12 Game-Changing Tips For New Or Soon-To-Be Homeowners

Are you a new homeowner or thinking about becoming one? Here are 12 game-changing tips from homeowners of things they wish they would’ve known or thought of both before and after moving in.
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1. Scout your prospective home’s neighborhood. Go a few different times of the week and at different times of the day. Ask neighbors about the neighborhood, schools, etc. Their feedback will give you a real insider’s scoop on what kind of community you’ll be joining.
2. Look at the neighborhood crime statistics. Before you buy, get a report of police calls in the neighborhood. If you've decided to move into a particular home, you may be able to work out a bargain price due to the crime rate of that area.
3. Check the furnace filter before buying to get great insight as to whether or not the previous homeowner kept up on regular maintenance.
4. Verify everything. Insist on full written disclosure from the seller about remodeling and repairs they’ve done, old damage, leaks, mold, and other things like that. Check with the city or county and get the property’s prior uses, zoning, permit history, homeowner’s association restrictions and anything else you can dig up.
5. Give yourself extra room in your budget for unexpected trouble. If you purchase an old home and the furnace goes out a year after you move in, it won’t be a big deal if you've given yourself some wiggle room in your budget for problems like this.
6. Offer to buy their tools too. If you’re buying your house from a couple who are trying to downsize, (the moving process is enough to inspire anyone to downsize), you might get a great deal on things like garden tools, tractors, snow blowers and more.
7. Get a home warranty. See if you can get the seller to throw in a home warranty so you can have peace of mind your first few years in your new home.
8. Start a Homeowner’s Journal. Buy a ring binder to organize all of your insurance papers, repair receipts, and anything else regarding your home. If you ever need to go back and reference any of this information, you'll know where to find it without having to dig. Plus, this will be a great help if you ever decide to sell someday.
9. Ask neighbors about local professionals they trust. If you’re looking for electricians, plumbers, or other pros, check with your neighbors first to see who they’d recommend.
10. Get to know your home before you commit to making any significant changes. Live in your home for at least a year before committing to any large renovations like adding an addition or tearing down walls. What initially bothers you about the house may change after you’ve lived there for awhile.
11. Take on one project at a time. Don’t overwhelm yourself! You’ll end up with a lot of unnecessary stress and are more likely to burn out quickly when you have several projects going on at once.
12. Finish projects soon after you start them. Don’t learn to live with incomplete projects. Otherwise, those last couple pieces of trim can linger for years!

​Remodels and projects for your new home can get overwhelming pretty fast. If you need help finishing a big project or are looking to get started on a remodel, Michael’s Homes is the Upper Peninsula’s go-to for remodeling solutions. Click here to take the first step toward a stress-free and innovative remodeling process with a free consultation!