9th of October 2019 is my Mum’s birthday (Happy Birthday Mum!). However, it also marks 10 years of me being a homeowner. 10 whole years! Can you believe it? No, neither can I.
In that time, I have discovered a lot about owning a home and the crap that comes with it. So today, I thought I would share some of my thoughts from over the past 10 years:
001) Water:
The absolute bane of my life. I live in a middle flat – the sandwich filling if you like. I have had water issues from above and below (turns out that the one below was a communal pipe). These are stressful! Cue plenty of phone calls, tears, showers at the gym and emergency stays at friends.
002) Savings:
Having a little pot of savings (I call it emergency/rainy day money) is incredibly useful for all those unexpected costs. Lock yourself out? Use the funds for a locksmith. Fridge on the blink? Buy yourself a new fridge.
003) Cost:
The cost of owning a home is much more than the initial deposit. It is the little things: the Council Tax, the insurances, the cost of a tradesman for doing an unplanned job etc.
004) Skills:
You will learn skills you never thought you would acquire. For some reason I now know how to dismantle a Yale lock.
005) Decorating:
Decorating is all good and well. However, if you are decorating after moving in or a couple of years down the line, you will no doubt be playing the ‘where do I put this in the meantime’ game. Spoiler: in a 1 bed flat, it is hard!
006) Fixed rate price tariffs:
Fixing rates for Electricity and Gas is incredibly useful if you work with a budget or have a single income. I am one of those people who like to know at the start of the month how much I need to assign to Direct Debits. This then allows me to budget for fun things.
007) Neighbours:
Neighbours can essentially make or break a property. Most of the issues I have had over the years have been due to students leasing the properties. Generally they have a) not realised that noise travels easily in Victorian Tenements or b) forgotten that some residents are professionals and therefore may quite rightly disapprove of 3am parties with a work wake up call of 5am. A few words with Landlords/Leasing Agent is usually key to sorting that out.
008) Furnishings:
No-one tells you how expensive furnishing your home can be. Even if you do a stop at IKEA for the basics, it all mounts up much to the dismay of your bank balance. Speaking of which, I need to order a new wardrobe…
009) Never enough space:
More space is something I constantly dream of. I like my flat but sometimes I wish there was an extra bedroom/office, a bigger kitchen (I like cooking/baking) or even a little more storage. It certainly would help when I have guests staying. Although I am now pretty efficient at turning my living room into comfy sleeping quarters/Alfie & Maisie’s private hotel (they like lying on the sofa bed – creature comforts and all that).
010) Ask for advice:
Asking others for advice has been a lifesaver. In my instance, my Dad is the wise old Owl I go to when I need something. He seems to know everything to do with being an adult…
