Hello. I'm in my mid 20s and we are going to become first time home owners next year. My parents never taught me ANYTHING about how to maintain a home. I was wondering if anyone had any nuggets of wisdom they'd like to share. I'm about to start my homesteading journey- interested in cooking, canning, prepping, and gardening. It's all quite overwhelming and I'm not sure where to start. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks
1st Time Home Owner Advice
- Thread starter user 4174
- Start date
Help Support Homesteading & Country Living Forum:
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2020
- Messages
- 9,521
Watch for plumbing problems and fix them fast.
They Don't fix themselves and will cause more damage.
Get a rebuild kit for your toilet and learn gow to do the rebuild. The only toilet that will not need rebuilt is an outhouse.
Ben
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2017
- Messages
- 19,715
Learn where and how to shut off all utilities in case of emergencies: water for whole house and for each place (toilets, sinks, etc.), electrical and gas.
Even in months when you have no maintenance expenses, whatever your mortgage is, set aside 10% to go towards maintenance. Then when shingles blow off the roof or the hot water heater dies, you are not in emergency mode. It is far easier the keep things maintained than it is to repair/replace them.
Change your HVAC filters!! Saves a lot of time and money! Your house stays cleaner and your unit works more efficiently. Same goes for washer and dryer filters and clean behind and under the refrigerator. These appliances will last longer and cost less to operate when clean! The main thing, ask a lot of questions here, there's always a lot of help on H&CL!!
Welcome to the forum
It won't be long till you know all sounds, of all the equipment, and how to take care of em all. Do your PM, fix the little stuff early and ask here if you have questions, somebody here has been there, done that, and come out the other side.
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2017
- Messages
- 4,097
Don't be afraid to buy tools as you need them, but take care of them. Even Harbor freight tools have their place. I know when you are doing a job the cost of materials seems astronomical. However you will likely need that tool again and now you already have one. In our youth my wife would say what you need a tool for that? I would just shrug and say hire a contractor they already have tools.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2017
- Messages
- 3,237
And label the breaker box if not already. Much earier to know which switch goes to what in the house.
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2017
- Messages
- 3,237
There is washer filters now days? I haven't had to buy a new washer for years now. Last one I got was a Speed Queen top loader. These are actually used a lot in laundrymats and USA made so if something does go wrong, I can hopefully get parts. I did have to travel about an hour and a half to track down a place that even sold them and believe it or not, a small town. This was when I believe the first front washers started to become a thing and heard horror stories of leaking.
I have an ancient Maytag, no filter. But the new stupid front loads do! Just gotta know your applicanes!
YES, our house is CRAZY how it's wired!!
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2017
- Messages
- 3,237
I knew about the refridgerators, but had no clue about washers. I am too old school apparently.
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2020
- Messages
- 9,521
Get a profesional inspection before buying!
Unless you are looking for a crash course in home maint
Ben
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2017
- Messages
- 3,237
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2020
- Messages
- 9,521
That may be a requirement for a mortgage.
All of my places (save one) were handyman specials sold " as is".
Ben
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2017
- Messages
- 3,237
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2020
- Messages
- 9,521
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2020
- Messages
- 9,521
Just for fun...
This was the family inspecting the last handyman special.
We are in year 5 of that project. Had dig out the basement by hand then lift each of the walls to replace shoe plates. It is close to done. 2 bedroom 2 bath great room and laundry/ pantry. My brother is finishing up the bathrooms and drywall.
We spent more on the kitchen cabinets and counter than we did for the house and land.
Ben
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2017
- Messages
- 3,237
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2020
- Messages
- 9,521
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2017
- Messages
- 3,237
Is this one of your handyman specials? Nice!
Is this yours?
Is this yours?
Last edited:
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2017
- Messages
- 3,237
I really love the farm sink! But it takes so much water basically being a trough. When I got a chance to upgrade the kitchen back in 2020, I went with the stainless steel under counter double. Yeah, I am the more practicle money saving type. You can only wash in that sink. Where is the rinse? Under the faucet? I am not one the uses a dishwasher either. When we first moved into our home Hunny asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I told him a garbage disposal. That is exactly what I got.
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2020
- Messages
- 9,521
That is the place where the inspection paid off. The flat roof was bad and wood ant infested. Saved us about $25k on the price. Did ourselves for about $15k. It is approaching the halfway point for paying for itself. We are planning to let it pay for a storage shed at the top of the yard.
Ben
If you decide to remodel only do one room at a time. the nephew of a friend tore his entire house apart. Now his house looks like a nuclear disaster. He can't get away from a construction zone and it is overpowering.
You can get by with an oven that is not self-cleaning. They aren't THAT hard to clean manually. But do not get a freezer unless it is self-defrosting. Do they even make freezers that aren't self-defrosting anymore?
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2020
- Messages
- 9,521
Yes 5hey do ( as of maybe five years ago).
We Have one for our long term storage. I keep my seeds in there because they keep longer not being temp cycled. That cheat freezer identifies as a work bench so little frost build up.
Ben
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2017
- Messages
- 18,438
My freezers always freeze up. I have to chisel them.
Mine too, except the freezer in my beer fridge....
It decides when it wants to defrost!! Really stupid!!
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2022
- Messages
- 3,162
Our daughter just listed her house for sale. It's over 100 years old and is in need of a lot of work. It's in an area zoned multiple use so it should sell fast, and for a good price.
When buying a house, the buyer should always get an inspection. It's money well spent. Generally, if a buyer will need a mortgage an inspection is mandatory by the lending institution. If the buyer is paying cash, an inspection is optional and is the responsibility of the buyer.
Some sellers may accept an ower carry deal. I've bought and sold property with an owner carry, always with a large down and negotiated interest rates. Sometimes thats the only way to make the deal work out. There are many ways to buy and sell property. I bought a ranch once where I made an offer with a large down and offered to pay interest only payments for 5 years at 6% interest with a ballon payment at the end. It worked out well for both parties.
There are two types of financing that I personally would stay away from, both as a buyer and as a seller, and thats FHA and VA. Too much government involvement and too many requirements.
When buying a house, the buyer should always get an inspection. It's money well spent. Generally, if a buyer will need a mortgage an inspection is mandatory by the lending institution. If the buyer is paying cash, an inspection is optional and is the responsibility of the buyer.
Some sellers may accept an ower carry deal. I've bought and sold property with an owner carry, always with a large down and negotiated interest rates. Sometimes thats the only way to make the deal work out. There are many ways to buy and sell property. I bought a ranch once where I made an offer with a large down and offered to pay interest only payments for 5 years at 6% interest with a ballon payment at the end. It worked out well for both parties.
There are two types of financing that I personally would stay away from, both as a buyer and as a seller, and thats FHA and VA. Too much government involvement and too many requirements.
Speaking of beer in a freezer ...Mine too, except the freezer in my beer fridge....
I learned a lesson yesterday. I usually remove a bottle of beer from the fridge and put it in the freezer for 25 minutes right before I drink it. Comes out nice and cold. But yesterday, the beer had started to freeze. A few ice crystals in there. But not too many. It opened just fine. I had the bright idea to take a shish-kebob skewer and stir the beer a little to mix in and dissolve the ice crystals. DO NOT DO THIS! That beer became a volcano on my kitchen counter. Foam just came spewing out the top. Lots and lots of foam. And it just kept coming and coming. So I had my second bright idea to pour the spewing beer out into a glass. Well, the foam monster turned the glass into a wide mouth volcano that overflowed the glass. By the time I dried up all the beer on the kitchen counter and spooned out all the foam still filling the glass, I had about half of the original beer volume left to drink. You'd think an 11 oz beer would have fit into a 16 oz glass. Wrong!
