Cassandra felt like there was a never ending list of things she needed to learn about once she became a homeowner. When she bought her house and gave up apartment living for good, she was mostly focused on the awesome things like getting to paint her walls whatever color she wanted and the ability to leave her clothes in the dryer without fear of them ending up on a laundry room floor. After moving in, however, she realized that there was a lot involved in being a good homeowner and properly maintaining her house. Keep reading to find out about her three biggest lessons.
1) Good Fences Make Good Neighbors One of the things Cassandra loved most about her new home was the wood fence that surrounded the backyard. She did not realize, however, that fence maintenance would suddenly be among her list of priorities. After noticing specialty fencing was starting to rot, she learned that she was supposed to be raking leaves and debris away from the fence to keep it dry and strong. When she had to replace a post that was too far gone to be saved, she learned that the pressured wood used in different wooden fence types cost about $10 a piece. She was adamant about becoming a pro at fence maintenance because she loved the protection her fence gave around her yard and the shelter it provided to some of her greenery from the elements. Any fence would require some amount of fence maintenance, but the benefits that come with fencing were definitely worth it to Cassandra.
2) The Hidden Costs Cassandra also did not know how much she would end up spending on replacing, repairing, or updating so many parts of her home that no one ever even saw. Between upgrading her insulation and replacing many old pipes that were at high risk for bursting, Cassandra realized all that money she imagined she could spend on decorations actually needed to be dedicated to the bones of her home. As much as she missed having that super luxurious new couch, she liked knowing that her sump pump and wiring were in the best shape she could hope for.
3) Investing in the Future The last thing Cassandra learned was how big of a shift in her mindset being a homeowner would bring. Suddenly she viewed everything as a potential investment into the future. Not only did upgrading the shower insert make her bathroom more comfortable to live in, she also calculated constantly how it affected her potential resell value. No longer did the cheapest option always seem the best, but rather Cassandra found herself focused on quality over flash.
Buying her first home was certainly an eye-opening experience for Cassandra. Gone were the days of carefree apartment living in exchange for the high-pressure decisions faced by homeowners. Despite the learning curve, Cassandra knew that she made the best decision should by purchasing her home and loved continuing on the journey of being a homeowner.
