Most of the paperwork is now out of the way on our new house and we can get back to our regular daily postings.
One thing they don't warn you about when you go to buy a new house is that although the base floorplan is described as a finished house you really need to spend a small fortune on options if you want the house to look better than the average rented apartment, for example:
- Kitchen Cabinet Upgrades: $4,000
- Granite Countertop: $5,000
- Upgraded Appliances: $5,000
- Recessed Lighting: $4,000
- Carpet Color other than Yellow or Pink: $1,000
- Hardwood Floors (on Ground Floor): $10,000
- Upgraded Bathroom Ceramic Tiles: $2,000
- Garage Door Openers: $1,000
- Whirlpool Tub: $2,000
And that is just the start of the list. Most of these upgrades cost more than if you were to but the items yourself and pay to have them installed but if you follow that path you then have to deal with the disruption of installation after you have moved in.
If that sounds expensive don't forget you also need closing costs for your mortgage (maybe $10,000), moving costs ($5,000), new curtains ($2,000), extra furniture to fill the extra space ($ too much), plants and flowers so you have more than just a grass lawn, and finally once you have paid all that you can start saving for the nice deck or patio you would like.
On the positive side, once we are moved in next May, we will be in a good position to start reviewing lots of cool kitchen gadgets, home automation gadgets, audio/video/HDTV gadgets and lots more.