Tips for new homeowner

Working_Mum

I agree totally with bedding, mattresses etc.

My "top tip" would be a wide ironing board and a powerful steam iron - I have a Tefal one which my parents bought me a few years ago as a Christmas present and I love it. It whizzes through ironing in double quick time, which is a godsend when you're ironing 15 shirts a week :-)

Don't forget your outside space and a few minutes spent planting a few bulbs (picked up cheaply at B&Q, HomeB4rgains etc) now will reap rewards in the spring and summer next year!

My old next door neighbour showed me the power of a shopping list so make sure you have one of those close to where you prep food so you can add to your shopping list as you run out of things! She also told me rather sagely "if you have it you have to clean it" - less was definitely more for her!!

I would recommend having a plan to pay your mortgage off early - follow all the wonderful advice on here and you could end up mortgage and clutter free!!

greenbee

lessonlearned wrote: »

A decent bed is your top priority.

Money I have to disagree with your comments out jumbo sized bath sheets. I guess standard size are ok if you are a small person. The bigger, the fluffier, the more luxurious the better. :rotfl:

I'm with you on this one! But when I first got my own house, my towels (and sheets) like the furniture were all donated by family.

Money - a friend who makes curtains tells me that generally they shouldn't be washed. You should hoover them using the upholstery attachment on the hoover. You can usually get away with it if the curtains are plain cotton with cotton linings, but anything else is too risky. And TBH the shouldn't be getting that dirty. Some laundries will clean them but expect you to sign a disclaimer unless they have a label that gives cleaning instructions (usually the symbol for 'delicate' dry cleaning).

moneyistooshorttomention

I'd never realised that - ie re curtains...learn summat new all the time...

There was me thinking it's necesssary - though I've not got a lot of the "stuff that makes things dirty" happening in my house, eg smoking or the like.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Brand new pillows and the best mattress you can afford. It'll be worth every penny. Pillow and a mattress protector will be worth it from the outset, as you'll probably spill something on them if you don't. And pillows look horrid when they go yellow.

A nice, cuddly blanket/fleece that can go on your bed if you're cold, over your sofa for comfort or appearance, or over you if you're cold downstairs. IKEA again.

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If you dye your hair, black towels from IKEA are brilliant (I like them anyway, as you don't have to worry about towels going dingy grey).

A good mirror for the bathroom/doing makeup/putting in contact lenses.

You'll probably need a toilet roll holder and a small bin for the bathroom.

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Cleaning stuff - toilet brush (new, but cheap, so you can replace it frequently), washing up liquid, bleach, sponges with the white scouring pad on one side, couple of washing up brushes, 2 pairs rubber gloves and kitchen roll will cover most eventualities. A new washing up bowl. New broom/brush, mop and bucket. Spare bucket. The best vacuum cleaner you can afford (a £25 one will probably fail within months and I'd personally recommend a bagless one, rather than running out of replacement bags).Dustpan and brush. A kitchen bin & bin bags - using a carrier bag over a cupboard door handle makes me sad. You can get into buying more things later, but these are enough to keep the place clean at first.

A new mug that you really like.

Toaster and microwave - cheap but new.

Some new chopping boards - IKEA are cheap - so you don't damage the countertop.

If you haven't had them before, a new, good quality kitchen knife, vegetable knife and peeler. Couple of wooden spoons, set of measuring spoons, a cheap set of scales if you want to bake, couple of mixing bowls, a roaster tin, a baking sheet and a couple of smaller rectangular baking tins for smaller meals. A set of jugs - 2l & 1l will cover it. IKEA again, but not the very basic knives, as they aren't great. A small knife sharpener. A pair of kitchen scissors.

Plates/bowls/mugs that don't have metal/gilt trim and say 'microwave safe' on the base.

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A couple of lamps for subdued lighting - IKEA will do fine - as the main light can be too bright for relaxing.

A rug for the living room, one for your bedroom, a doormat inside the house both at the front door and the back - I'd stick to buying new, rather than risk other people's things having clothes moth larvae in them (ask me how I know this :cool:). IKEA does the job there.

Somewhere to put your keys, etc, as soon as you walk in the door, so you don't lose them. It'll become a habit very quickly and it saves hours to automatically put them in the same place every evening (not within reach of the letterbox, but somewhere that is on your route from when you walk in the door).

Somewhere to hang your coat up/put your outdoor footwear - a cheap shoe rack will do.

IKEA do incredibly long curtains very cheaply - they'll do for at least a while.

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The only thing I would absolutely insist upon having new would be the mattress & pillows (because I don't want to sleep in somebody else's dustmites), any rugs and the toaster/microwave, as you don't want to be wondering whether they're actually safe to use.

As an aside, it might be a little overzealous, but if you are getting secondhand furniture, it won't hurt to use a crawling bug spray on the item just in case the last person hadn't noticed something hiding in the corners/underneath.


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And, last of all, it'll be worth every penny in peace of mind alone to get a locksmith around to change/improve the locks on your front and back door.

PollyWollyDoodle

Ive owned my own home for 35+ years and the only things I have ever bought new are beds and sofas. I've been lucky enough to be given some Gplan furniture, not everyone's taste but I like classic styles, and I really don't like stuff that looks brand new! Hunt charity shops, Freecycle and Gumtree for furniture, and as someone said above, if you paint it all the same colour then it doesn't matter if it doesn't match.

Have fun! And don't accept donations unless you really want them. Friends and relatives will try to offload things, often with good intentions but often also to assuage their guilt about throwing stuff out, or to avoid having to go to the dump. If you accept it, you'll find yourself using it 'for the time being' and years later it will still be there!

trailingspouse

Jojo's list is excellent - I would just add, don't buy things like roasting tins or baking trays until you are actually going to use them. That way, you don't waste money buying stuff that you think you 'ought' to have.

moneyistooshorttomention

trailingspouse wrote: »

Jojo's list is excellent - I would just add, don't buy things like roasting tins or baking trays until you are actually going to use them. That way, you don't waste money buying stuff that you think you 'ought' to have.

:rotfl:Sounds like people are still buying "bottom drawer" stuff then:rotfl: (albeit not those casserole dishes big enough for 4 servings that I bought):)

The funny thing was that it was a friend of mine that had been hoping to be my mother-in-law that figured out that I'd been doing that - and bought me several casserole type dishes suitable for one.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

:rotfl:Sounds like people are still buying "bottom drawer" stuff then:rotfl: (albeit not those casserole dishes big enough for 4 servings that I bought):)

The funny thing was that it was a friend of mine that had been hoping to be my mother-in-law that figured out that I'd been doing that - and bought me several casserole type dishes suitable for one.

They're things I thought about in my house that we actually need and, if somebody has only rented (or lived at their parents'), they wouldn't necessarily think of them when shopping, I didn't include casserole dishes, cake tins, woks or suchlike on the assumption that if somebody is buying the cheapest set of pans, they probably don't do a huge amount of cooking for themselves yet and don't have any equipment/could do without spending all their money in the kitchen department.



I imagine 'bottom drawer' stuff as a cheaper version of a wedding list - but of things actually needed rather than the nice/shiny/expensive (and completely unnecessary) stuff from the John Lewis website.

Nobody needs a five hundred quid blender, silver picture frames, candlesticks, fruit bowls or slow cooker, complete set of crystal champagne flutes and a Royal Doulton Dancing Lady figurine. Most of the things listed are easily bought from IKEA, don't include the ubiquitous tea lights or oversized but already half dead pot plant/preprinted 'art' canvas of a jetty/city night scene and, with a few exceptions for hygiene/safety, can be sourced secondhand.

buildersdaughter

Wonderful advice! I did have a 'bottom drawer' and it was useful stuff, when I married 46 years ago! My top item, which hasn't been mentioned was my sewing machine, which I got early as I was only 20 when we married (there's another bit of social history, the gift of a sewing machine on your 21st birthday, so you could always have a means of making a living)
I also managed for years without a washing machine - washed by hand, including sheets - but I did have garden with a washing line.
I totally agree with the mismatched stuff - once you get it all together, it looks great.
For storing food, save glass jars, to put on shelves, and buy 'klippits' for stuff you keep in cupboards or drawers.

One of my top tips would be to make sure you get the neighbours on board. Let them know you are just starting out - most will be helpful. If you run to inviting them in a for a drink and nibbles, do, if not, take round a card and possibly a small pot plant (inexpensive from Lidl / market). I have had some wonderful neighbours over the years who have been a great source of help to me.

I agree about a snuggly throw. Really get to know your home's cold and hot spots and how the cold or warm air moves about the house (another reason not to rush to put stuff in place too early) and if you have them, the vagaries of the thermostats.. That will help you use your heating most effectively.

I'd ask for a slow cooker for Xmas, but not everyone likes them.

Happy Xmas in your new home

paddy's_mum

If you make it a rule to buy only white crockery, everything you ever own will 'match'.

Make yourself known to whoever in your district does house clearances - once they know what you are looking for, you are likely to be their first phone call.

I wish you every happiness in your new home.