Making the Move from Renting to Owning a Home – Pt 2

To Renovate or Not to Renovate

Let’s continue talking about the transition from renting to owning a home.

As a homeowner, you also have the opportunity to renovate. You can customize the home to your own preferences. For example, you can install a hammock, or a porch swing, or expand the master suite. You can build a cat-track along the ceiling or create hidden doors and compartments. You can completely change the kitchen or build an extension.

Your only limitations are budget, HOA regulations, and safety laws. Also, remember that any permanent changes you make should ideally add value (or at least not subtract it) for future buyers. When you own a home, you can modify it any way you want or you can keep the house perfect in the original design. You can make functional upgrades to improve your at-home experience and aesthetic improvements 

Adapting to the Suburbs While Owning a Home

If you’re used to a city apartment, moving to a starter home in the suburbs might have some big differences. For most, that difference is transport. You will want to be near a favored public transport or have a personal vehicle when living further out from the city. Consider your commute and need to run errands and make sure you have the transport you need. Some homes are close to nearby transport and shopping, some can be surprisingly isolated or embedded in the neighborhood.

Then there are the new noise standards. In some ways, you can make a lot more noise compared to apartment life. You can walk with heavy footsteps and play your music in the shower. On the other hand, the neighborhood is likely quieter overall. Be courteous in the hours you make noise in the yard or play music that can be heard through the windows.

Today, suburban life can be as social as you want it to be. If you prefer privacy, a city-like attitude of polite distance is considered normal. If you want to join the community, enjoy the local clubs and meetings that always form in local communities. HOA communities are often built with the idea of even more community involvement – and amenities – in trade for yearly dues.

Making the Physical Move

When you own the home, you have more time to move in. Ideally, schedule to close on the house a few months before your last rental lease completes. Then use the overlap time to move at your own pace. You can rent a truck once for the big stuff or even transfer one piece of furniture at a time in the family truck. You have time to make any last-minute repairs or changes to the house before you move in.  Additionally, you can move in the heavy furniture, fill the attic, then move everything else.

For an all-in-one truck move, be sure to load the truck in the reverse order that you want to unload. For example, you may want to pack your kitchen boxes and bathroom toiletries last so that they are the first to be unpacked when you need them.

Moving to a home that you own is easier than the quick-transition between rental homes and apartments. To be an awesome new neighbor, scout a good place to park the truck and do outdoor moving during daylight hours.

Making the Move from Renting to Owning a Home

Buying your first house is a great experience, and the biggest change is transitioning from renting to homeownership. Your experience owning a home will be shaped by how effectively you plan ahead and  From property taxes to renovations, homeownership opens up a whole new set of possibilities. Even the moving process is different and more leisurely when you own the destination home. For more helpful insights on buying and owning a home, contact us today!