Tale of a First-Time Home Buyer: Making Lists

Now that we’re about three weeks out, we have started making a list of all of the things we need to buy for the new house. We have broken the list into two sections – things we want to buy before we move in, and things we want to buy shortly after we move in. We have budgeted nicely, so we have a little money to play with, but my cheapness will not allow us to just go on an unbridled spending spree. We will approach this systematically, researching and purchasing the essentials first and then indulging in some extra items as a reward for controlling ourselves. Here is what we have come up with:

Things to buy before we move in:
Sweet new TV (already purchased)
Couch for man cave
Washer/Dryer set
Garage Door Opener
Gas Grill
Window Blinds

Things to buy shortly after we move in:
Guest bedroom linens and pillows
Groceries
Several rugs
Cabinet shelf paper
Lawn Equipment (mower, hose, sprinkler)

We are settling on Wednesday, June 2nd and moving in Saturday, June 5th. I have recruited the assistance of one Scott Fogelberg (friend and fellow U.S. Inspect employee) to help me install the garage door opener and mount the new TV on the wall on Thursday, June 3rd. I have scheduled the FiOS to be installed the following day. Then we move in on Saturday. That is when the work will end and the fun will begin.

I’m sure we will add more to our list, as every time I talk to someone about it they mention something I haven’t even thought of yet. It’s exciting but at the same time we are sooooo ready for it all to be over with. Every time I think about it I think of something new that I have to do in the next few weeks… and nine times out of ten it costs money. We have learned so much in the past five months since we began this whole process, and I have a feeling that we will learn just as much throughout the next three weeks.

We are ready to put a pretty little bow on our first homebuying experience.