What were the surprises with your first home?

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Permalink Reply by Erik Deckers on June 24, 2008 at 3:45pm

As an experienced home owner, I can give you these general ideas:

1) Most importantly, ask the realtor about insects, mice, and rodents. Also, ask about ghosts and murders. You think I'm kidding, but it's a valid question. The realtor is supposed to tell you if anyone died or was killed in the house, or whether there are other areas of interest (i.e. used to be a crack house, etc.) Some people even ask about ghosts. Some people will not buy a house if they know that something bad happened in it.

1a) Find a good handyman, plumber, and exterminator. I can give you the name of a woman who provides a handywoman service, and she's as good as any guy.

2) You might be able to just get the locks re-keyed, rather than buying all new locks.

3) I've been hearing that LED lights are better than CFLs. Of course, everyone says that CFLs have all kinds of dangerous chemicals, but from what I've heard it's actually not much at all. Like 1/100th of what anti-CFL people claim.

4) Tools you will need: hammer, screwdriver set, ratchet set, 2 adjustable wrenches, 14 volt Dewalt cordless drill (you might not need the last one, but if your wife doesn't read this post, she doesn't need to know that).

5) Rather than springing for sheets for window treatments, my wife found some paper louvered blinds that adhered to the window frame with an adhesive that was sort of like a Post-It Note. We had those in our room for about 4 months.

6) Depending on how big your yard is, consider an electric mower rather than a gas mower. Also, consider a used mower rather than a new one. There's a place in Irvington that sells used mowers. They sold my DR mower for me a month ago, and they have lots of used ones for sale.

Good luck to you. So are you going to have a Smaller Indiana Open House for your place?

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Permalink Reply by Joe Shoemaker on June 24, 2008 at 10:38pm

"The realtor (sic) is supposed to tell you if anyone died or was killed in the house, or whether there are other areas of interest (i.e. used to be a crack house, etc.) Some people even ask about ghosts. Some people will not buy a house if they know that something bad happened in it."

Not exactly. So-called "psychologically affected properties" do not require a mandatory disclosure in Indiana. If you want to know if someone died, was killed, etc in the home.. you must ask. If the Seller or Listing Broker knows, he/she must disclose the information.

Have your REALTOR® ask on your behalf. If you're already under contract, it might be a challenge to terminate the agreement if it's something that bugs you. You'd be hard-pressed to get out without a penalty...forfeiture of earnest money, eg.

On the topic... I showed a home a few months back that had recently been the site of a murder/suicide. I'm not superstitious about stuff like that, but the failure of the bank to adequately clean up was perhaps one of the grossest things I've ever seen in my days of showing homes.

Ick.

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Permalink Reply by Erik Deckers on June 25, 2008 at 10:25am

You're right about the potential owner asking about psychologically affected properties FIRST. Sort of like "are you a cop? You have to tell me if you're a cop!"

That IS an icky story. Eww.

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Permalink Reply by Brian Huff on June 25, 2008 at 8:46am

I didn't ask the ghost question when I bought my house and my wife swears she sees a little kid running around the kitchen and garage.

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Permalink Reply by Stephen James on June 25, 2008 at 11:38am

I looked into LEDs and am hesitant. They don't seem as available to find and are more expensive. Also, I think it will be an uphill battle getting CFLs put in, since my wife likes the yellow hue of incandescent so much.

So I'd call a locksmith about re-keying? That would be cheaper in labor than just buying new locks?

I'm really interested in the electric mower idea. The lot is 100x150 (that includes the house), so I'm not sure how practical that would be. Maybe I could buy extra batteries and switch them out.

Please post the name of the used mower shop.

I've been thinking about a house warming party for a smaller cadre of friends sometime, but I doubt we will have much furniture for the next 6 months. We'd would rather put the money into painting and carpets and such.

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Permalink Reply by Tom Marsh on October 5, 2009 at 8:07am

The mower is a topic of current interest to me, since my John Deere cut its last blade of grass last week:

Mulching is great for your lawn, but some people like the look of bagging. Personally, I think bagging is a ton of back-breaking (and avoidable) work for somebody who mows regularly (every 7-8 days,) keeps his blade sharp and mulches, but its really up to you. Best bet is a mower that can mulch, bag, and discharge. Most of them do this these days, except for the really junky-ones. Your best bets for quality are going to be Cub Cadet, John Deere, and Snapper. There are more expensive mowers with more bells and whistles out there, but as a first-time buyer you should focus on a sturdy, basic mower that you can maintain yourself. Also, I recently got a first-hand demonstration of the functional difference between a 5 horse-power mower and a 6.75--its a big difference, especially for mulching!

Depending on how big your yard is, consider an electric mower rather than a gas mower.

Let me clarify for our first-time-buyer...

Unless the area you have to mow is REALLY small, you will absolutely hate an electric-mower. Dragging the cable is a nuisance (and an expensive disruption if you accidentally run over the cable) that, as a bonus, makes straight-lines that much more challenging because your attention is divided between the power-cord and your forward motion. Also, if there's a corner of your yard that is "just barely" in range of extension cord/outlet, you will have a REALLY hard time making that area look good consistently. You'll get frustrated, and end-up buying a gasoline mower anyway. Save what you'd spend on some electric mower and put it towards a high-quality mower.

Also, regarding "cheaper" mowers: You can go find some piece of crap at Wal-Mart for $99. This is a mistake. You will buy five $99 lawn-mowers to last you as long as one $400-$500 unit, AND you'll throw those extra mowers, parts, oil, filters, etc in a landfill somewhere. Yes, with maintenance and oil-changes, its probably a break-even venture, but you'll be far more satisfied (and less frustrated) by buying one unit, maintaining it, and replacing it after 20-25 years instead of 4-5. My John Deere mower died last week at the age of 24, as a point of reference. It probably would have lasted a lot longer if it hadn't spent five years being used by a tenant who did zero maintenance.

Other items for your list:

- 3 rakes. Two leaf-type, one standard "cartoon-step-on-the-tines and face-slap" type. Definitely want the Mrs involved in the raking of leaves if you have a bigger yard--its fun for the whole family! Add rakes for each child so they feel included (and you don't end up needing back-surgery!)
- Wheelbarrow. Not that expensive, and REALLY useful. You'd be surprised how heavy grass-seed, patch compound, and a shovel get. Also great for mulch-hauling, dirt, whatever.
- A good 75-foot garden-hose and some kind of hose-wheel/dolly/house.
- A lawn-sprinkler/hose-attachments.
- Heavy duty hooks. Great for suspending bicycles and ladders and whatnot from the garage ceiling. (Make sure you find a stud! A Schwinn can do a number on your car's windshield.)

Also, if you're closing soon (like before the end of this month) it might not be too late to put down patch compound for any bare spots on the lawn... If you water twice daily for the first couple weeks, then daily until the first hard-freeze the seedlings will have nice healthy roots by the time the hot part of next-summer rolls around. Although you can start seedlings in mid-March, you have a much greater chance of some/all of that new grass dying if it gets hot early and you miss a watering-or-two (you will.) Starting in fall is much-less stressful. After this mild summer, I'm preparing for massive blizzards this year (and a baking-hot summer next year.)

Anyway, congratulations, and good-luck! Let us know how you fare (And when we're all invited over for snacks and lawn-darts!)

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Permalink Reply by Stephen James on October 5, 2009 at 9:43am

Any hose longer than 75 ft is difficult to twist and encircle (If one has a hose holder, I guess it doesn't matter as much. I recommend a 50 ft thick (heavy duty) hose with quick linking attachments (multiple 50 ft if you have a larger lawn) and a good shut off valve at the tip of the hose. This stops the hose from running water when you turn it on and allows for the attachments to be added without turning the water off or spraying yourself.

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Permalink Reply by Tom Marsh on October 5, 2009 at 10:55am

Yeah, the shut-off is key--good call there.

Also, know where the cut-off for your outside faucets is so you can shut them off before it freezes and purge the water. It isn't always obvious where they are, so ask the previous owner--the cut-off can be challenging to find if it isn't near your water-heater/water-service-entry. (Usually, it is, but sometimes not, especially if its an older house that has been built-onto.

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Permalink Reply by Troy Hanna on June 24, 2008 at 4:02pm

Congrats!
My only comment is: depending if your seller still lives in the house you might have to deal with them for a while after you have bought the house. Our sellers wanted to do things like come back this past spring and get starts from plants and things. We were not upset at all about this it just took a little longer than expected and some of my wife's gardining plans had to be put on hold until we found out which plants she wanted.

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Permalink Reply by Brian Huff on June 24, 2008 at 4:06pm

First of all, Congratulations on your home purchase. I'd recommend doing hand exercises prior to closing because you'll be signing your name a lot.
When we bought our house, we were very lucky to have a great home inspector who took copious notes and gave them all to me regarding what may need to be fixed or updated or simply touched up. For example, the edges around all of the counters in the kitchen and bathrooms were cracking so I bought some sealant to keep water from seeping into the cabinetry.
As for tools, Erik has a pretty good list. I would definitely add a pair of vice-grips and/or channel locks. I use my vice-grips all the time. If you're at all mechanically inclined, it's fun to slowly build on your tool set over the years.
How about sprinklers? Depending on the size of your yard or your ambition to have a green thumb, they may be necessary.
There are a ton of cool "toys" I would recommend, but none of them will prevent you from keeping a successful home. (power washer, huge shop vac, any power tool).

My wife and I live in our home in Fishers, but we also own her childhood home at 62nd and Hoover. It's sort of close to Greenbrier.

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Permalink Reply by Nancy Lee on June 24, 2008 at 4:39pm

Hi, Stephen. Congrats on becoming a new homeowner! It looks like you have a good list of things to remember to get. Keep your pocket stuffed with cash, too. That helps. And have a friend with a strong back. And food. If you get people to help you move, you gotta feed 'em. So make a safe place on a kitchen counter that is for food and keep it stocked with food and have a cooler with ice and cold drinks/water. I will love my sister forever for bringing a crock-pot full of italian beef and rolls the last time I moved, back when I was still eating beef. OR maybe it was the time before that.

Anyway, I live near 86th and Ditch. You are moving into a really great area here, lots of friendly people and lots of stuff to do, places to eat, etc. You are 5 min. from Holliday Park. Try Ocean World for sushi - tacky name and decor, great place to eat sushi. And Sawasdee, Oakley's Bistro ($$$), Lulu's Electric Cafe (early morning), Smee's Place (grouper sandwich), all get a personal thumbs up from me. Ace Hardware is right on the corner of 86th and Ditch, you are gonna need to know that. Support your neighborhood power tool distributor...

Best wishes to you & your wife!

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Permalink Reply by Erik Deckers on June 24, 2008 at 5:18pm

Nancy just said something important: Ace Hardware. They're locally-owned franchises, not chains. Support them. The old-time employees in the neighborhood stores usually know a lot about the area homes and most common problems. The big box stores, well, don't.

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