Congratulations, you’ve bought a new home!Enjoy the ride, but remember these golden tips to avoid an overwhelming situation.
Start off on the right foot in your new home by understanding a few tricks of the trade, so to speak.
From creating a foolproof bill paying system to getting to know your neighbours, we asked a few home owners for their best tips for getting settled without angst.
You may be used to having funds debited from your account – your rent, your streaming services, your phone bill, your gym – but when you buy a home, a few more (rather large) bills start coming your way such as insurance, water, gas and electricity.
You’ll want to set up a secure and reliable system to keep these sorted to avoid getting caught out when it’s debit day – as sometimes, unfortunately, bills can come when you least expect it.
BPAY® is an easy and convenient way pay your bills and stay in control of them. You may recognise the BPAY logo on the bills you receive from utilities companies or your phone bills. It allows you to make secure payments from your preferred account and even lets you schedule your payment on a date that works for you such as after pay day, as long as you pay by the due date.*
“I feel that it’s an easy way to stay in control of my bill payments,” south Sydney homeowner, Alice, shares. “And it’s secure because BPAY doesn’t receive any of your personal details or account details during the payment process.”
You can pay with BPAY directly from your mobile or internet banking platform; you’ll just need to input your Customer Reference Number, the company’s Biller Code and the Amount, which should be provided on your bill. Too easy.
Whether you absolutely love your neighbours or you barely tolerate each other, don’t underestimate how beneficial it can be to have friends in close quarters.
Depending on how long you plan to stay put, your neighbours could be in your life for decades. It helps to be friendly, not only because you’re bound to need a favour from them at some point, but because it creates a nicer environment for everyone to live in.
Whether you previously rented or lived with your parents, you’re probably used to having someone else arrange the handiwork when things go wrong. If this is your first home purchase, it may come as a shock when you suddenly need a plumber because your drains are blocked or you need a wasps nest removed from your entryway.
First of all, don’t forget to buy insurance. Secondly, have some reliable contacts ready to go for plumbing, electric, gas or any other round-the-house jobs that you manage by yourself.
Further to that last point, you’ll suddenly find yourself needing to do chores you’d never even heard of.
From caulking gaps in your windows to finding the studs in your walls, you’ll need to expand your home care know-how. While you can always hire someone to help, there’s no time like the present to learn a few DIY fix-it skills for jobs that don’t mandate a professional hand.
You may even find yourself making some entirely new purchases, like ladders and lawn mowers.
“I’d always lived in the city, so I’d never mowed a lawn until we moved to Bowral [regional NSW],” shares first-time homeowner Emily. “I think you can buy electric lawn mowers now, but mine isn’t. So, I learned all the fussy tricks, like not mixing fuel and oil, knowing when the engine is flooded and so on. The mowing part is easy!”
There’s a lot of junk mail going around. With most communication moving online, catalogues and vouchers may even be the only mail you get.
However, every now and then, something important slips through among the junk. This could be council notification of roadworks, plans for new developments, or a heads-up that electricity maintenance is happening in your area. Miss a council notice and next thing you know an airport is moving in next door.
Speaking of councils, don’t forget to check and change your voter registration to your new address.
CLICK HERE for more information.
While it is no secret cracking into the property market is tough right now, this report can help buyers identify regions that have the most affordable homes in each city and region across the country. Click here to read more.
So how can you get into your own place as quickly as possible while still paying the rent? We asked a financial adviser for his tips on what renters can do to increase their chances of buying. Click here to read more.