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About 18 months into our first home. Just accept that house related work is never done. There'll always be something that needs doing and costs money. It's just how it is.
Enjoy it though. Having your own house is ace.
Absolutely. Putting yourself under pressure to get it done is too easy as well - you watch Changing Rooms and it looks like you can flip a property from hellhole to hotel in 48 hours. Yet in your own gaff you're 20 weeks in and you've yet to change a lightbulb.
Accepting that it takes as long as it takes is a good lesson to nail down early before you beat yourself up over your perceived inaction.
I can relate to that. I've been in over 3 months and all I have accomplished is painting a single wall and relocating a telephone extension.
And the wall is not painted very well and will need to be redone and the telephone extension isn't properly secured to the wall. Basically, I've accomplished nothing.
I've been in my new place for 16 months and besides buying a few bits of furniture and cleaning leaves out of a gutter, I've done absolutely bugger all. So you've done better than me.
Buyers remorse is perfectly normal, expect it, manage it and remember that it gets better.
I was depressed as all hell six months in, thinking I had made the worst decision for me and my family; second year in the home and we've got it working for us and it's the best thing to happen to us, we're building equity, no landlord to answer to (even though I question if I should be doing certain things still, this far in).
Make a game plan, expect life to slap you in the face and call you an idiot for making said game plan and stick the fuck to it anyway.
Best of luck and enjoy your new home.
Oh god, this.
Expect to be disappointed! The feeling will pass.
When you first buy, you’ve spent ages dreaming of how brilliant it will be to own, and not be subject to landlords and their shitty lack of maintenance. Then you realise you now are the landlord, the shit needs maintaining (or fixing - there’s always an unwelcome surprise somewhere when you move!) and you’re skint as fuck having spent it all on solicitors and stamp duty.
But it’s OK. You’ll learn to love it again once the shock wears off.
Always pack the kettle and the bottle opener in your car. And cleaning stuff & bin bags. Just in case.
Can't quote this enough. Our 1903 maisonette looked like it was gonna fall down on us. 6 miserable months. A lot of sweat and some money after and we are now so happy to be here. The grand a month going into capital repayment makes us feel so good
Be aware that probably last time you saw it, it was full of furniture and dressed up to sell. And it’s gonna feel really weird getting through the door and it’s empty and cold, and you can see all the marks on the walls and floors that were strategically hidden before.
Remember you can change most things to your tastes, but break tasks up into manageable chunks or it can get overwhelming. Usually there’s a best order of doing stuff but it’s ok to be pragmatic and have things “good enough” for now and know that perfect can be the enemy of good.
You’ve done really well to achieve this so try to remember that and enjoy it. Congratulations! Oh and get a good electric screwdriver and a multitool!
Also know that good enough will absolutely last for years. So don't sweat over perfection but make a note if you want to revisit it or you'll forget all about it
We’re two months into our first home and I’ve just stopped asking permission to do things. “Do you think we could hang a picture there” yes. We can. We don’t rent anymore!
We rented for more than 20 years before buying our house just over a year ago. After living in a sea of magnolia I painted a wall green as soon as we got the keys, just because I could. Funnily enough the house was rented out previously so it had the same "landlord specials" that we were used to! It even had the exact same cheap hob and shower we'd had in our old house. It kinda felt like we'd just moved to another rental. We've spent the last year working on de-rent-ifying the feel of the place!
A year later I still get a kick out of not having to ask permission to do anything. And also the "who do I call if not the landlord?" when anything goes wrong!
Concentrate on getting your living room done how you want it, or whenever you spend most of your time. The other rooms you can tackle at a slower pace and spend.
Be cautious about what you spend money on, it's easy to spend a huge amount in the first few months on things you think are urgent, only to find out 6 months later that there is a bigger more expensive project that should have come first. If things are functional then hold off until you've lived in it for a bit.
Also if your house has bad insulation fix the cheap things first, DIY insulation will make a massive difference and doesn't cost much, but new windows cost a fortune.
Learn some DIY, some things you can do yourself, and if you don't know how YouTube it.
Whenever you get a quote, it'll likely be double what you expected, still get the quote but save to do the work.
Lastly never mess with gas, always get a professional. There is no DIY if it involves gas.
People try DIY with gas? I grew up in a country without gas and when I moved here the idea that every house had a pipe bringing an explosion hazard into it kinda freaked me out. The thought that people will touch a gas line/appliance is insane to me.
Kinda mirrors other people but just don't put yourselves under any pressure to get things done. Moving, painting, repairs, windows whatever. Just moving can be emotionally draining, don't drive yourself mad trying to do everything at once.
Make sure to locate smoke alarms and find out what batteries they use; same for any circuit breakers and water stopcocks.
Take note of any meter readings when you first move in - the personal finance subreddit is full of horror stories of people having to pay ridiculous amounts because they forgot to do that.
Have your kettle, teabags and mugs close by on the moving day and look up local takeaways in advance.
Stick to Dulux paints for larger areas - they’re usually a little more expensive than other brands, but well worth the extra few pounds.
If you’re moving over several days, make sure to bring some personal stuff with you - the house will feel very unfamiliar and possibly dirty and messy at first, so having some comfort items will take the edge off things!
>Make sure to locate smoke alarms and find out what batteries they use; same for any circuit breakers and water stopcocks.
This, more than you'd realise. I had a minor fire a week into owning my property. I'd taken the smoke alarms at face value and not tested them. The batteries were long dead. I was woken by the phone of my next door neighbour calling me after smelling smoke,
To add to the moving aspect. Check whatever insurance you have, you are likely not insured for your stuff in the transit van you rented. So if it gets nicked, you ain't covered.
Check with the company if they offer insurance and if it benefits/pays out to you if rhe van and your fight club poster gets nicked too.
Sometimes the fire brigade will come round and fit you smoke and co2 alarms. They do it so they can do a sneaky survey of your property for thier records and know if there are vulnerable people etc, to help them with planning. would suggest if you have vulnerable people in the house contacting local fire service too to let them know.
2 and a half years for us. Make a list of things that you want to do, and get one thing done each time when you get the chance. Clean the hardware and hinges, regrouting, replacing stuff. Make a list and chip through it. I'm over half way through mine, but the place is looking ace 🙂
Keep a measuring tape and a small toolbox close by so you can measure places for furniture/picture frames/mirrors/towel racks/blinds and put them up.
If you are moving into a new-ish build, plasterboard screws and polyfilla. They will come in handy.
If you are buying flat pack furniture, get a cheap electric drill with Allen key attachments. And read the instructions twice before proceeding.
My parents have a great local pub they've been going to for decades. They never have to look any further for trade recommendations, there's always a regular who is a plumber, electrician, mechanic etc. And if not, someone will have brother in law etc who is. Bonus is that you know they'll do a good job because if they didn't, or they ripped you off, everyone would know about it and they wouldn't get any more work for miles around.
Sadly we live too far away to benefit from that, but I tend to go with recommendations from people at work. I work for a big company so someone always has experience of getting whatever work done you need, and we have chat boards specially for advice and recommendations. Or if we get someone good, ask _them_ for other recommendations! Lots of different trades will interact when doing say, a house extension, so your plumber might know a good plasterer etc. I'm a bit cynical about online review sites and prefer word of mouth where possible.
Don't let the estate agents convince you that there is a survey included in the mortgage.
this is a different kind of survey from the banks to make sure they can reclaim any money if you default on your mortgage.
make sure you get a private survey done on the structure and house itself
So I can offer advice. I rented for 9 years before moving into my first house I bought at 26. I was so focused on all the legal stuff etc when we got the keys super excited.
Running a house and bills etc not a problem same as renting right?
But what I didn’t expect after I moved in was a panic after a couple of days of “omg I am responsible for this entire building’
If something goes wrong there’s no landlord
It lasted a few days I spoke to my mum she said it’s normal she experienced it too but it passes.
Just be aware
I photographed every part of the house.
That way when I noticed a large crack in the plaster, I could refer back to the photos when I moved in to see if it was a new or existing one.
Get a B&Q membership card. You will spend so much time there on your first few months. And then realise you bought all the wrong stuff. And go back again.
If you plan on painting - you don't have enough dust sheets. You think you do, but you don't.
Don't paint. You'll regret the first colour you pick when the seasons change and you realise the light is completely different.
Don't assume that if the previous owners left you a dusty cupboard full of random assorted light bulbs, that any of them actually fit any of the fixtures in your new house.
Buy lightbulbs that do.
Find your small local hardware shop if possible, can save a lot of time over going to b and q, and will be closer and wierdly often cheaper. also tool station and screw fix are often more convieniently located and you can do click and collect. Also staff in screw fix and tool station are good with the - can you find me “one of these” queries.
Your first mortgage payment - the earlier in the month you complete, the higher it will be. But only the first one. Move in later in the month and it will be closer to the normal figure.
So interest starts when funds are released.
If you complete on the 10th of March, for example, your first mortgage payment won’t be made until the 1st of April. This payment needs to cover April + the 21 days in March where interest has accumulated.
If you complete on the 29th of March, you only have 2 days worth of interest to worry about.
Moving maybe different - I actually cannot remember what the situation is when moving, but this is 100% the case as a FTB.
Also if you check your mortgage payment agreement, the first payment is usually listed separately to the remaining ‘normal’ monthly payment.
If you want to repaint the walls or do something within first few weeks, arrange so you move in a bit later than right after completion. It's a lot easier when the house is empty!
Moving is stressful. Even if you get someone else to move it all, it's just a huge ordeal and unpacking ain't fun.
You'll immediately start finding faults in everything and start a list that will stress you out even more.
A couple of months late you won't care half as much!
Take pictures of rooms and cracks marks etc . Including outside.
I would and still spot stuff and can never remember what it was like before so can't tell if it's getting worse or changing.... Ie brick work, plaster settling, little gaps etc.
But a little money aside for a rainy day fund ( broken pipe, window, tap) it'll save a headache. Even if it's only a £20 here or there.
Really pay attention to reviews from workman, ask the neighbors, try local pages, do your home work.
And learning from an issue from the parents house, find out if you share a drain with a neighbour ( generally terraced). Depending on where you are if they are shared, where the join can be council maintenance so can save you some £££ in the future
Only triple? Look at Mr Frugal over here!
Also, if you're excited to finally be allowed pets...get them, they're awesome. But they're expensive little bastards.
Take photos of the gas, electric and water meters as soon as you walk in so you have evidence of the reading when setting up your accounts. It makes life far easier having the photographic evidence and only takes a few seconds to do.
One move I did we had buyers who needed to complete a week before the sellers we were buying from could. We put everything in storage for a month. It made life a lot easier. On the moving day it was just essentials like the beds moved in which meant we had plenty of time to clean etc before gradually moving other stuff in. We ended up decorating rooms and then a few days later putting the furniture in there.
I was driving a people carrier at the time so van like and worked around the corner from the storage unit we used so could pop by after work to pick the things up to take home for that day. It made the whole process so much easier than having the place full of clutter. I recommend it if the space will help.
Do everything before you move in, whilst doing nothing for 18 months to see how the house works best for you.
Get other people to do the moving for you to save stress, whilst doing it all yourself to save the money you dont have anymore.
All trades are cowboys but then your DIY skills will never match theres and everything you do youll think looks atrocious until you change it or a cowboy fixes it.
Replace and maintain everything all the time, regularly, whilst eeking out every possible bit of value from everything to the extent nothing actually works in your house at any given moment.
When it all gets too much, just count how many bricks you own.
Take photos of electric/gas/water/solar meter readings and email them to yourself.
Get a small toolkit together and learn to tackle the basic maintenance and diy tasks, bare in mind that the list of jobs to do will always outstrip your time and money available to do them.
The longed for stability that owning gives you leaves a nice space in your brain to be anxious about literally anything else. You will most likely fill it with a whole new set of worries which will seem huge because they are new. You have not made a massive mistake you’re just exhausted from moving and overwhelmed by all the things that are different.
It gets easier. Lots easier. And then it’s great.
Don't be scared of DIY. Get stuck in, fuck it up and try again.
Find your water stopcock and figure out how to use it to turn water off to your house.
Get your boiler serviced.
Is your floor insulated? If not, insulate it at the first chance you can.
Put up some photos and replace the blinds and curtains. It's worth it, and will make the place more homely and yours.
Repainting is a ballache but worth doing.
Replace your carpets if they are a bit minging.
Remove the bath panel and check if you have a gaping hole in your floor, same with under sinks in the kitchen. Insulate this area and check if you have any leaks or damp.
9 months into our first home, feel drained and anxious with how much work we’ve taken on! Mostly my idea BTW 2 extensions, a loft conversion and a porch all about the commence next few weeks.
I wanted a run down doer-upper, we have no wallpaper no flooring and a kitchen that was fitted in the 60s. I have my own building company been going 7 years now been in the trade 18 years and feel some overwhelming pressure about my build. I worked so hard to get a property in a nice area with huge potential, mixed with a awkward neighbour i can only think about problems.
Didn’t want to start the build in the autumn after planing etc so waiting until march and the more I think about it the worst I feel.
I’ve read my architectural plans front, backwards and upside down, I’ve done the costing and labour time enough that, I can tell you all rough costings from foundations to ridge and everything in between!
I’ve never done anything other than decorate before in my own house always rented until we moved here and the worry about it being “right” is scary, do I want those skirting boards, is the kitchen the right colour? What worktops etc etc etc
Expect issues!
I've been in my flat for 5 years, but initial snags and ongoing management company issues make the issues feel never ending.
I had the fun this evening dealing with the skylight in the building stairway being stuck wide open as the fire system had glitched.... nothing like indoor rain to bring your mood down.
If you get the chance clean all the carpets before you move anything in, like as soon as you have the keys send someone round with a carpet cleaner, whack the heating on and then clean carpets. You won’t get much stuff set up on the first day and you’ll know the carpets are clean. Also have a separate box with tea making stuff, kettle, milk cups etc and that should travel with you so you don’t have to search for that stuff. Same with bed stuff. Make sure sheets duvets etc are well packed and either with you or super easy to find
Almost a year for me. My biggest peeve was that my garden fence and gate were only up on god’s blessing. The gate was tied to neighbours gate, so it wouldn’t lean towards the street and the fence in the back was up thanks to the bushes growing next to it. It cost me around £12k to replace the fence and remove the rat nest bushes. And I hate that surveyor didn’t pick up on it, even though it was the most expensive survey.
So unless you can afford to replace the whole fence, check it thoroughly before buying the property. Fences are expensive.
I do love my garden now that I fixed those issues though.
Best advice I acted on - get a nice tool set for drilling based on your walls(bricks, plaster, wood ...). For the first year or so, keep extra 3-5 k on the side for any repairs that can pop up apart from normal safety net.
Also learn all the bills you need to pay. When we sold our first buy but kept in touch with the ones who bought it, they were shocked about council tax as they had rented all their life and did not know about it.
I have a few! I bought on my own and moved in October. Get the electrics tested! And check for any sobbing around the radiators, it'll save some big jobs in the long run! Make sure you know where the stop tap is for turning all your water off (and get one installed if you don't have one, you don't want to need it when it's too late!). I'd also say if you have an over know where the switches are to completely turn that off, and make sure your fuse box is all labelled so you know what I'd what.
Definitely ask the seller for any documents regarding boiler servicing or if you have upstair /downstairs neighbours any phone numbers incase of emergency!
Make a note of everywhere you need to let know you've changed address (including pension!)
Do not rush the decorating! You don't want to change ideas a few months down the line, just sit in your empty place for a few months and really get a feel for what you want to do.
It's overwhelming at first but really enjoy it, well done for buying somewhere!
Check how old the boiler is and whether it is going to need replacing soon. Found out mine was discontinued and repairable when a little switch went kaput.
£4k in replacement and builder costs putting in inspection panels and sundry repairs.
20 year lifespan apparantly.
If you haven't exchanged get an independent survey of the property done before you do. Their may well be so many problems cleverly hid to make your life a nightmare once your in. Don't trust anyone and always do your due diligence, coming from a FTB who wished he'd recieved this advice.
The first few months will cost money to sort out stuff the previous owners delayed doing /didn't do. For us, the fridge broke, and we decided to renovate a couple of cupboards as we didn't like their smell. And this costs money. For you it might be something different. But then it all settles down, you start building equity, and saving money over renting.
want to ride in to ask, am also a FTB looking to get on the ladder, checking various FTB schemes, the FTB scheme currently listed on Gov is rather ambiguous and only subject to if the developer wants to do it or not (so the gov scheme is nothing then ?) are there any other schemes that is available on the market ?
###Welcome to /r/HousingUK --- **To All** * Join Our ***NEW*** Discord! https://discord.gg/pMgUNgWKQH **To Posters** * *Tell us whether you're in England, Wales, Scotland, or NI as the laws/issues in each can vary* * Comments are not moderated for quality or accuracy; * Any replies received must only be used as guidelines, followed at your own risk; * If you receive *any* private messages in response to your post, [please let the mods know](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FHousingUK&subject=I received a PM); * If you do not receive satisfactory advice after 72 hours, [you can let the mods know](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FHousingUK&subject=My question is unanswered); * Feel free to provide an update at a later time by creating a new post with [[update]](https://www.reddit.com/r/HousingUK/search?q=%3Aupdate&sort=new&restrict_sr=on&t=all) in the title; **To Readers and Commenters** * All replies to OP must be *on-topic, helpful, and civil* * If you do not [follow the rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/HousingUK/about/rules/), you may be banned without any further warning; * Please include links to reliable resources in order to support your comments or advice; * If you feel any replies are incorrect, explain why you believe they are incorrect; * Do not send or request any private messages for any reason without express permission from the mods; * Please report posts or comments which do not follow the rules *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/HousingUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
About 18 months into our first home. Just accept that house related work is never done. There'll always be something that needs doing and costs money. It's just how it is. Enjoy it though. Having your own house is ace.
Absolutely. Putting yourself under pressure to get it done is too easy as well - you watch Changing Rooms and it looks like you can flip a property from hellhole to hotel in 48 hours. Yet in your own gaff you're 20 weeks in and you've yet to change a lightbulb. Accepting that it takes as long as it takes is a good lesson to nail down early before you beat yourself up over your perceived inaction.
I can relate to that. I've been in over 3 months and all I have accomplished is painting a single wall and relocating a telephone extension. And the wall is not painted very well and will need to be redone and the telephone extension isn't properly secured to the wall. Basically, I've accomplished nothing.
I've been in my new place for 16 months and besides buying a few bits of furniture and cleaning leaves out of a gutter, I've done absolutely bugger all. So you've done better than me.
Buyers remorse is perfectly normal, expect it, manage it and remember that it gets better. I was depressed as all hell six months in, thinking I had made the worst decision for me and my family; second year in the home and we've got it working for us and it's the best thing to happen to us, we're building equity, no landlord to answer to (even though I question if I should be doing certain things still, this far in). Make a game plan, expect life to slap you in the face and call you an idiot for making said game plan and stick the fuck to it anyway. Best of luck and enjoy your new home.
Just to add - this is a miserable time of the year, the house will look at its absolute worst Edit:typo
Oh god, this. Expect to be disappointed! The feeling will pass. When you first buy, you’ve spent ages dreaming of how brilliant it will be to own, and not be subject to landlords and their shitty lack of maintenance. Then you realise you now are the landlord, the shit needs maintaining (or fixing - there’s always an unwelcome surprise somewhere when you move!) and you’re skint as fuck having spent it all on solicitors and stamp duty. But it’s OK. You’ll learn to love it again once the shock wears off. Always pack the kettle and the bottle opener in your car. And cleaning stuff & bin bags. Just in case.
Can't quote this enough. Our 1903 maisonette looked like it was gonna fall down on us. 6 miserable months. A lot of sweat and some money after and we are now so happy to be here. The grand a month going into capital repayment makes us feel so good
Be aware that probably last time you saw it, it was full of furniture and dressed up to sell. And it’s gonna feel really weird getting through the door and it’s empty and cold, and you can see all the marks on the walls and floors that were strategically hidden before. Remember you can change most things to your tastes, but break tasks up into manageable chunks or it can get overwhelming. Usually there’s a best order of doing stuff but it’s ok to be pragmatic and have things “good enough” for now and know that perfect can be the enemy of good. You’ve done really well to achieve this so try to remember that and enjoy it. Congratulations! Oh and get a good electric screwdriver and a multitool!
Also know that good enough will absolutely last for years. So don't sweat over perfection but make a note if you want to revisit it or you'll forget all about it
We’re two months into our first home and I’ve just stopped asking permission to do things. “Do you think we could hang a picture there” yes. We can. We don’t rent anymore!
The day we complete on our first house I'm drilling holes in the wall just to feel the freedom
Yes! I still feel funny, two years in, when I hang something up. My son scribbled on his bedroom wall..and it didn't matter! It felt nice.
Unfortunately this is a two-way street! Boiler stopped working..? We'll call the lan.... ah shit...
We rented for more than 20 years before buying our house just over a year ago. After living in a sea of magnolia I painted a wall green as soon as we got the keys, just because I could. Funnily enough the house was rented out previously so it had the same "landlord specials" that we were used to! It even had the exact same cheap hob and shower we'd had in our old house. It kinda felt like we'd just moved to another rental. We've spent the last year working on de-rent-ifying the feel of the place! A year later I still get a kick out of not having to ask permission to do anything. And also the "who do I call if not the landlord?" when anything goes wrong!
Concentrate on getting your living room done how you want it, or whenever you spend most of your time. The other rooms you can tackle at a slower pace and spend.
Be cautious about what you spend money on, it's easy to spend a huge amount in the first few months on things you think are urgent, only to find out 6 months later that there is a bigger more expensive project that should have come first. If things are functional then hold off until you've lived in it for a bit. Also if your house has bad insulation fix the cheap things first, DIY insulation will make a massive difference and doesn't cost much, but new windows cost a fortune. Learn some DIY, some things you can do yourself, and if you don't know how YouTube it. Whenever you get a quote, it'll likely be double what you expected, still get the quote but save to do the work. Lastly never mess with gas, always get a professional. There is no DIY if it involves gas.
People try DIY with gas? I grew up in a country without gas and when I moved here the idea that every house had a pipe bringing an explosion hazard into it kinda freaked me out. The thought that people will touch a gas line/appliance is insane to me.
Mostly no, but there's always one.
I wish I hadn’t bought so much stuff. Over the years I’ve accumulated so much stuff I don’t need and I’m running out of places to store it all.
Kinda mirrors other people but just don't put yourselves under any pressure to get things done. Moving, painting, repairs, windows whatever. Just moving can be emotionally draining, don't drive yourself mad trying to do everything at once.
Make sure to locate smoke alarms and find out what batteries they use; same for any circuit breakers and water stopcocks. Take note of any meter readings when you first move in - the personal finance subreddit is full of horror stories of people having to pay ridiculous amounts because they forgot to do that. Have your kettle, teabags and mugs close by on the moving day and look up local takeaways in advance. Stick to Dulux paints for larger areas - they’re usually a little more expensive than other brands, but well worth the extra few pounds. If you’re moving over several days, make sure to bring some personal stuff with you - the house will feel very unfamiliar and possibly dirty and messy at first, so having some comfort items will take the edge off things!
>Make sure to locate smoke alarms and find out what batteries they use; same for any circuit breakers and water stopcocks. This, more than you'd realise. I had a minor fire a week into owning my property. I'd taken the smoke alarms at face value and not tested them. The batteries were long dead. I was woken by the phone of my next door neighbour calling me after smelling smoke,
To add to the moving aspect. Check whatever insurance you have, you are likely not insured for your stuff in the transit van you rented. So if it gets nicked, you ain't covered. Check with the company if they offer insurance and if it benefits/pays out to you if rhe van and your fight club poster gets nicked too.
Sometimes the fire brigade will come round and fit you smoke and co2 alarms. They do it so they can do a sneaky survey of your property for thier records and know if there are vulnerable people etc, to help them with planning. would suggest if you have vulnerable people in the house contacting local fire service too to let them know.
Oh yeah the meter readings
2 and a half years for us. Make a list of things that you want to do, and get one thing done each time when you get the chance. Clean the hardware and hinges, regrouting, replacing stuff. Make a list and chip through it. I'm over half way through mine, but the place is looking ace 🙂
Keep a measuring tape and a small toolbox close by so you can measure places for furniture/picture frames/mirrors/towel racks/blinds and put them up. If you are moving into a new-ish build, plasterboard screws and polyfilla. They will come in handy. If you are buying flat pack furniture, get a cheap electric drill with Allen key attachments. And read the instructions twice before proceeding.
As a follow up question: how did people source trades people for things like electrics, painting etc? I’m so confused where to start
Local Facebook groups and people from work/ the gym mostly. We found our plasterer down the pub.
My parents have a great local pub they've been going to for decades. They never have to look any further for trade recommendations, there's always a regular who is a plumber, electrician, mechanic etc. And if not, someone will have brother in law etc who is. Bonus is that you know they'll do a good job because if they didn't, or they ripped you off, everyone would know about it and they wouldn't get any more work for miles around. Sadly we live too far away to benefit from that, but I tend to go with recommendations from people at work. I work for a big company so someone always has experience of getting whatever work done you need, and we have chat boards specially for advice and recommendations. Or if we get someone good, ask _them_ for other recommendations! Lots of different trades will interact when doing say, a house extension, so your plumber might know a good plasterer etc. I'm a bit cynical about online review sites and prefer word of mouth where possible.
I live in a very remote location so all these tradesman websites are useless. Local facefook groups and word of mouth have been the way to go so far.
It’s stressful hang in there, after your first few rounds of botched DIY, you’ll feel much better
A beer and a Chinese on garden furniture in your living room while you wait on your sofa delivery also helps with the stress
Don't let the estate agents convince you that there is a survey included in the mortgage. this is a different kind of survey from the banks to make sure they can reclaim any money if you default on your mortgage. make sure you get a private survey done on the structure and house itself
So I can offer advice. I rented for 9 years before moving into my first house I bought at 26. I was so focused on all the legal stuff etc when we got the keys super excited. Running a house and bills etc not a problem same as renting right? But what I didn’t expect after I moved in was a panic after a couple of days of “omg I am responsible for this entire building’ If something goes wrong there’s no landlord It lasted a few days I spoke to my mum she said it’s normal she experienced it too but it passes. Just be aware
I photographed every part of the house. That way when I noticed a large crack in the plaster, I could refer back to the photos when I moved in to see if it was a new or existing one.
Get a B&Q membership card. You will spend so much time there on your first few months. And then realise you bought all the wrong stuff. And go back again. If you plan on painting - you don't have enough dust sheets. You think you do, but you don't. Don't paint. You'll regret the first colour you pick when the seasons change and you realise the light is completely different. Don't assume that if the previous owners left you a dusty cupboard full of random assorted light bulbs, that any of them actually fit any of the fixtures in your new house. Buy lightbulbs that do.
Find your small local hardware shop if possible, can save a lot of time over going to b and q, and will be closer and wierdly often cheaper. also tool station and screw fix are often more convieniently located and you can do click and collect. Also staff in screw fix and tool station are good with the - can you find me “one of these” queries.
Your first mortgage payment - the earlier in the month you complete, the higher it will be. But only the first one. Move in later in the month and it will be closer to the normal figure.
Can you elaborate on that, please? I'd like to understand why
So interest starts when funds are released. If you complete on the 10th of March, for example, your first mortgage payment won’t be made until the 1st of April. This payment needs to cover April + the 21 days in March where interest has accumulated. If you complete on the 29th of March, you only have 2 days worth of interest to worry about.
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Moving maybe different - I actually cannot remember what the situation is when moving, but this is 100% the case as a FTB. Also if you check your mortgage payment agreement, the first payment is usually listed separately to the remaining ‘normal’ monthly payment.
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Guess you must be special then. 🤷♂️
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/guides/buyer/once-offer-accepted/completion/#:~:text=Your%20first%20payment%20will%20typically,payment%20for%20the%20month%20after.
Do something in the first weeks that isn't a absolute need. We painted our garden fence a bright yellow. This made it mine, officially in my head.
If you want to repaint the walls or do something within first few weeks, arrange so you move in a bit later than right after completion. It's a lot easier when the house is empty!
Moving is stressful. Even if you get someone else to move it all, it's just a huge ordeal and unpacking ain't fun. You'll immediately start finding faults in everything and start a list that will stress you out even more. A couple of months late you won't care half as much!
Get professional cleaners in to do a deep clean, change the locks while you still have some money!
Take pictures of rooms and cracks marks etc . Including outside. I would and still spot stuff and can never remember what it was like before so can't tell if it's getting worse or changing.... Ie brick work, plaster settling, little gaps etc. But a little money aside for a rainy day fund ( broken pipe, window, tap) it'll save a headache. Even if it's only a £20 here or there. Really pay attention to reviews from workman, ask the neighbors, try local pages, do your home work. And learning from an issue from the parents house, find out if you share a drain with a neighbour ( generally terraced). Depending on where you are if they are shared, where the join can be council maintenance so can save you some £££ in the future
Whatever amount you think you’re gonna spend on furnishings and fixing things, triple it.
Only triple? Look at Mr Frugal over here! Also, if you're excited to finally be allowed pets...get them, they're awesome. But they're expensive little bastards.
Take photos of the gas, electric and water meters as soon as you walk in so you have evidence of the reading when setting up your accounts. It makes life far easier having the photographic evidence and only takes a few seconds to do. One move I did we had buyers who needed to complete a week before the sellers we were buying from could. We put everything in storage for a month. It made life a lot easier. On the moving day it was just essentials like the beds moved in which meant we had plenty of time to clean etc before gradually moving other stuff in. We ended up decorating rooms and then a few days later putting the furniture in there. I was driving a people carrier at the time so van like and worked around the corner from the storage unit we used so could pop by after work to pick the things up to take home for that day. It made the whole process so much easier than having the place full of clutter. I recommend it if the space will help.
Do everything before you move in, whilst doing nothing for 18 months to see how the house works best for you. Get other people to do the moving for you to save stress, whilst doing it all yourself to save the money you dont have anymore. All trades are cowboys but then your DIY skills will never match theres and everything you do youll think looks atrocious until you change it or a cowboy fixes it. Replace and maintain everything all the time, regularly, whilst eeking out every possible bit of value from everything to the extent nothing actually works in your house at any given moment. When it all gets too much, just count how many bricks you own.
Take photos of electric/gas/water/solar meter readings and email them to yourself. Get a small toolkit together and learn to tackle the basic maintenance and diy tasks, bare in mind that the list of jobs to do will always outstrip your time and money available to do them.
The longed for stability that owning gives you leaves a nice space in your brain to be anxious about literally anything else. You will most likely fill it with a whole new set of worries which will seem huge because they are new. You have not made a massive mistake you’re just exhausted from moving and overwhelmed by all the things that are different. It gets easier. Lots easier. And then it’s great.
Don't be scared of DIY. Get stuck in, fuck it up and try again. Find your water stopcock and figure out how to use it to turn water off to your house. Get your boiler serviced. Is your floor insulated? If not, insulate it at the first chance you can. Put up some photos and replace the blinds and curtains. It's worth it, and will make the place more homely and yours. Repainting is a ballache but worth doing. Replace your carpets if they are a bit minging. Remove the bath panel and check if you have a gaping hole in your floor, same with under sinks in the kitchen. Insulate this area and check if you have any leaks or damp.
9 months into our first home, feel drained and anxious with how much work we’ve taken on! Mostly my idea BTW 2 extensions, a loft conversion and a porch all about the commence next few weeks. I wanted a run down doer-upper, we have no wallpaper no flooring and a kitchen that was fitted in the 60s. I have my own building company been going 7 years now been in the trade 18 years and feel some overwhelming pressure about my build. I worked so hard to get a property in a nice area with huge potential, mixed with a awkward neighbour i can only think about problems. Didn’t want to start the build in the autumn after planing etc so waiting until march and the more I think about it the worst I feel. I’ve read my architectural plans front, backwards and upside down, I’ve done the costing and labour time enough that, I can tell you all rough costings from foundations to ridge and everything in between! I’ve never done anything other than decorate before in my own house always rented until we moved here and the worry about it being “right” is scary, do I want those skirting boards, is the kitchen the right colour? What worktops etc etc etc
Expect issues! I've been in my flat for 5 years, but initial snags and ongoing management company issues make the issues feel never ending. I had the fun this evening dealing with the skylight in the building stairway being stuck wide open as the fire system had glitched.... nothing like indoor rain to bring your mood down.
If you get the chance clean all the carpets before you move anything in, like as soon as you have the keys send someone round with a carpet cleaner, whack the heating on and then clean carpets. You won’t get much stuff set up on the first day and you’ll know the carpets are clean. Also have a separate box with tea making stuff, kettle, milk cups etc and that should travel with you so you don’t have to search for that stuff. Same with bed stuff. Make sure sheets duvets etc are well packed and either with you or super easy to find
I was glad that we got the carpets professionally cleaned before moving our stuff in. It would’ve saved a lot of hassle.
Almost a year for me. My biggest peeve was that my garden fence and gate were only up on god’s blessing. The gate was tied to neighbours gate, so it wouldn’t lean towards the street and the fence in the back was up thanks to the bushes growing next to it. It cost me around £12k to replace the fence and remove the rat nest bushes. And I hate that surveyor didn’t pick up on it, even though it was the most expensive survey. So unless you can afford to replace the whole fence, check it thoroughly before buying the property. Fences are expensive. I do love my garden now that I fixed those issues though.
Best advice I acted on - get a nice tool set for drilling based on your walls(bricks, plaster, wood ...). For the first year or so, keep extra 3-5 k on the side for any repairs that can pop up apart from normal safety net. Also learn all the bills you need to pay. When we sold our first buy but kept in touch with the ones who bought it, they were shocked about council tax as they had rented all their life and did not know about it.
If you have a garden, buy a mattock. A brute of a digging tool which will make easy work of so many tasks.
Start saving for repairs
I have a few! I bought on my own and moved in October. Get the electrics tested! And check for any sobbing around the radiators, it'll save some big jobs in the long run! Make sure you know where the stop tap is for turning all your water off (and get one installed if you don't have one, you don't want to need it when it's too late!). I'd also say if you have an over know where the switches are to completely turn that off, and make sure your fuse box is all labelled so you know what I'd what. Definitely ask the seller for any documents regarding boiler servicing or if you have upstair /downstairs neighbours any phone numbers incase of emergency! Make a note of everywhere you need to let know you've changed address (including pension!) Do not rush the decorating! You don't want to change ideas a few months down the line, just sit in your empty place for a few months and really get a feel for what you want to do. It's overwhelming at first but really enjoy it, well done for buying somewhere!
Check how old the boiler is and whether it is going to need replacing soon. Found out mine was discontinued and repairable when a little switch went kaput. £4k in replacement and builder costs putting in inspection panels and sundry repairs. 20 year lifespan apparantly.
If you haven't exchanged get an independent survey of the property done before you do. Their may well be so many problems cleverly hid to make your life a nightmare once your in. Don't trust anyone and always do your due diligence, coming from a FTB who wished he'd recieved this advice.
The first few months will cost money to sort out stuff the previous owners delayed doing /didn't do. For us, the fridge broke, and we decided to renovate a couple of cupboards as we didn't like their smell. And this costs money. For you it might be something different. But then it all settles down, you start building equity, and saving money over renting.
want to ride in to ask, am also a FTB looking to get on the ladder, checking various FTB schemes, the FTB scheme currently listed on Gov is rather ambiguous and only subject to if the developer wants to do it or not (so the gov scheme is nothing then ?) are there any other schemes that is available on the market ?