What They Don’t Tell You About The Homeowner Experience

What They Don’t Tell You About The Homeowner Experience

You’ve saved up for months, or even years. You’ve gone through the stress and worry of mortgage applications. You’ve even convinced your friends to help you decorate! That moment when you finally have the keys in your hand to your first home feels absolutely amazing. Unfortunately, that might also be the moment you realize you’re in at the deep end of home ownership. You can’t figure out how to get the heating working, the lights won’t stay on, and there is a very nasty smell coming from behind the wall!

Generally speaking, many of us have successful home purchases, and the previous owners do a good job making sure we’re settled in well. That doesn’t mean that things won’t go wrong over time. After all, nothing lasts forever. In the past, it was easy to call the landlord or building manager to make things right. You were a tenant and your rent covered maintenance as well as repairs. But now this place is yours, and you need to sharpen your DIY skills or call in some help at your own expense.

pexels-photo-154172Thanks to Pexels for the pic

Boilers for hot water and heating systems can be very expensive to service, maintain or replace. Unfortunately, for your own safety, this is a cost you will have to bear at least once a year. Only qualified plumber engineers are permitted to work on this equipment so prepare for a significant labor charge. There are insurance policies that may include your annual checks. If the boiler needed replacement, you may be without gas or water services for a day or two.

Leaky pipes and blocked toilets are other challenging tasks to take on. Many of us manage OK with tightening a bolt or flushing through a toilet. If the problems can’t be resolved, then you may need to pay someone to help. Things do break and wear over time. Regular checks can help avoid the damage done if it does go wrong.

Your property boundaries are your legal responsibility to maintain. Erecting new fences or walls if yours collapses during a storm is a big job. If you need a handyman service to help you,  then call one to make it quicker and easier for things to be safe and secure again. You might feel like you should be able to manage, but when you’re new to these things, it’s best to call the professionals.

Paying the mortgage is an enormous responsibility. Life has a habit of throwing big changes your way. A relationship break-down, a job loss, or a big bill can cause financial difficulties that leave you short on your mortgage payment. Whatever happens, let your mortgage lender know times are tough. Pay what you can rather than missing any payments, and request a revised payment schedule until you get back on your feet. The last thing you want is for the bank to take your home from you.

There is a lot of pride and a lot of pleasure to be had from owning your own home. Decorating and furnishing it your way is part of that. Of course, as your circumstances change, you can even change the property to accommodate that. Enjoy your new home.

Tia, and TipsfromTia.com  is trying to keep you looking good and
feeling good, from the inside out. If you’ve got a problem or a tip email me! Be sure to Like and share on Facebook or Follow on Twitter or Instagram