Advice for a new home owner?

[renodoc]

First thing I would do is get myself a nice Benelli 12 guage pump, load it up and put it out of reach and out of sight in the kitchen.

Then work on everything else.

[dogdrool]

As for the fence: how about an invisible dog fence?

[E-Z]

[ QUOTE ]
First thing I would do is get myself a nice Benelli 12 guage pump, load it up and put it out of reach and out of sight in the kitchen.

Then work on everything else.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wrong. All you need is a handgun in/on the nightstand. If someone invades your home in the middle of the night, having a hard to reach shotgun in the kitchen is pointless.

[lozen]

Remember neighbors pay half your fence at least its the law here

[Nicholasp27]

don't paint if it's a newly-built house

it takes around a year for it to settle

u'll get nail pops, etc the first year

i just moved into my new home in february and we're waiting a year+ to paint; and yes, lots of little round circles from nail pops all over; the builder will fix all that tho after one year

we got wood blinds installed on all windows and are happy we did; MUCH better than mini-blinds and look great

ours came pre-fenced and i think fencing is a good idea

first things we did were buy a master bedroom set (getting a nice mattress is one of best purchases ever) and build shelving in garage, so ur list looks a lot like ours

i put up 3 6'-long metal shelves on one wall and then installed some track along another, which has hooks, etc to hold skates, shovels, tennis racquets, etc etc

[Jihad]

[ QUOTE ]
You doing the yard work or outsourcing it? If you are doing it, get at least a 6HP self-propelled mower.

[/ QUOTE ]done, sir.

[livinitup0]

First have a HVAC tech come out and inspect the work of the installers. This is a huge expense down the road if it was crappy installation or a crappy unit all together.

Trust me....$3500.00 this winter and I got the lower end model. Tack on about a week of no heat and it wasnt a pleasant situation.

[youtalkfunny]

[ QUOTE ]
Remember neighbors pay half your fence at least its the law here

[/ QUOTE ]

That can't possibly be right.

You can approach your neighbor, and ask if he wants to go halves with you.

But if you think you can pick out a fence, erect it, and then present your neighbor with a bill for half, you're nuts.

[Fabian]

Threads like these really make me look forward to buying a house myself in 5-10 years!

[acoustix]

Jihad- I too have become a new home owner in the past 3 months. Take my advice to heart as I had a lot of the same concerns you do.

First, don't panic! You will get to everything in time, and it is pointless to worry about it because there will forever be another project on the back burner.

Priorities are key. Logistically, painting should come before you even get furniture in the house (for obvious reasons). Creatively, if you have a smaller room, you want the furthest wall from the entrance to be a darker color than the other three walls to give it the effect of being bigger. Blinds, I think would be a logical next step as you will coordinate them with whatever paint you choose. I think the fence is also a top 3 priority. If it is chainlink, have someone come and install it to save a heap of trouble and cuts on your thumb. If it is picket, they sell them in sections and can be put up in a day with some buddies. This is also a great excuse to drink beer and hang out with friends. If you go this route, rent an auger from Home Depot or Lowes. You won't regret it.

As far as shelving in the garage, buy a modular garage storage unit (Home Depot, Lowes, etc.) and some inexpensive pegboard, and design it any way you want. It saves precious time instead of measuring, cutting, etc.

This place WILL become a money pit. There is always something that needs to be done, fixed, installed. Get yourself a Home Depot charge card (I recommend theirs because there is zero interest or payments for 12 months on purchases over $300).

If you have enough disposable income, go ahead and buy yourself a big TV. We bought one right after the closing and have not regretted it at all. It's your house, treat yourself to a housewarming gift.