build an addition, add that garage/garden shed, have that BBQ and play area for the kids or veggie gardens if your property has the space to do it. Location isn't just about being in a good neighborhood with good schools, close to shopping & transportation, etc. it's also about trying to make sure you have the space you need in the entire property, not just the house.
2. Get to know the house
The biggest mistakes I've made have been when I went in, full steam ahead and made changes without really understanding the impacts. Know how the sun lights up a room before picking out curtains or paint. Figure out the grading of the yard before you do major landscaping. Learn about your traffic patterns and how your family will use your new home before implementing solutions that look great on paper but just don't work in your situation.
3. We all miss things.
When we bought our current home we had multiple inspectors and even brought in 2 separate contractors to give us an idea of what was needed to get the house into condition. Although we knew most of what we were getting into, nobody could have anticipated the drainage problems. Our first night in the house we got 2 feet of water in the basement. Try as you may there will always be something.
4. Paint is cheap.
A good friend is house hunting but passes over wonderful homes, at great prices, b/c they need a bit of updating. Remember, you can always change the paint, rip up the carpet and even paint the cabinets if it's really that bad. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of reasons not to buy a house but really, decor shouldn't be one of them; good bones are good bones.
5. Breathe...
It seems there is never enough time or money to do the things we need or want and this can make us anxious. Make lists, prioritize, breathe, re-prioritize and breathe again. When the water pipe breaks and floods the house, breathe. When you finally saved enough money for the new carpet and the stove breaks, breathe. Remember you are doing the best you can with what you have and that will be enough.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (74)

essen12
12 years ago
My first house was built by a family friend...plain but sound. Stayed in it 27 years. Sometimes wish I still had it.
Jessica Mack
12 years ago
One thing I learned when house hunting in rural Mississippi after Katrina was to check for a few things. First was access for the house. I learned that if you have a bridge in the driveway that doesn't have a weight rating the fire department won't cross it, neither will UPS or FedEx. Basically any businesses with larger vehicles won't cross the bridge and therefore won't serve your house. Also, find out where the closest fire hydrant or other source of water is. The place my ex and I bought had a pool, but that would only provide minutes of water to a firetruck. The closest hydrant was over a mile away so if a fire occurred, the firemen would need tankers of water.
Related Professionals
Fort Wayne Interior Designers & Decorators · Beatrice Interior Designers & Decorators · Reno Interior Designers & Decorators · Saint George Interior Designers & Decorators · Tampa Architects & Building Designers · Harrisonburg Architects & Building Designers · Vidalia Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Monroe Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Elkton Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Jackson Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Grand Rapids Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Alexandria Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Grand Rapids Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Mission Viejo Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Gillette Kitchen & Bathroom Designers
User
12 years ago
santoslhauper, I am living through such sideways work right now. I so hear you and sympathize.

Down the street here a lovely 60's original owner all brick went on market; and hubby was all hep on getting it. I actually put together financing for it in three hours... it had the 'extra lot' that a few on this block have, and had a 75'x100' backyard totally fenced in with nice metal fencing just a few years old.

We brought tape measure during the 'open house/rummage sale to clean it out' bit, and measured lot and some of the rooms... and. It had three good sized bedrooms, one small scrawny two-closet remodeled bathroom and a dismal kitchen with a weird little horseshoe arrangement and the worst stepped breakfast bar/counter thing I ever seen. And the dining room had a part open highbar wall with spindles to the living room. THEN I seen the service box. 100 amp and just a few circuits. You could plug in a light and an alarm clock in each bedroom, and maybe a hand mixer in the kitchen and a tv in the living room. I immediately told hubby about before we could move in about we HAD TO blow out the kitchen/bathroom wall, rip out ALL that kitchen, absorb that footprint into a 'real bathroom' and turn the dining room into an eat-in kitchen and lose that partwall to the living room AND do the rewiring to probably 200 amp ... He said that is half the cost of the house, and I said yep, else we keep going. We kept going.

First one is the kitchen
Second one, sorry for blur, is the entire service for the house.
Third is the panel inside with the legend
Fourth is standing at the end of the counter looking at the living room wall opening and the door to the laundry and garage. They had a tiny room with the WD installed at the back making the rest of the room carved out useless.
vkilpatrick
12 years ago
Spray for fleas before you move in--it doesn't matter how clean the house looks.
Trust me on this one!
armipeg
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
@PirateFoxy It's very hard to distinguish whether the asbestos is disturbed or not, especially if you don't know in which parts of the house it exists. So it is a bit freaky for some of us.
If you read No. 8 on my post you will notice that we agree on something :-)
santoslhauper
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
okdokegal, sounds like that house would've been right up my alley (work needed-wise). I was looking in the hood near where I worked, and a bit further away, in a working class immigrant neighborhood (where I ended up). I considered some houses that were probably not really habitable.
My house has one bedroom, which at the moment is only subfloored (poorly). It was an addition, and the foundation is higher there, so the house has one step up running through the middle of it. The electrical panel looks like someone threw up spaghetti all over it. I will probably have to hire someone to sort it all out. Or hire someone to teach me how to sort it. The foundation I mentioned. My kitchen is 30sq ft (actually is a square). And worst I found out the house was roach-infested. And here we have large, flying ones. Overall though, it's a cool little house, quirky rather than terrible. Has two baths and large master suite. Dining room, living room, and family room are all open. I'll add the second bedroom when I put it on the market. Right now though, I like my neighborhood so I'll be here a while.

vkilpatrick, I really could've used that advice in August.
santoslhauper
12 years ago
armipeg, while asbestos is definitely something to be concerned about, it really is dangerous when it is being physically messed with, and not a terrible hazard when not being messed with. There are plenty of buildings around in use that have it in them. The people who had to deal with the stuff, mechanics, fabricators, installers, etc. took the biggest blow from its toxicity.
KD
12 years ago
@armipeg - santoslhauper got to it before I could. Asbestos is totally not something to ignore as a risk - PARTICULARLY if you intend to do significant work on a property because that is when you end up disturbing it and get into issues of removal - but there are an awful lot of buildings out there with bits of it here and there like under the current flooring and I think it freaks people out unnecessarily because they see it and immediately think it must ALL be ripped out. Meanwhile the preferred solution for dealing with it in many areas *is* just to leave it in place if possible, because that's far less risk to everyone than getting it out because when you remove it you will definitely disturb it and risk putting the fibers into the air where someone could potentially inhale them.

It's just a thing to do your homework on - know the local regulations and who you'll need to talk to if you have a concern, and know how common it actually is in the available housing in your area. In some places it's going to be extremely difficult to locate a place that for sure doesn't have any because there simply aren't a lot of newer houses built due to existing housing stock and land prices.

One additional point for general house-hunting - be aware of if any of your must haves are unusual for the type of housing you'll be looking at. When looking, we knew we didn't want wall to wall carpet due to allergies, but the market around here is such that most places do still have a LOT of wall to wall carpet. So we guessed at the likely square footage we'd want to replace with something like engineered hardwood or laminate, came up with an approximate cost for removing the carpet and installing what we needed, added a little extra to account for the fact we were guessing, and then figured that amount in when we were determining what price range we looked in. It makes WAY more sense to approach it that way, imo, than to keep looking for the one or two odd properties that already have what you want done, even if they're not ideal in other ways. (I'm talking about changes that are, in the scheme of things, relatively minor. I wouldn't buy a house where I needed to spend a ton of money knocking out walls to make the space work better for me unless everything else including the price was REALLY exceptional.)
Curt D'Onofrio
12 years ago
Fiberglas is commonly now used as insulation in many homes. While installing it one should use gloves, a nose mask, and long sleeve shirts. But once the sheetrock goes over it it is safe, i.e. the occupants need not have fear of inhaling the fiberglas because it's not being disturbed. Likewise for asbestos. It's not a hazard until it becomes air borne
armipeg
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
In other words most of us agree that asbestos is harmful and dangerous. The details about messing with it or not is irrelevant and there is not 100% proof that if it's only disturbed, then it becomes a risk factor.
zphe
12 years ago
We bought our first house 10 years ago, and we are still in it to this day. Things I would have done differently:
1. Hire your own inspector. We just used the one that our realtor suggested.
2. After the inspection, re-negotiate (at least try) on the price. I did not know this was an option, and it could have saved us $10,000. Money we could have used to fix up our kitchen.
Other than that, I still like the house we chose. It is far from perfect, and I still dream of all the things I would fix if budget was not an issue. Its got a good location on a quiet street, a big lot, and mostly wood floors.
Moe Golia
12 years ago
My son bought his first home and we asked questions and they told us everything was fine. When he moved in we found out the basement flooded constantly and the electric wasn't up to par and there were gas leaks. They say we don't have any recourse against the people that sold it nor the realtor. We put a lot of money into that house to make it safe and livable. Please have a home inspection when buying a house. It is well worth the money because everything is not what it seems.
howedd
12 years ago
armipeg Our neighbors collect trash and they are the best! They are always cleaning it up too. "Overly ambitious" is a better description for them. Fortunately, their house is a rental and the tenants will come and go. We will miss their looking out for us and everyone else, keeping noisy couples from carrying on and vagrants from burning a vacant house by having the police on call when something seems wrong. We haven't moved in yet, but our Crest toothpaste colored stucco with marble sidewalk, yews, magnolias and class C garage large enough for the F350, at last, is waiting for us! We could have bought 32 of these with the sale of my Mother's home (I lived there 39 years) but people make the neighborhood! The pretzel bakery nearby is plus too.
genus2011
12 years ago
Bought our first house in 1998 & we knew NOTHING. . . up until the "day" we were threatened with homelessness! My husband who worked part-time as a super (2 yrs free rent!! ) got into a fight with the owner who told us to leave in 2 days! Thankfully, NJ courts don't allow 2 day evictions. Owner forced to start an eviction. Since we were "scheduled" to close the next month (June) it was all good. Then, mortgage company strung us along playing the "rate" game saying if we took a higher rate we could close sooner then June turned into September. In the meantime, we (4 mo old baby in tow) moved into my Sister's 4 rm apt with her and her daugher! This was the best DELAY ever, we went out and bought 3 books: 1 on house buying, 1 on mortgages and 1 on finance. Armed with this info, we closed on Sept 11th and walked away with a huge check! The previous owner did not move out of the house on that date and had to pay us 1 month rent for every week he stayed! He "claimed" he didn't know he had to leave after closing???? My only issue is I wish we could have had the same house in a different neighborhood. The newbies have no sense of pride, and won't pick up a leaf!!
SJ Chaples
12 years ago
We should have known when our inspector showed up in his 2 door convertible, without ladders, a flashlight (my husband offered to lend him one while he was there!), or other helpful inspecting tools, that we weren't going to get the full story. What we thought were cosmetic changes (the house was only 5 years old built by the original homeowner) turned into a "gut" renovation. Turns out the original homeowner had NO CLUE how to build a house! We're 4 years in and just starting to enjoy the house. Make sure you get referrals on your inspector!! We joke that the next house we buy, we'll bring our own inspector kits. The pic is after we jacked our house up to replace the foundation - it was fall, just before the first snowfall for the season.
PRO
Lightlink Lighting
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
My first house was actually an abandoned HUD home from the 30s. It was a wreck to say the least. My dad and I renovated it ourselves over two years and out more into it than it cost. It had lead paint, needed all new plumbing, wiring, leveling, roof, a/c & hvac, floor refinishing, water heater moved, doors and windows moved, all new sheet rock and insulation and can lighting. We even had to move the panel and rebuild the kitchen and bath. It was worth it but not sure we thought so then. You just have to
have a vision, know what you're doing and work with people you trust and stay on budget. You also have to accept that it's going to be harder, take longer and cost more than you even imagined.
PRO
Studio M Interior Design
12 years ago
I feel like a lot of new homebuyers don't even realize that it's important to claim your homestead. Especially if you have a fixer-upper, your property values can nearly double, depending on how good of a deal you got with your purchase. Claiming your homestead ensures that your property taxes don't skyrocket while your making your house a home.
genus2011
12 years ago
BTW: Forgot to mention the roof -- it is slate!!! Replacing a slate roof is like rebuilding a house. Leaks were in starting dining room, had roof replaced. . . or so we thought. Roofer set house porch on fire . . . long story short . . . we got a partial new roof for cost of supplies. I'd urge every new buyer to CHECK THE WALLS FOR WATER STAINS . . . WATER STAINS ON WALLS spells leaking roof. The dining room has a bedroom over it and that bedroom has an attic bedroom over it (3 floors) but the water made its way to the first floor. Water does whatever it wants!
kday72
12 years ago
Studio M - What does it mean to "claim your homestead"? Is this a federal, state, county thing? I've never heard of this and would be most interested in more info. Thx!
santoslhauper
12 years ago
Homestead exemption. State level. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homestead_exemption
armygirl1987
12 years ago
I use Homestead exemption here in Florida. Huge help on tax bill
charleee
12 years ago
The biggest struggle we've had is re-doing all the work the idiot flipper did wrong. It seems like everything he touched has given us problems.
curacaoblue
12 years ago
My father is an engineer and very handy. Growing up he completely renovated 2 homes we lived in. It was incredible but also a lifelong project. We basically grew up in a construction zone half the time. His advice to me and my siblings: don't try to do what I did. Hgtv is one of my favorite channels but it presents an unrealistic view of home Reno and I believe it leads many to believe they can take on tasks that are well beyond their ability and budget. I chose to buy a home in good shape within my budget and do small changes slowly when we have the $ saved. Big things are for professionals and we shop around. It will likely never be a dream home but we have all the necessities.
Donald
12 years ago
In one day I looked at three houses in the neighborhood I wanted and put an offer on the second house the day I saw it. Not because I loved it, but because I knew I could learn to live with it and eventually love it. It had nothing special about it, but 10 years later and tons of remodeling it's perfect for me. The best part being that it's paid for and everything done to it is paid for.
racing_hotty
12 years ago
Just closed on my house 2 weeks before christmas. It is a hud home which has it own list of problems, including needing a new roof. The property management company did not "manage" the house at all and when we moved in, we had frozen pipes after they "winterized" the house. spent almost a grand just to be able to move in to the house. It is a nice fixer upper, previous owner was drunk when he made his home imporvements so almost everything is crooked. the house settled funny so we will have to re-level the basement and then make the first floor level after that. it is like walking around drunk all the time. No one told us to have a significant amount of money set aside not including your closing money for things like inspections, escrow money, etc. Thankfully we got our house for a steal. Buying a hud home is a great hassel, it is pretty much hurry up and do this and then wait a month for everyone else to do their thing. kind of glad we did it, still trying to get settled in though. It feels like you fix one thing and then 2 more things break. I hope it is not like this forever.
apple_pie_order
12 years ago
Neighbors make a huge difference in quality of life in a house. Good neighbors are wonderful. If new neighbors move in, make their acquaintance soon. A plate of cookies gets things off on the right foot. You'll need the good will when your tree crashes into their fence in a windstorm.
charleee
12 years ago
We have new neighbors. They have four motorcycles. I'm not looking forward to hearing them all summer long.
Curt D'Onofrio
12 years ago
:)) apple_pie_order: A branch landed on our house not on the fence. I iwished it did. That fence got to go. Instead, our gutters now got to go
apple_pie_order
12 years ago
@Curt: If I had it to do over again, I'd get dark-ish gutters to match the roof, not white gutters that show streaks.
Curt D'Onofrio
12 years ago
Apple_pie_order, i totally agree. Gutters were useless anyway, as we have a massive tree in backyard that produces massive amt of leaves. Gutters always clogged up even though a screen was placed over them. Gutters didn't have leaves in them but a mud-like substance always accumulated. This i had scoop out by hand at least once per year. Glad, we are doing just fine w/out them
genus2011
12 years ago
Neighbors -- ooooh! If I could just hit the lottery!? We thought our neighbors on our right side, (3 brothers no older than 30, who paved over their entire backyard to accomodate their 8 cars)) hated us. When we asked if they'd mind pitching in to trim the old oak lying between both houses and threatening to take out our roofs, one Dude came out with CASH the same day!!! We told him to wait, when tree trimmer came, estimate got higher and Dude pulled our his wallet again! Our neighbors on the LEFT, who we've partied with, gone to their "masonic" functions and known 15 years TOLD US TO GET A GENERATOR DURING OUR 3 WEEK POWERLESSNESS DURING HURRICAN SANDY! Good neighbors are like hitting the lottery, you never believe you got a winning ticket, but always hope you do!
monika2024
12 years ago
When we went house shopping we had this advice:
• Look at the house you think you like in the morning rush hour, afternoon and weekends- see who the people are that live there- see what traffic in the area is like
• Visit the house you want if possible after a severe storm-to see if it floods or if the sump pump is running=water seeping into the basement
• Make sure house is at top of hill not down hill ( again potential water issues)
• Check slope of yard - away from house not towards
• Check flood zone
• If house is older is the electric aluminum? (potential fire hazard)
• Check for permits on updates
• Inspection- make sure inspector goes on the roof and in the basement and inspects everything throughly.
• Check for liens on the house
• BASEMENT IS IMPORTANT - ABSOLUTE MUST= Convert it into living space and you have a cool space in the summer and warm space in the winter should the power ever go out due to an apocalypse of some sort.

Those, where the things that were a must check before buying.
kday72
12 years ago
@ monika2024 - Yes, Permits! Permits or lack thereof can tell you a lot about a house. I love the hill reference too :)
Susan Shapiro
12 years ago
If buying in CA, your real estate agent is NOT liable for anything they say or do. Make sure you get the legal description of your home. The listing on my home said 1+3/4 baths. The legal property showed only 1 bath!!! So I paid for something that did NOT exist. Also, if something that is being used as a "selling point" or that you love, but it has been done with OUT a permit, have the sellers bring it up to code or contact the LADBS so that the homeowners have to fix it. I had to tear mine down and it cost me 15K. So get a copy of all permits and any legal papers related to the house. If the inspection shows a problem, it is a problem and have it addressed in the papers. This is REALLY difficult to do, esp. if you LOVE the house and are afraid of losing it..just know that it might cost you a lot of $ after you own it.
PRO
At Home DSM
12 years ago
Our first home purchase went great! We had previously put an offer on a home and the experience was not great and when we didn't get that home we took some time off looking. That time away paid off because we found a home very fast the next time. We knew exactly what we wanted. So far we've replaced all of our sinks, toilets, faucets, shower trims, garbage disposal, added fans, upgraded some outlets & put in an ecobee thermostat. Each one of those has its own story, some funny, some I'd rather never do again, but all worth it. Our next stop is finishing our basement this year. I work closely with the local building community, so I'll be accepting a lot of advice & asking for a lot of favors from the professionals in the home building industry. Pretty Exciting Stuff Though!
patatas
12 years ago
I had looked at several places I liked but I just didn't have a feeling of certainty. Then I saw this place and literally, within five seconds of entering, knew this was it.

It had and still has things that need upgrading to one degree or another but that was an amazing feeling, to just "know." Then you're willing to take on whatever arises.

I would however definitely advise, get your own inspector. Ask a different real estate office from the one your agent works for, "who is the local deal-killer inspector?" I knew beyond a doubt I wanted the place, but I'd have been happier had I known more about what needed fixing.
User
12 years ago
We did that on the last one, ignored the home inspector the realtor pushed for inspector and looked about and hired our own... and we followed him. I followed him up onto the roof and into the attic, he said that was the FIRST time someone had EVER come up on the roof with him in 15 years of work. And he did find the chunk of remodeling aluminum wiring (we had about 10' of it in an open place in the basement, but it had a proper for aluminum light fixture and switch); but NOTHING about the looming water column issue... that the home warranty managed to floss off about and stall until the warranty ran out...
Merry Sloane
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
This article produces GREAT discussions: Sharing your thoughts about your home buying experiences is wonderful and you may be able to learn from other people's experiences. If I only knew what I know now i would not have experienced some issues in both of our homes. - I bought two homes prior to my career in Real Estate. As an experienced REALTOR® I can see things many people do not even think about and I and "my top notch inspectors" can help point out to both buyer and seller clients proactively: (1) polybuteline pipes; (2) underground storage tanks; (3) water issues; (4) mold; and (5) structure issues. You would be surprised some agents (not all) only care about $$ they earn and quantity of sales vs. caring for the prevention of problems for others. My husband & I spent way too much money correcting a water issue (thank goodness it's now been resolved) with $$ when in 2 seconds I could have spotted the overall problem if it were today. Please take time to make sure you avoid some of the "pitfalls" that happens when selecting your home. As a seller, make sure you disclose what has been and has not been done up front to make a smoother sale. Better yet, pay more attention by selecting the right REALTOR® who cares. My facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/MerrySloaneKnowsHomes. I work in Montgomery County & the surrounding areas in the state of MD.
Laurie Smith
12 years ago
I am buying my first home via rent to own. I love my home, but I will admit, I am inheriting a ton of unfinished projects. If it weren't for me renting out the other rooms, I would not be able to afford it. But, if I do things right, I can have my home paid off in 5-7 years versus 15-30 saving me a ton of money. I am going through prioritizing my repairs/ renovation projects. I already know that in the next few months, I will be replacing a water heater, electrical outlets, flooring, garage doors/ openers, light fixtures. On top of this a former resident left me a couple of big holes in my master bath shower. All in all, it is truly a labor of love that I am taking my time with and enjoying every minute of it
Merry Sloane
12 years ago
Laurie Smith, I certainly hope you own the home first and you have title to the property before you start working on that home of yours that you are paying rent to own. A word of precaution for your best interest.
saratogaswizzlestick
12 years ago
One thing that is good to check in older homes is the water shut off value. Our first house was built in 1950. Shortly after we purchased it water pipe in the kitchen broke. I ran down to the basement to shut off the water value and, you guessed it, the only water valve in the house did not work! When we built our current house we put in levered (more expensive but way more reliable) shutoffs all over the place. Our plumbing inspector had never seen so many shut offs but they don't mind if you exceed code.
Jennifer Blanchard
12 years ago
Couple of things; both from my own life experience and my work as a lawyer who often does real estate and foreclosure litigation.

Your bank is not your friend! The amount that the bank is willing to loan you, is probably not the amount you should borrow. The bank doesn't actually care if you are unable to make your payments, as then they can take the house, so the bank wins either way. Be realistic about what you afford for a mortgage payment. Being house-poor will not make you happy.

This also goes for properties with rental income such as for a basement suite... ensure you can afford your mortgage even without the extra income. You will have months between tenants, tenants who skip out rent, etc.

Factor in your entire picture when deciding what you can spend. For example I live in a city with extremely expensive parking and terrible traffic congestion. So I live in a highly walkable neighbourhood with higher real estate prices, but I believe I am better off putting my money into equity in my home than into parking and gas. Not to mention the time and stress saved by not sitting in traffic. I have several friends who bought in far-flung suburbs who have since sold those homes to move to more walkable areas.

And really that's a point that goes to "location location location". There is good reason why that is THE real estate maxim. My current home was/is imperfect in many ways but the neighbourhood is wonderful and I can change everything else. I can't see how something like bigger closets would bring me more pleasure than the beautiful park with jogging paths, meeting friends at the pub on the corner, etc.
Laurie Smith
12 years ago
To Mary Sloane? My Dad is a realtor, and we have discussed many things regarding my situation. Walk a mile in my shoes, before you say one word. I am making LESS than I was 10 years ago. Even 5 years ago for that matter, yet the cost of everything has gone UP. Compound with that I am a single mom that until recently never received one penney of child support. Banks and realtors look at that too. I have found that rent to own with a contract is my only way to home ownership. For many, this is the only way to home ownership. I want my home paid off before I retire, not paying rent to someone else in my twilight years and living off my family
saratogaswizzlestick
12 years ago
Laurie, I think Merry was cautioning you about making expensive improvements to a house you do not own. Since it is considered a rental any changes you make you should get written owner approval or he could require you to return it to the original state is you do not end up purchasing your rental. You do not want to enrich the property owner should you choose to not go through with the sale because you get a great job offer in another state ect. Or if the owner figures a way out of the contract because house values go way up. I think it is commendable that you are working hard toward home ownership. Here is a link of things to be cautious of in a rent to own arrangement.

http://realestate.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=17761848
Merry Sloane
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
Thank you for clarifying Saratogaswizzlestick. I also think highly of someone who has a plan and gets excited about it.
monika2024
12 years ago
Jennifer: ha I'm just the opposite, i hate walking ( i love exercicing though don't get me wrong) to get to places especially when it's cold out. I also dislike public transportation such as taxis or local buses, and parks only away from cities where there's fresh air rather than city smog. I would rather have a new big house with a yard miles away from a city where its quiet and plenty of fresh air than deal with people or walk in the freezing cold. So location is subjective, i look at city living and say why would anyone want to live there when they can live in the burbs. : D
yomarg1
12 years ago
My husband and I bought our first house when we were first married in 1961 for 12,500 !!!! It was in a new development of row homes , a style similar to townhouses. We had a kitchen set we got as a wedding gift from a rich uncle, a card table and chairs in the dining room, and "Swedish Modern" furniture with legs that screwed on and cushions that rested on straps. We moved his bedroom set up from his parent's home-he had a double bed. We deliberately put it in the "middle" bedroom in order to give ourselves incentive to save for a new one of our own. It took 8 months, but we did it ! Ten years and 3 kids later, we moved to a bigger home in the suburbs where we would raise our children, have our daughter's wedding rehearsal dinner, and actually have one granddaughter baptized on the front lawn ! Although that one was our "dream" home, and we lived there happily for 30 years, I still remember the excitement of two 21 year olds counting pennies and saving for every new item in that simple but precious first house. (Next time, I'll tell you about when we repainted, and missed a spot on the stairwell ceiling after we gave the borrowed ladder back, so up I went on my husband's shoulders with a roller…………..but that's another story !)
Samantha L
12 years ago
I closed on my first home yesterday. There are no urgent changes or repairs, but I'm already discovering things that I'll want to do in the coming months. One window is sticking. Another one that I didn't look at is missing a screen. The storm door was damaged, and the seller gave me money for it, but now I'm debating changing to a screen or down thing more decorative. It also looks like the house was wired with Ethernet cabling when the electric was updated, which is neat, but I don't know if it's functional. I've decided to take everything slow. My door is fine without the extra door for now, and the window issue is a non issue for a few more months. I'm having cable-phone-internet installed next week, so I'll cross that bridge then. I also have no idea where the main water cutoff is yet, and the tankless water heater is completely a new experience. It's going to be fun. I'm bookmarking this conversation for reference. :-)
Denita
12 years ago
Congrats on your new home! Have fun designing a place you love :)

First time homeowner struggles

Comments (74)

Related Professionals

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US