
Ask HN: I just bought my first house. Any advice? - frontendstrong
I have just purchased my first home and I would like to make the most of it, but I have no idea where to start.<p>I&#x27;d like to setup maintenance schedules to make sure everything it looked after, and I love the idea of home-automation too.<p>Is anyone here in a, or been in similar situation and can share some advice?
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wahern
It's a good idea to set aside a fixed sum each month for home repairs and
mods, even if you get a home warranty as suggested by smt88.

You're probably getting too far ahead of yourself by setting up a maintenance
schedule. There's an endless number of potential repairs and jobs, even for
newer homes. For anything short of the roof caving in, your limiting factors
will be money and time. First see how quickly you can grow your fund the first
year, and only then start planning for the stuff you want to fix or enhance.
And the roof _will_ cave in shortly after you depleted your fund with some
prophylactic job.

Plus, it's hard to budget or plan until you get a feel for what _good_
contractors cost in your area and/or what amount of free time you _really_
have. Basically anybody who owns a house has at least one in progress project
at any time, and more often than not the project this month/year/decade is the
same as it was last month/year/decade.

It sounds wrong but the most prudent thing to do in the first year or three is
probably to hold off on doing anything until _real_ problems present
themselves and demand immediate attention. In the meantime just build up your
war chest and, if every is going too well, maybe do some small jobs--some with
contractors, some by yourself--so you develop a good mental model for
budgeting.

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ljsocal
Some good suggestions already, having owned a couple of homes here's my two
centavos:

-delay home automation indefinitely: current tech/prices aren't worth it

-create an owner's manual for every major system (including landscape/garden) and create calendar events with reminders for maintenance (upvote for turning AC on monthly even during winter)

-wait for at least a year before undertaking any remodeling. Get to know the home and how you live in it.

-spend time gardening. It's one of the most pleasurable parts of owning dirt. Take it easy on the new purchases of tools, bird feeders, plants, etc. It adds up fast. Read the book "The $64 Tomato: How One Man Nearly Lost His Sanity, Spent a Fortune, and Endured an Existential Crisis in the Quest for the Perfect Garden"

-help your neighbors, even if they're weird, disagreeable, or believe in UFOs.

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lettergram
Roomba was literally my first buy (big house, lots of hardwood). Then I'd say
fill it out slowly and check everything month. For instance, I do the rounds
the first of every Sunday. Change filters, check subpump, look for cracks,
etc. Track humidity. Get a dehumidifier if in a humid climate (even just the
Midwest), and track humidity. I personally have two monitors, and it's saved
me a couple of times.

If it's a new build make use of the warranty.

Oh, and it's a lot of work and things always break. Just remember to fix them
when you have time and don't worry about scratches or dents. Paint and spackle
should happen all at once, so give it time.

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smt88
1) Home automation products are pretty immature and can be frustrating. Some
are dangerous. Almost all are privacy nightmares. If you have extra cash and
enjoy tinkering, it may be worth it.

2) If you don't have big reserves of cash, get great insurance and a home
warranty, like American Home Shield. Reviews are mixed, but it's saved me
money and given me peace of mind.

3) If you live in a humid place, dehumidify. Humidity is easy to prevent and
can become a nightmare.

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byoung2
Definitely do the home warranty. We've had one major issue each year that was
completely covered by the warranty that would have been thousands to repair.

Home automation is still early stage so be prepared for lots of bugs and
tweaks. I replaced every switch in my house with smart switches and many
outlets and light fixtures as well, connected everything to Alexa (using
Insteon). Some niceties are timing outside lights to sunrise/sunset and using
motion sensors to turn off lights in unoccupied rooms.

Depending on where you live (I'm in hot and sunny Los Angeles) invest in
artificial grass and solar...They have nearly paid for themselves in 4 years.

If possible, study and upgrade your wiring and plumbing before you move in and
walls are easy to break. Upgrade your electrical panel to 200A if it's not
already that big and install a 100A subpanel on the other side of the
house...it will make any future upgrades so much easier.

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DrScump
If a home warranty (appliances, plumbing, electrical, etc.) was thrown in,
test _everything_ right away (including A/C in winter and heat in summer).

Also (perhaps USA only): go to City Hall and pull all building permits and
plans for the property. If there was work done without appropriate permits,
the seller or warrantor should make you whole on that.

Also, if you find a strongbox hidden under the floorboards of the den, that's
mine -- I forgot it.

