Buying a home for the first time? You may be in for a surprise as you start getting deeper into the process. Buying a home involves working with many different institutions and specialists for the first time, and by the end of it all, you may even end up paying slightly more than the home value. What’s the best way to stay ahead of these expenses?

Here are some of the most common expenses first-time home buyers should be aware of.

Closing Costs

Closing costs can catch many first-time homebuyers off guard. Outside of your mortgage loan, closing costs include all of the upfront costs for home purchase including inspection fees, HOA dues, home insurance, warranties, and recording fees. Often times, you may pay some percentage of your closing costs at the beginning of the process with “earnest money” to confirm your commitment to starting the homebuying process.

These costs are generally around 2% to 5% of the home’s value. Consider negotiating with the seller to pay part of it.

Home Maintenance

Ongoing home maintenance costs are another expense many first-time homebuyers may find surprising. Unlike in rented spaces where the landlord takes care of repairs and renovations, when building your own home, you are the one responsible for all maintenance.

The average yearly cost of home maintenance is around 1% to 2% of the home’s purchase price. The first year tends to be more costly than the preceding years.

Some of the most common home maintenance costs include gutter cleaning, pressure washing, carpet cleaning, and lawn services. The total costs of these services vary location by location and with the age of the home.

Homeowners Insurance

Proof of homeowner’s insurance is often required when purchasing a home. Even though the plan premiums can be quite costly, it’s a critical part of protecting your investment.

There are several ways to save money on homeowner’s insurance. For example, you can try to bundle your new home insurance policy with your auto insurance carrier to reduce your monthly premiums. Get competitive quotes from multiple insurance companies. You can also seek out discounts as a result of your lifestyle or home upgrades: working from home, adding a security system, etc.

If you’re buying a home in a place prone to earthquakes, hurricanes, or other natural disasters, you might want to purchase additional coverage that may cost a little more at first, but will save you thousands of dollars in the event of a disaster.

Utilities

Even first-time homeowners aren’t strangers to utility costs, as even renters pay utilities. The big difference is that the landlord might cover some expenses for the rental as it remains their property. With a home, you are responsible for covering all utilities, including water, gas, internet, phone, and electricity.

Utility costs vary by location and municipal laws. Research the neighborhood you’d like to move to so you can generate estimates for the water bill, garbage, etc. You can even reach out to residents around the area to estimate how much your monthly utilities might cost.

Property Taxes

Every state charges property tax to homeowners, and the value of the property tax varies per state. It will also depend on the type of house and municipality. Talk to your agent when assessing the home before the purchase to ensure that you are comfortable with the rates. If you feel like your property taxes are too high for the value of the home, you can appeal your property tax bill at your local tax office.

The Bottom Line on Homeowner’s Expenses

Even though first-time homeowner expenses can pile up quickly, staying informed and ready helps manage them. Calculate all the possible costs, and then find the ideal financing to achieve your dream of homeownership.

If you’re looking to sell your house, then it’s important that it’s in good condition. If you have a damaged roof or cracked foundation, it can be difficult to appeal to buyers if there’s too much work to do.

Major repairs aren’t something that can always be noticed from the side of the road, however. In order to pull buyers in, it’s also helpful to know the right tricks to be appealing as possible from the street. This is known as curb appeal. A few quick changes can make a huge difference in how fast you’re able to get your home off the market.

Believe it or not, there are ways to increase your home’s curb appeal that don’t cost an arm and a leg. In some cases, you can make changes that take less than an afternoon for under $20.

If you’re interested in looking at boosting your curb appeal to prospective buyers, then take a look at some of the best expert tips out there.

 

Paint Your Front Door

 

Believe it or not, painting your front door has shown to make a huge difference in how much attention your house gathers. Potential buyers alright often drawn to a boldly colored front door since it gives your home extra flair. Believe it or not, a colored door can make up for a lot of problems with your home’s exterior. It could completely refresh the look of your porch breathe new light into an old paint job.

 

When choosing the color of your door, opt for something that goes well with the rest of the house. Rather than going with a muted color, choose something bright! Be fearless.

 

Update Hardware

 

Consider updating hardware like your doorknob or even home street numbers. If your street numbers are looking like something out of an old horror film, then run to the hardware store and buy some shiny new ones. They cost less than twenty bucks in most cases and can make an enormous difference in how modern your front door looks.

 

While you’re at it, consider replacing your mailbox too! These changes, which may seem small, can actually make a world of difference. It’s all about being creative with the little details.

 

Add Plants

 

Plants can breathe new life into the front of your home and boost your curb appeal significantly by adding the magic of nature. In addition to adding potted plants, you can also consider planting flowers along the walkway.

Remember, when planting flowers, remember that symmetry is key. If you plant flowers on one side of your porch, make sure to do the same on the other side.

 

Add Lights

 

Consider adding an illuminated path to your front yard. Not only is it inviting, but it provides security. Rather than lighting your home with a single floodlight, potential buyers will appreciate a softly lit path.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you’re currently in the market to purchase a brand new sofa, it’s well worth learning about a few of the different types of trendy, modern sofas, which you’ll be able to purchase. So that you’ll be able to purchase a sofa that perfectly fits in with the look and feel of your home.

1. Sofa beds:

Sofa beds are great if you live in a small home, such as an apartment and are looking to make the best possible use out of your limited space. A sofa bed is also a great choice, if you enjoy hosting friends and family members. As your loved ones will be able to camp out on your sofa. Although, you may find that you convert your sofa bed into a bed, when you’re enjoying a lazy evening at home.

2. L shaped sofas:

L shaped sofas can usually seat three to four individuals and are a great choice for small families. Or for individuals who enjoy entertaining their friends and family members. One of the key benefits of opting to purchase an L shaped sofa, is that you’ll be able to put your feet up on the long side of your L shaped sofa.

3. Reclining sofas:

If money is no object and you’re looking to buy a luxurious sofa, that will attract compliments, consider opting for a modern, reclinable sofa. Especially if you love binge watching movies. As you’ll be able to put your feet up. Some reclining sofas even offer bonus features such as heated seats, built in cup holders and built in chargers for your electronics.

4. Modular sofas:

Modular sofas, which are also known as sectional sofas are a great choice to modernize a room, if you’d like the flexibility in order to change the size of your modular sofa, from day to day. For example, you’ll have the option of pushing together two pieces of a modular sofa, in order to create a larger sofa. Which is perfect, if you want to snuggle up on your sofa with your family or partner. Alternatively, if you want your own space, you’ll be able to quickly separate your modular sofa, in order to create a few single seats.

5. The armchair:

If you live alone and are looking to purchase a single seater, you may want to opt to purchase a cozy armchair. As you’ll be surprised by some of the modern designs which you’ll be able to purchase. Instead of purchasing an arm chair that wouldn’t look out of place at your nana’s house, you’ll be able to purchase a sleek, leather armchair. Which will be comfortable and stylish. You may even want to opt for a model which offers a luxurious built-in massage feature.

6. Velvet sofas:

If you’re looking for a piece that is thoroughly modern, oozes class, style and sophistication, you can’t go wrong purchasing a velvet sofa. As velvet sofas are effortlessly chic and will add a touch of style to any lounge. Velvet is very on trend right now. If you’re unsure of which color to opt for, you can never go wrong opting for a classic, black velvet sofa.

Although, if you want to add a bit of color to a room, you may want to consider purchasing a navy velvet sofa, a burgundy velvet sofa or a dark green velvet sofa.

7. Love seaters:

One reason why love seaters are steadily increasing in popularity is that love seaters, which are designed to seat two individuals, fit perfectly into small spaces. So if you’re looking for a trendy, modern sofa that will perfectly fit in a studio apartment or a cozy home, it’s well worth browsing different styles of love seaters. If you don’t see traditional love seaters as being stylish, keep in mind that you can now purchase sophisticated, contemporary leather loveseats as well as velvet love seaters.

8. Chaises:

Chaises are usually single seater lounge chairs, which are long enough, to put your legs up. So if you enjoy putting your feet up and binge watching TV or putting your feet up and reading an engrossing book, it’s well worth purchasing a chaise.

If you already have a modern, functional primary sofa, you may want to add a chaise to your lounge as a statement piece of furniture. To add a touch of glamor to your room, simply drape a blanket over your chaise. Such as a faux fur throw or a soft, cashmere blanket. As your room will look like it’s straight out of a home design magazine.

9. Tuxedo sofas:

Tuxedo sofas are ideally suited to modern builds and apartments and boast backrests which are level with their armrests. So if you’d like to purchase a shrinking sofa, which stands out, it may be worth browsing tuxedo sofas.

10. Daybeds:

Unlike sofa beds, which convert from a regular sofa into a makeshift bed, day beds don’t transform and are simply deep set sofas, which are large enough to lie on. Just like a bed. So if you’re the type of individual who finds it hard to pull themselves away from their bed, it’s well worth looking at purchasing a daybed. As you’ll be able to relax on your day bed, while socializing with your friends and family members.

In conclusion:

Hopefully, you now have a fair idea of the different types of sofas which may suit the aesthetic of your home. Now you’ll be able to select a sofa, which is stylish and functional and which you’ll enjoy using on an everyday basis. As you can’t go wrong choosing any of the sofas which are listed out in the guide above.

Images Source: https://www.furco.co.uk/

 

One of the most challenging decisions to make in life is to find your next home. There are all different kinds of reasons for moving. Perhaps you want to level up. Maybe it’s time to get to a new location because of a job that you have, or you want to have. Perhaps you’re moving in with a significant other. Maybe you just want a change of scenery. But regardless of all these possibilities, the search for this new place always follows a similar pathway.

And to get on that pathway, start asking yourself some questions. Are you looking for a new home for sale or one that has been around for a while? Are you looking for incredibly inexpensive foreclosures? Maybe you want to move to a new place as a form of investment. And then there is the possibility that you don’t care too much about the house as long as it’s in the right location. All of these are valid stipulations when you’re trying to find a new residence.

New Homes for Sale

When you are looking for a new home, you want to put your best foot forward in every process of the home buying path. You might have a different version of what’s new when it comes to a home as well. Some people think a house is only new if no one has lived in it yet. Other people consider a house new if it was constructed in the last five years. And yet others consider a house new if it has been modified or updated from an old state. Recognizing your definition of new before getting started on your quest for purchases is an excellent beginning point.

Foreclosures for Cheap

One step that many logical people take is to look for foreclosures to buy to turn into their next dream home. Many foreclosures aren’t in that bad of shape. They just ended up being on the market in the state that they are because previous owners did not or could not take care of them properly. Once a bank owns a house, it’s not looking for profit any more, it’s just looking to mitigate loss. That’s where you can step in and get a residence for far below market value, assuming you’re going to put some love and care into it.

As An Investment Property

Buying a house as an investment property can be a win all around as well. You get to move into a nice place and make it your own. And you also recognize that you will be able to sell it for more than you purchased it for.

Location, Location, Location

Some people aren’t even worried about the condition of their new home. They simply want to live in a specific area. If you fit into this category, you may have a wider variety of options available than people who are focused more on the structure and function of the home itself.

 

One of the most exciting parts of starting a family is creating memories together in your home. There are few things more sentimental then looking at your home years down the road and being reminded of precious moments of your children’s lives. However, before you can get started making memories, you’ll need to find the perfect home to buy.

The home buying process can be incredibly overwhelming if you don’t know the ins and outs. It’s easy to get confused with all of the conflicting information. It can be hard to weed out the solid advice from hearsay.

 

To help you during your home buying process, here are some of the most important things that you’ll need to consider when looking around.

 

Size

 

When it comes to your home, size certainly does matter, especially if you ever want to sell your home down the road.. It doesn’t make sense looking at a two-bedroom apartment if you’re a family of five. When deciding between going bigger or going smaller, it’s usually a good idea to go bigger.

The chances of you expanding as a family are greater in many cases. You want to make sure that you can comfortably stay in the home that you buy for years to come without having to move again. Therefore if you’re expecting to have more children soon, make sure you buy a house that can support that.

 

Neighborhood

 

As they say, location location location. When looking around at homes, it’s important that you investigate more than what meets the eye. Explore outside just the house for sale you’re looking at and take a look at the neighborhood.

 

What are the neighbors look like? What is the crime rate? Are there parks or grocery stores nearby that you may be able to benefit from? What’s the average price range in the neighboring houses, and will you feel comfortable in that environment? The neighborhood plays a huge role in how happy you’ll be in your home for the long term.

 

Proximity To Work

 

Even though driving 45 minutes to your job every day may not seem like a big deal now, it can start to get tedious as the years go by. When there’s traffic, you may add as much as an hour on to your commute, which can drain huge parts of your day. Even though your home may be a favorable price, you want to ask yourself whether the commute is really worth the savings.

 

In addition to proximity to work, you also want to make sure that it’s close enough to your children’s school and any activities you have to drive them to throughout the week. Take a look around for any bus stops and see if using public transportation may be an option as well.

 

 

 

 

When you have kids at home, you’re bound to always have at least a few messy areas of your home throughout the day. While most of these messes can easily be cleaned up, if your children or other family members are particularly messy when it comes to food, you might find that you have bigger issues to deal with, like pests and ants.

If you’ve noticed that your home has more ants than you’d like to see there, here are three tips for dealing with ants inside your home.

Seal Off Your Home

The ants are getting into your house somehow. So to keep any more ants from getting inside than the ones that are already there, it’s a good idea to survey your home for any holes or cracks that you can seal up.

According to Lisa Jo Lupo, a contributor to The Spruce, although ants can get into your home from even the smallest cracks, there are certain areas around a home that are more common for letting in ants. Areas like around doors and windows as well as around any cables, wires, or pipes that go from outside to inside your home should be checked with extra caution. If you do see cracks or holes that you can fill, try using products like caulk or weather stripping to help you secure and seal off your home.

Call In A Professional

For the ants that are already in your home, there are a few options for how to get rid of them.

While you can take the DIY approach, there’s really no guarantee that anything you try will work. And along with this, some DIY approaches can even make your ant problem worse. So to give yourself the best chance of getting rid of your ants once and for all, it’s best to call in a professional.

With professional help, Chrissy Callahan, a contributor to Today.com, shares that you should see a big improvement in the number of ants around your home in about seven to ten days.

Make Cleanliness Your Top Priority

Once you’ve been able to get rid of the majority of the ants that were causing you issues at home, your top priority should now be to keep your home clean of anything that ants could view as food. This means cleaning up all food messes, spills, and crumbs as soon as the mess is made.

In addition to this, Jeanne Huber, a contributor to the Washington Post, shares that you also need to be careful with any pet food that you have around your house, as ants will be drawn to this as well.

If you’ve found ants in your house, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you deal with these pests.

 

If you live in a small space, like an apartment or a condominium, you may have a hard time making your space look and feel like there’s enough room for you and all of your belongings. Luckily, with the right interior design, you can make even the smallest of spaces seem bigger simply by the way it’s set up and decorated.

To help you see how this can be possible within your space, here are three design tips to make small spaces feel larger.

Embrace Mirrors

To make your space seem bigger, you should embrace certain design elements that use mirrors.

According to Laura Mueller, a contributor to Moving.com, mirrors are great to bring into small spaces because they make it easier to light your room as well as making your space appear like it has more square footage. This can be achieved by hanging one big mirror or multiple smaller mirrors. Whichever way you choose, try to align your mirror close to a light source, either natural or artificial, to really get the biggest impact and effect from using a mirror in your small space.

Make Storage Space Beautiful

One of the biggest problems with living in a small space is the lack of storage space. While you can add more storage space by bringing in storage pieces, if you don’t pick the right ones, you could just wind up having your space look like a storage locker filled with boxes and bins rather than the home in which you live.

To help you create more storage in your small space without giving up a lot of your living space, Hadley Mendelsohn, a contributor to HouseBeautiful.com, recommends that you try some customizable storage options. Ideally, you should look for storage options that can be integrated into the design and decor of your home. This might include adding more shelving, corner nooks, or built-ins so that you can have more space for your belongings without taking up too much of your living space.

Try To Give Everything Some Breathing Room

Nothing makes a room feel smaller and more cramped than having it filled to the brim with furniture. But while this might seem like something hard to accomplish in a small space, Elizabeth Stamp, a contributor to Architectural Digest, advises that you leave space between each item or piece of furniture you bring into your space.

By letting your decor have room to breathe, it will make your space feel larger and like there’s more living space to take advantage of. While this might mean getting rid of some of your pieces, it will be well worth it.

If you live in a small space that you’d like to feel larger, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you accomplish this.

 

You want your backyard to be a nice place to relax and to entertain, but also need it to be a functional space for you and your family. Maintaining a backyard can involve a lot of hard work, such as mowing the lawn, planting seeds, fertilizing, watering, and landscaping. But sometimes it can still feel as though something’s missing. If you’ve never thought about installing a deck, you might want to consider it. Here are some benefits of adding a deck to your backyard.

Entertain Guests

A deck can be a wonderful place to set out chairs and tables for outdoor meals or drinks, making it a wonderful place to entertain. It’s also a great place to put a BBQ or a small fire pit.

Increase The Value Of Your Home

In most cases, adding a deck to your backyard will significantly increase the value of your home. Potential buyers will often view a deck as a family-oriented outdoor space. Especially if they have children, a deck might be one of the things they’re looking for in their new home.

Extra Space

Once you have a deck, you will be amazed at how much space is freed up in the rest of the yard. You can keep furniture, a grill, herb garden, and other potted plants – and more – on your deck, still leaving plenty of space for whatever else you may need it for. I’ve even seen people use their deck as an extra place to store items that won’t fit in their homes!

Inexpensive

Compared to other home renovations, a new deck is relatively inexpensive. The amount you spend on building the deck will likely be much less than the amount of value it will add to your home! Decks are also pretty quick and easy to build. Not only is it a renovation that will be completed quickly, but it’s also one that’s much less invasive and keeps the mess outside!

Aesthetic Appeal

Because of the wide range of style options available these days, you can choose whatever look you want for your new deck! You may opt for the unfinished wood look, or to paint it the same color as your house. Or you may paint it a bright color so that it really stands out. From paint colors to materials to different shapes and sizes, the deck design options are limitless. Another thing to consider is how high you want the deck to be raised off the ground. If you choose a low deck with fewer steps, you may start to think about landscaping around your deck. This might be a bit more work for you, but will help you beautify your yard even further!

So if a deck is something you’re considering adding to your backyard, what’re you waiting for?