What First time Homebuyers Need After Moving In and Always Forget: MABA Massachusetts HomeBuyers RealEstate

 First time homebuyers are no doubt excited when they move in, and eager to furnish their new digs with all the essentials. But here’s the rub: While they may be thrilled to buy the perfect coffee table and ottomans and those things are certainly nice to have they may not be exactly necessary. In the excitement of setting up your first house, it’s all too easy to overlook a few items that will truly come in handy.

 Curious about what you might be missing? We canvassed new homeowners as well as real estate pros for the essentials you’ll want at the ready on move-in day. Behold these eight surprising must-haves to add to your cart, plus some advice on picking the best of the bunch.

1. Fire extinguisher

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There’s a 15-foot range, and it’s rechargeable.

The Home Depot

 Every broker and homeowner polled for this article made a fire extinguisher priority number one. Place one on every floor in your new home, and definitely include one in the kitchen since most fires start here. It’s also smart to have a fire extinguisher in the garage or shed in case dry leaves or other yardwork spark a flame.

 This pick (sixty dollars, The Home Depot) offers a six year warranty and sports clear graphics to illustrate how it’s used. (Smart tip: As soon as you can, take the whole family into the backyard and practice using it.) Don’t forget to pick up smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, along with batteries, “so you can have peace of mind during the first night’s sleep,” says Adam Graham, an industry analyst who covers real estate and home construction at Fixr.

2. Heavy-duty garbage cans

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Sturdy wheels make moving this a breeze.

Lowe’s

 After years of apartment living, you’re no doubt used to tossing your garbage bag down a chute or leaving it for a building staffer to pick up. But once you become a homeowner, curbside pickup is usually the way trash and recyclables are hauled away, which means you’ll need a sturdy can that will withstand the elements.

 A rugged container keeps your waste safe and smell free and is especially smart since “you may not have set up trash collection service by the time you’ve moved in,” says Caroline Kalpinski, a real estate agent with Sotheby’s International in Asheville, NC. Backed by a ten year warranty, this heavy duty trash bin (sixty five dollars, Lowe’s) has a tight seal to thwart critters from diving for corn cobs and is compatible with many types of municipal truck lifters.

3. Flashlights

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Red and blue shades will stand out.

Amazon

 Why struggle to find the breaker panel in the basement? A flashlight on hand will save you every time, whether there’s a power outage due to a storm or you’re poking around in a dark crawl space for the first time. This four pack (fourteen dollars, Amazon) is ideal since you can keep one each in the kitchen, the bedrooms, and the garage. These flashlights also come with batteries (for sixty hours of juice).

4. Sump pump

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Wet basement? Not on your watch.

The Home Depot

 A sump pump is pricey, but even if you think the basement will never flood, cleaning up even one busted pipe is worth the investment. Plus, it’s hard to tell what the weather can bring in a new location, so it’s better to be prepared. Pre-assembled and ready to pop in, this energy-efficient sump pump (four hundred and forty nine dollars, The Home Depot) has a battery backup system and round the clock monitoring capability.

5. Power strips

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A two-pack plus surge protection

Amazon

 Extension cords are obvious, as your new house might be larger or “the TV and lamps might be in different areas than your previous home,” says Graham. But along with longer cords, add power strips to your cart (bonus if they have USB ports). These strips (thirty dollars for a two pack, Amazon) come with surge protection, six outlets, and USB options. The steel gray tone will blend nicely into most color schemes.

6. Step stool

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It folds flat for easy storage.

Amazon

 On Day One (or Day Two), you’ll be hanging everything from blackout shades and curtains to framed photos and a pot rack. And don’t forget about changing hard to reach lightbulbs. For all of these tasks, a simple step stool is essential, especially one with an anti skid rubber bottom and the ability to withstand three hudred pounds on top. We love that this stool comes in four different sizes and seven colors like pink, ocean blue, and coral (twenty dollars, Amazon).

7. Stud finder

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Sexy? Nah, but it’s very useful.

Amazon

Becca Stewart, a military spouse in San Antonio, TX, who moves frequently, swears by her tool kit and work gloves for all the handiwork you need to do on move in day. But this box isn’t complete without a stud finder. You need this device to locate the studs in your walls so the pictures, mirrors, and huge flat screen TV are anchored securely. (Most items can’t hang safely on drywall alone.). This well-priced stud finder (thirty dollars, Amazon) can locate metal, live wires, pipe, and more behind your walls so you don’t bang away blindly. And the LCD screen and alarm offer both visual and audio clues, which means you’ll never mis-hang anything in your new home.

8. Outdoor key box

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If you have teens, you need an extra hidden key.

Amazon

 There’s nothing worse than returning to your new home during the first week and realizing you can’t find the key to your front door. The fix: A lockbox with a protective cover will hold an extra set of keys as long as you can remember the four-digit code. (Your birthday, perhaps?) This pick (seventeen dollars, Amazon) is easy to set up as it comes with the mounting hardware you need, and there’s room for multiple keys within, like for the back shed or car. You’ll sleep better knowing there’s an extra key for anyone whose backpack or purse tends to be a black hole for important items like a key.

The post 8 Things First-time Homebuyers Need After Moving In—and Always Forget appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

 

 

First Time Home Buying in Massachusetts

first time home buyers in massachusetts real estate agents | homebuyer real estate buyers brokerMABA Buyer Agents help first time home buyers reduce the stress and frustration normally associated with buying a home or condo – especially for first time home buyers.

As a first time homebuyer in Massachusetts, you can turn to our non-profit organization to help you understand and navigate the complexities of the entire Massachusetts real estate transaction, from mortgage pre-approval until you are handed the keys to your new home or condominium. Each of our member buyer's brokers and agents works only for their buyer-clients and never for the seller of the home or condo that their buyers want to buy.

MABA Buyer Agents will take the time to learn about you and your real estate goals, help you understand your options, including first time home buyer programs, properties and/or condominium associations, estimate real property values and put together a negotiating strategy to help you increase the odds of getting your offer accepted in our competitive Massachusetts real estate market. After advocating to get your offer accepted, your MABA buyer's agent will be there for you at your home inspection and help you protect your deposit through the inspection, purchase & sale and financing contingency periods.

You can buy your first home or condo with confidence knowing that your MABA buyer agent is committed to saving you time and money and helping you make your best home buying decision.

 

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"Thanks to our MABA agent's knowledge, analysis, and guidance, when we found our house, we knew it was the house for us. During the negotiation, we felt confident and secure."

Samantha and Brendan


Article From: "Jennifer Kelly Geddes"   Read full article

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