5 Things No One Tells You About Owning A Home

Buying your first home brings emotions of elation, pleasure and satisfaction. You’re an apartment dweller no longer; you have finally saved up enough money to buy and own your own piece of property!

It feels good when you have been able to accomplish the long-held dream of home ownership, at least until you discover all the little things that go with owning a house, like mold, bug infestations and old wiring. If you should experience an issue with your house that causes a roof replacement or kitchen rebuild, homeowners insurance will cover the costs. You can find a list of competitive homeowners insurance quotes online from reputable insurance companies that will pay to have your home made as good as new.

So, what five secrets don’t you know about homeownership? Let’s take a look:

Secret 1:Street parking is a thing of the past. Living in an apartment or rented space generally means the only parking available is on the street, where your car is vulnerable to break-ins, vandalism and theft. Your insurance agency will even raise the price of your auto insurance if the car is parked on an unsafe street. A garage or car port will protect your vehicle from the elements and any ne’er-do-well who is looking for a joy ride. And guess what? When you bundle your auto and homeowners insurance policies, you get a discount!

Secret 2:You will need to budget for home repairs. When you’re a renter, your landlord is responsible for replacing outdated or broken appliances. As a homeowner, you are responsible for replacing the leaky faucet or short-circuiting microwave. If your appliances were damaged in a fire or stolen by a burglar, your homeowners insurance policy will cover the costs of having those items replaced.

Secret 3:You will find that there is more to your home than meets the eye. Depending on state law, homeowners making a sale do not have to disclose all information about the house. In an interview with ABC News, homeowner and landlord Alexandra Poulos of Pennsylvania was making renovations to her childhood home when she remembered a rumor about her house: there was a secret room under the basement.

She asked the contractor working in the basement to dig deep into the floor, just to see if there was anything there. There was. Fourteen feet below the basement was a secret room with a stone wall measuring 6-8 feet wide by 15 feet long. A local historian has theorized that the room may have been used as part of the Underground Railroad. If your home is more than a century old, you might have some digging to do!

Secret 4:The furniture you had in your apartment might not work in the house. Architectural space can have a major impact on the décor. If you live in a Craftsman, decorating in the Mid-Century Modern aesthetic will look alien and feel bizarre. You can replace your furniture to better model the new aesthetic of your home, you’ll just have to budget for it.

Secret 5:You can’t choose your neighbors. It doesn’t matter if you live in apartment, condo or house, there is always a chance that you might live next to a couple of crazies. Before buying your home, do some research on the neighborhood, including noise complaints and burglaries. What looks like a great neighborhood from the outside might not be so great in actuality.

When you do finally buy your new house, make sure to invest in a homeowners insurance policy. Visit CoverHound for the best homeowners insurance quotes online.