We love our beautiful new home but…
We love our beautiful new home but…
Years ago, my mother-in-law gave me some excellent advice when we bought our first home, and I would like to pass it along to you. It’s such a very good tip and I follow it all the time. It has served me and my clients well.
Patience
When we bought our first house she said, "you should wait six months to make any big changes."
Of course, you're excited, you're a new home buyer. You’ve just moved in. You're going to rush in and make a lot of changes – get everything just the way you want it. New paint, replacing the 1970’s vintage gold linoleum flooring, knocking down a wall, or whatever else.
Hold up.
There are a couple of mistakes we see buyers make most frequently – things you should try to avoid.
Making changes without testing. What do I mean? Maybe in your last house, your apartment had a color you absolutely loved and you’re thinking "I'm just going to put it in the new house." You get in, buy the paint without testing it on the walls first. This can lead to a less-than-desired outcome. The lighting is going to be different in the new location. The trim is likely to be different, even if it's white, it's likely a different shade. The carpeting and other flooring is different. The result may be that the color you loved in your prior home may not appeal to you in your new one. Be sure to test colors on different walls and observe at different times of the day. What looks fabulous at two o'clock while the sun is out may take on an unexpected tone when it is cloudy or later in the day.
Attempting to force your contemporary furniture, for example, into your new Cape Cod might create a conflict. It might clash with the windows or perhaps the architecture of the house. Let's say I love purple hair, but if I put purple hair on me it might not fit my age, complexion or profession/career. So just because you love something, it doesn't mean you should force it on the new house. Alternatively, it would be a mistake to simply say "I'm getting rid of all of my furniture. I'm moving into this new house and getting rid of all of my furniture." If you like it, if you love it, before you simply replace everything, you might find the right place for it where it might fit perfectly. So don't jump in either - try out your existing furniture for at least a few months. You presumably bought this Cape Cod for its style and design, so decorate it with something that fits after you’ve had a chance to get the feel of your new environment. That's just another tip.
Prioritization
A mistake buyers sometimes make when they move into a new place is, "Make it all pretty." Why is that a mistake? Well, it's not a mistake if there is nothing else you should fix. Maybe when you bought the house you knew it needed a new roof, or maybe you knew that the furnace was going to go - or something else. Take care of those things first before you just go make everything all pretty, because the usability is the key!Enjoyment
Buying a new home is one of the single biggest investments we will make in our lifetime. It is also the place where we will make our most cherished memories with family and friends. Enjoy your home for what it is at any point in time. Every person has imperfections and houses do too. Try not to focus on imperfections while you are eyeing the things you would like to change. It’s also nice to treat your projects as something fun rather than a burden you’d otherwise like to avoid.
Link to best home changes for maintaining/increasing value