Just Bought a Home and Don't Know What I Need!

Chris,
I may not be in the norm here, but after purchasing many homes and upgrading size, etc. the most important thing I can share with you is LESS IS MORE! Unless money is no object, you can easily celebrate yourself into financial problems and take the shine of the experience and joy you are having at buying your first home. Also, after you live in a home for a while, it looks and feels different that you expect it to, so things you may have purchased early are not what you prefer in a very short time. So, my advice, move in...buy as little as possilbe...and when you LIVE there, you will know what you really NEED and feel what you prefer or really want.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

Plunger
6 Foot ladder

Don't know what was already said (I didn't read it all). But here's my thoughts:

Lawn mower, edge trimmer, trowel, pruner, etc.

Lightbulbs (florescent are best for energy saving), furnace filters, etc. Plunger, maybe a plumber's snake, extra bolts and such, wrench. Basically, you are now in charge of any and all repairs needed (no more calling maintenance). But in general, a hammer, screwdriver, wrench, and basic tool set should be enough to start (don't buy a bunch of fancy stuff you may not need). Oh, and fuses if the electricity is still on a fuse box (or whatever a breaker box uses .... don't know that, we still had fuses).

Also look into your cities sanitation department and see if they have recylcing and green waste receptacles as well as a garbage can. You'll be throwing less into the landfill.

Congratulations on your new home! I bought a town house a year ago, and it was surprising all the things I needed that I didn't think of, since I'd lived in apartments before. Don't forget shower curtains! Also, the hooks that go on the back of bathroom and bedroom doors to hang robes and such will come in handy. If you live in a cold climate, remember snow shovels and rock salt to melt the ice on your sidewalk. Enjoy!

I found that one of the biggest expenses I overlooked was window coverings. Drapes, blinds, whatever can cost a lot of money. GL and congrats on the house!

I read your profile and see that you're adopting. We have 2 boys and are also pursuing adoption of a daughter from China. GL with the adoption and God Bless.

keep a record of the paint and flooring that you put in so that when small repairs need to be made, it's easy to find a good match.

Congrats on the home! My husband and I just moved in to our first home last month so it's fresh in my mind! The things I needed the most were a step stool (if you don't have one) that I keep in the pantry. course I am 5 foot 2 in so not eveyone needs that. But the MAJOR thing I was shocked about was organizers. I spent $300 on random organizers for the kitchen, bathroom drawers,and pantry. Now I did go all out and got turntables for my linin closets (for lotions, pills, face creams ect.) and spices, over the door hooks, shower organizers, and plasitc bims for under all the sinks to hold clearners and spray bottles, towel racks (to avoid drilling holes in my kitchen cabnets), dividers, and clip magnets for the fridge. but it was worth it. However I was shocked at how much it all cost. Also liners for all the kitchen cabnates and bathrooms. None of these things are a necessity, so if you can't afford it don't, but if you can, they are really nice. I feel VERY organized and lack of organization was my biggest pet peeve when I was renting. Good luck in your new home!

if it is a new build are there towel racks and toilet paper roll racks? I know some new houses come with those others don't. older houses check how sturdy they are you may be needing to replace some.
Shower curtain rods and curtains, unless it is enclosed
curtains, make sure you measure your windows before you go shopping...if you are not doing curtains then blinds unless you got lucky and the house comes with what you love--and if you are buying don't forget your hardware
one nice thing is everything is on sale right now trying to get traffic into stores because of the economy.
if it's a new house the fridge, that one was one I forgot to prepare for until just before we moved in
once you are in run all your appliances and make sure they are working, even in a new house--we had to replace our dishwasher after only 2 years because the one they put in was a really cheap one, I want to replace the stove for the same reason but we didn't budget for that--so are in the process of saving for one now
we put in a large freezer in the garage because we had the space and we save tons of money by being able to buy in bulk
I love our spot bot for small clean up jobs it goes to work for me while I do other things around the house
One of the first things I did was buy picture frames and get some of our artwork and pictures on the wall finally no paying someone for the holes!! :) I could put my stamp on it how I wanted.
even though we had a new build we had to go back through and regrout a few things, our kitchen sink, and the master bath--it looked great for about 5 months and then we noticed the peeling etc. it had been done too quickly--
a lot of those things will come up as you go along, but a good piece of advice we didn't listen to was to put aside 10-20 a month for household repairs that will come up along the way, we've had to eat them as they come along, but I am hoping next year to start implementing that advice.
new builds have the yard to put in, if it is landscaped there is the restructuring to make it yours...
I agree with one of the other posters...batteries. First thing, check all your smoke alarms and replace batteries if it is an older house just to be safe. and mark it on the calander so you know when to replace them.
a matt at doors with high traffic to help limit foot dirt
right now ice or sand to help with snow removal.
a shovel or snowblower
if its a new build, a mailbox if you aren't in a community that has the lock ones--that was something I really hadn't thought about! lol. and to make sure that the address is on the box and ledgible
we don't do a name on ours for identity protection, it isn't much but a little...
your cleaning supplies are similar to the apartment just more because of more space which is a blessing and a curse!
nails to hang stuff, a stud finder (they are not expensive and help make sure anything heavy is hung where it will stay and not tear up the drywall)
oh! the foam sealing stuff to keep mice out! I wish we had thought of that when we moved in but we didn't and when the field behind us was developed...yuck! we got rid of them and sealed up the house but that was really gross and I wish we had thought to seal it up when we first moved in.
shelf liners can save your pantry shelves from cans scraping them up
that's the list I came up with off the top of my head--congrats on the new house!!!

You have lots of advice on what you need, but my advice on how to get some of it is to check out craigslist.com in your area. My husband and I just merged 2 households and we have doubles(or triples) of everything and are selling our things for a fraction of their cost online just to get them out of the house. Lots of great deals to be had on the site on EVERYTHING...including moving boxes! It's like a garage sale but for stuff you actually need.

PS...from my experience the "free" stuff goes within an hour of being posted...no matter what it is!

Hi Chris, Congratulations! I loved moving into a brand new home! Of course that was 27 years ago! The one thing that has made us happy in our home is a snow blower. It also has made it nice for our neighbors. You know your blow snow just a little further down your side walk not just in front of your home. Ours is quite big not sure how many horse power but we have also just loaned it out for anyone to use when the snow has been quite deep and too much for us older residents but fine for the younger neighbors. Enjoy your new home and your neighbors! K. K.

Hi Chris,

luckily you can kind of buy as you go... obviously, right now.. you will probably need a snow shovel... but things like a lawn mower can wait until spring... though you should price shop for things you will need, so you can see what is a good price, etc.

I don't know how old your home is, but there are about a million little things that may need fixing or sprucing up, so also keep in mind buying things like paint & painting supplies, curtains, etc. I wouldn't go nuts buying things ahead of time... it helps to spread things out.

also!... since you are buying a home now, it might be a good idea to put the word out that what you'd like for xmas is home depot/lowe's gift cards. we bought a house shortly before we got married and ended up getting a lot of those for wedding gifts... boy did we ever appreciate those! there will be a ton of things you won't even think of, so just go with the flow. also, speaking of xmas presents... you hubbie (or you) might also let it be known you'd like a basic tool kit... hammer, screwdrivers, etc. that is a good place to start

good luck and I wish you much happiness in your new house!

Hi Chris - congratulations on your new home! We were quite surprised at everything we needed. The things we didnt have were things for outside maintenance - a lawnmower was our first purchase (we bought used) We also had to buy trashcans since our trash service didnt provide them.

The other things you'll buy as you need them - don't try to do it all at once. You'll probably end up with a ladder, a leaf rake, a snow shovel, a digging shovel and something to trim the bushes with. Don't be afraid to ask your neighbors if you need an item that you might only need once in a while - as long as you return it quickly and in good clean condition, they won't mind.

One thing I am always using at our house is Command hooks and adhesive. I have them inside cupboard doors to hang towels, dust broom and pan, and we just used them to hang our stockings. Have fun with the house.

Might I suggest banking the 'free month' of no mortgage due. Put the money you won't be paying out in rent or mortgage in a separate account to tap into when YOU decide you need something. Although its tempting to stock up on things you might/may need in reality the type of tools you need will depend on so many factors.

Plus sales happen on seasonal items through the year: snowshovels, rakes, etc. And some things that require tools may also require the professional to go with them. Repairs always come up, having the fund set up to take care of those things will put you ahead of the game and make ownership enjoyable rather than 'surprising'.

Save your cash and buy as you need. Congrats on your new home!!!!

Mower, edgers, rake, shovel, garden hoses, snow shovels, a good basic tool set, sprinklers (if you don't have a built in system), measuring tape, flashlights, drill. I suggest an (rechargeable) electric screw driver, that is the handiest thing in my house! I use it all the time. Make sure the smoke alarms work, CO2 detectors (plug ins are as inexpensive as $15 a piece, one for every level of the house).

Keep caulk on hand, for every room, like bathroom, kitchen.
Make sure you have a back up furnace filters as you need to change those monthly to help keep costs down and your furnace running efficiently.

Keep lot's of batteries on hand, change out light bulbs with the new ones that reduce electricity bills and help a lot, the fluorescent bulbs. They last a long time! :)

Congrats on your first home, it is a lot of work, but worth it. I love yardwork in the spring and summer, you will have fun planting flowers. I suggest a cordless electric mower too! Less maintenance needed, no gas to have to store on hand, they recharge all year round but start up very easy, very easy to push and better for the environment. I have one and it is not even a chore to mow the yard. They cost a little more but will save you with not paying for gas or oil for traditional mowers.