If you want to buy and own a place of your own, there are some parts of owning real-estate that the people don’t tell you about – no matter how much money you want to spend on your house, it is not going to be the final cost of ownership. When I bought my first real-estate I was surprised with some unexpected expenses and I realized that owning a house is a slightly bigger financial commitment than I first thought it was going to be. There are some less obvious expenses that you should have in mind when you prepare to purchase yourself a nice home.
Utilities
The expenses might be higher now that you’re running a household and there would probably be more bills besides electricity, such as gas, water, trash removal and sewer cleaning
Door Locks
Changing all the locks to your new home it a must. When you move into a house that was previously owned, you’d better consider changing all the locks, because it is a possibility that some people have a set of keys to all your locks. Getting locks replaced s is not that cheap, so look up locksmiths and compare their prices, also try to find special offers.
Interior Changes
You will probably want to personalize your new living space and that is an extra financial output. For example, if you decide to paint your walls, you need to be prepared to spend a lot of money on colour paint, primer, gloves, spackles, paint rollers and other essentials. Also, If you want to make your indoor space compact and have matching colours, new rugs, lamps and ornaments like vases, clocks, bowls and couch covers will be things you’ll spend some extra money. If you have an extra room and you decide to make it into a guest room, you’ll have to get new furniture and decorate it accordingly.
Maintenance Budget
Have a quick maintenance budget for unexpected expenses so start saving up early. Make it a rule to check your plumbing regularly so you know whether you need to save up for the repair. You should always put an extra effort to find a good plumber in Sydney that would guarantee a properly performed repair.
Appliance Repair/replacement
House appliances somehow tend to break and malfunction at times when you need them the most or when you don’t have enough to buy a replacement for it. It’s always good to have some money stashed because it could happen that the water heater, stove, or television suddenly needs to be repaired or replaced.
Yard
The grass won’t trim itself and an unkempt lawn is an eyesore, so you’ll have to buy a lawnmower or to hire a lawn mowing service if you don’t have time to do it yourself. But when you look at the paperwork you’ll see which will save you money. Naturally it’s better to do the work yourself because it’s not that difficult and doesn’t take a lot of time.
Property Taxes and Insurance
It may happen that the state increases property taxes, so be prepared for a 10 % increase. If you find out that there are occasional floods or earthquakes in your area, you might consider getting an insurance policy.
Bear these costs in mind when you’re on the search for a home, because the bigger you buy the bigger the financial output. Always have some money saved up and save more than you expect you’ll need, or you can get into trouble if you’re not prepared for unexpected expenses.
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