How Much Extra Did You Need To Buy Your Home?

[grasshopper]

Just one comment good door locks can be rekeyed for a lot less money than new good locks.

 

[W2R]

Just one comment good door locks can be rekeyed for a lot less money than new good locks.

My real estate guy even required me to sign a standard written form recommending that I have the locks re-keyed or replaced, for legal reasons.

 

[W2R]

The issue isn't not having furniture; it's whether the furniture one already has looks great in a new place. Our experience is that it often doesn't. Even in a similar total square footage place, rooms are different shapes and sizes. Also the style of a new place could be very different- i.e., modern vs traditional. Hence, we've often changed furniture upon moving. May not be a "need" but I've seen a lot of homes where people have "force fit" furniture from a different home in, and it would look a lot better if they would buy pieces that were designed to fit into the new space.

That is so true.

As you point out, new furniture may not be exactly a "need'. Sometimes buying all new furniture can be put off, if one has sort-of-OK furniture to use in the meantime. Living in a house for a year or two can give the buyer some better ideas as to exactly what furniture to get.

 

[Teacher Terry]

WE have moved a lot and always take our furniture. We may need to add or subtract a few pieces depending on the size of the home but some of ours are antiques that we have had for many years and would never part with. Once when we moved we needed a new sofa so did not take the new one with us and had it delivered to the new home. Our last move was a downsizing so I figured in advance what we would take and sold the rest. I would be hesitant to buy furniture off of CL now because of bed bugs.

 

[omni550]

Depending on where you live, a radon inspection prior to closing might be worthwhile.

You would arrange for the radon to be measured and pay for it. (In my case, it was an option that was offered by the home inspector.)

If the results come back high, you can request that the radon be mitigated by the seller. In my case, the seller paid ~$1200 to get the mitigation system installed. The radon level was remeasured post-installation to verify that the mitigation system worked as planned.

omni

 

[jebmke]

Moved a lot - maybe 18-20 times (not all involving house buying). I used to plan for ~5% of the price of the house for various stuff (fixes, curtains ....) for post closing expenses in the first year or so.

 

[Bamaman]

When we moved last year, we had so much more hardwood to cover than in the past.

We had a handmade Turkish rug in the dining room that was just a little small for the room. So my wife traded rugs for the proper size--and another larger rug for the living room. There went my furnishings money--for the next couple of years.

I also bought a couple of leather couches for the media room, but they were all the furniture we needed (thankfully.)

 

[Koolau]

Last 3 moves we made (within last 17 years) we spent the following (approx.) on moving in/remodeling.

1) $12K
2) $30K
3) $50K

The first was primarily repurposing some areas of a house. The second two were primarily to rehab bath and kitchen. YMMV

 

[Scuba]

That is so true.

As you point out, new furniture may not be exactly a "need'. Sometimes buying all new furniture can be put off, if one has sort-of-OK furniture to use in the meantime. Living in a house for a year or two can give the buyer some better ideas as to exactly what furniture to get.

+1
Not buying new stuff immediately can help not only financially but also I agree that it's helpful to live in the place a bit and then decide what new pieces are needed. I recommend having an overall planned design before buying anything so that once you buy all the pieces, they look good together.

 

[rodi]

I agree with Marita40 - you need to make a priority list. A lot of stuff can be chipped away over time... My house in PA was old and had HORRIBLE wallpaper in every room. I made a commitment to myself to tackle 1 room per quarter.... stripping the wallpaper, patching, and painting... adding moldings if necessary. That worked for me.

Unless the house doesn't come with appliances... use what is there and buy new as they need replacing... No need to throw out good appliances.

We've been in our current house for 12 years... we've just ordered the last of the replacement windows... It was 8 years in that we redid the kitchen... the old kitchen functioned... so we were able to save up and do it to our taste on our own schedule.

Definitely use the inspection report to prioritize. My house in PA had wiring issues and a section of roof that was way past prime... I tackled those the first year.

And the suggestion about window coverings is legit... Not every house comes with curtains.