Moving From an Apartment to Owning a House: What You Should Know

Going from renting to owning a home is an exciting step in life. You can finally choose your paint colors, remodel and make as much noise as you want! It can also feel a bit stressful when it comes to taking on responsibilities your landlord used to own. We’ve rounded up some of our top things to know when moving from an apartment to owning a house.

Prepare Yourself for Outside Maintenance

You may not have noticed the short-cut grass and mulched garden beds that surrounded your apartment building, or that the sidewalk was usually cleared of snow before walking to your car. Most traditional rentals leave the landlord to take care of any outside maintenance around the property. However, these once-unnoticed tasks have now become obligations that you will need to take care of on your own.

Having a few outdoor maintenance tools is important when it comes to home ownership. Things like having a reliable lawn mower to cut your grass, a tall ladder to rid your gutters of leaves in the fall and spring, and proper snow removal equipment like a shovel or snow blower can help you be prepared in all seasons. If you don’t own these tools, you may want to consider purchasing them before moving (or adding them to your home registry for friends and family looking to buy you a house-warming gift!).

If, however, this step in moving from an apartment to owning a house seems daunting, there are most likely reliable local businesses in your area that you can hire to help you out.

Build Up Your Tool Kit

Similarly, if your landlord took care of your outside maintenance, you likely called them if things went wrong on the inside of your apartment, too. Having a few key tools on hand can make things easier when situations arise in your home. Having things like a wrench to fix a leaky faucet, a hammer or drill for hanging home decor (now that you’re allowed to put holes in your walls!) and a box cutter to easily break down moving boxes can all be handy tools to keep in your tool kit. For more ideas of what to fill your new tool box with, click here.

Get to Know the Utilities in Your New Home

Eager to get renovating and make your house a home?  Some of those renovations may  require you to shut off the power in an area of your home. Running back and forth between your electrical panel and your project can be time consuming and frustrating. When you have some free time, go through your electrical panel, turning breakers on and off, and label everything. You might be surprised at what different areas of your home are connected to the same breaker.

Similarly, you will want to know how to turn all of the water sources on and off. You should also learn the ins-and-outs of your heating and cooling systems, including when they were last serviced and how to property run them. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the thought of knowing furnace or plumbing maintenance, these are all things that a local professional can help walk you through.

Familiarize Yourself with Your New Area

If you’re new to the area, it’s always a good idea to familiarize yourself with your new surroundings. Things like introducing yourself to your new neighbors, finding the best pizza places and knowing where your local hardware and grocery stores are can help you  immerse yourself in your new location and maybe make a new friend or two along the way.

Make Sure Your New Investment is Protected

You should contact your local insurance agent to help make sure you have a homeowners policy that adequately protects you and your new home. Now is also a great time to ask about multipolicy discounts to maximize savings.

Once you have moved in, it’s also a great time to take snapshots of all the rooms in your house, visually capturing your property and possessions. These photos will come in handy should you ever experience a loss as they will be helpful to your insurance provider in helping you get back on your feet.

Moving from an apartment to owning a house is an exciting change. Keep these things in mind to help to settle your nerves and set yourself up for new homeowner success. Click the link below to find a local agent in your new area to make sure your humble abode is properly protected.