{"id":3695,"date":"2019-01-17T09:00:25","date_gmt":"2019-01-17T14:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.migonline.com\/blog\/?p=3695"},"modified":"2019-01-24T12:32:00","modified_gmt":"2019-01-24T17:32:00","slug":"3-important-things-first-time-homebuyers-should-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/2019\/01\/17\/3-important-things-first-time-homebuyers-should-do\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Important Things First-Time Homebuyers Should Do"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are lots of expenses facing\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/staging.migonline.com\/blog\/2018\/09\/17\/tips-for-first-time-homeowners\/\">first-time homebuyers<\/a>, and the costs don&#8217;t stop after closing. That&#8217;s why a new home owner needs to put practices in place that help avoid wasting money on certain aspects of the new digs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are three important things first-time homebuyers should do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"688\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.migonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Depositphotos_150290498_xl-2015.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3702\" srcset=\"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Depositphotos_150290498_xl-2015.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Depositphotos_150290498_xl-2015-300x206.jpg 300w, https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Depositphotos_150290498_xl-2015-768x528.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Stay Warm<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I love high electric bills&#8221; said no one, ever.\nEnergy bills can wreck a first-time homebuyer&#8217;s budget if they aren&#8217;t careful.\nHeat accounts for a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/paylesspower.com\/blog\/what-uses-the-most-electricity-in-the-house\/\">whopping 27%<\/a>&nbsp;of a home&#8217;s entire electric bill. One of the first things\nto do is check out the house top to bottom and address the places heat is\nescaping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong><em>Check insulation<\/em><\/strong>. Old or lack of proper insulation can cause the bills to be\nmuch higher than they need to be. Tackle this by making sure there&#8217;s enough\ninsulation in the attic and walls to keep the heat in and your home toasty.<\/li><li><strong><em>Test windows and doors<\/em><\/strong>. Check around every window and door because air easily escapes\naround them. These are also places that sometimes don&#8217;t fit well in their casings.\nAdd caulking and weather strips if necessary. For doors you don&#8217;t use often,\npurchase a fitted strip to go underneath the door frame to eliminate chilly\ndrafts. A few dollars on the front end can save you significant bucks every\nmonth.<\/li><li><strong><em>Tame the water heater<\/em><\/strong>.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.directenergy.com\/learning-center\/energy-efficiency\/what-uses-most-electricity-in-my-home\">Directenergy.com<\/a>&nbsp;says water heaters consume 14% of a home&#8217;s\nelectricity! The home&#8217;s water heater is an energy-sucking beast. Invest in foam\nto put around the water lines. Consider turning your water temperature down, as\neven a couple of degrees adds savings. Also purchase a water heater jacket to\nconserve as much heat as possible.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Speaking of water&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.migonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Depositphotos_139826536_xl-2015.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3703\" srcset=\"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Depositphotos_139826536_xl-2015.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Depositphotos_139826536_xl-2015-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Depositphotos_139826536_xl-2015-768x384.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Manage Water<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Water issues can end up causing enormously expensive\nproblems for homeowners. Minimize those chances:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong><em>Get to know your water lines<\/em><\/strong>. Busted lines can flood a house and cost thousands of dollars\nin damage. Even if insurance covers it, you&#8217;re still on the hook for the\ndeductible. Learn how to turn off water lines, and do so when you go out of\ntown or are away from home for an extended period.<\/li><li><strong><em>Ditch your ice maker<\/em><\/strong>. Sure, it&#8217;s convenient to tap your fridge and have ice, but is\nit worth the risk? Ice maker lines can bust without your knowledge and cause\nmajor damage to your kitchen cabinets and floors. Consider using ice trays to\navoid the chance of dealing with these expensive repairs.<\/li><li><strong><em>Tackle leaks<\/em><\/strong>. Small leaks, over time, can add significant money to your\nwater bill. They can also damage the floor and drywall. According to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.homeadvisor.com\/cost\/disaster-recovery\/repair-water-damage\/\">homeadvisor.com<\/a>, a 120-square-foot bathroom can cost up to $3,000 to\nrepair. Test your faucets and toilets for leaking and repair or replace any\noffenders. Think about replacing old toilets with new, water-saving models.\nOver time the savings will pay for the initial investment.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>When first-time homebuyers move in, they need to&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"750\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.migonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Depositphotos_12630379_xl-2015.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3704\" srcset=\"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Depositphotos_12630379_xl-2015.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Depositphotos_12630379_xl-2015-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Depositphotos_12630379_xl-2015-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Practice Energy Efficiency<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Commit to overall energy savings and it&#8217;s a win-win: You\nsave money and you also do your part to reduce waste in an earth-friendly way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong><em>Install LED lighting<\/em><\/strong>. Old bulbs burn out faster and use tons more energy than LED.\nAccording to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/energysaver\/save-electricity-and-fuel\/lighting-choices-save-you-money\/led-lighting\">energy.gov<\/a>&nbsp;, LED lighting uses 75% less energy and lasts 25 times\nlonger than regular bulbs. Grab a step ladder and change all overhead lighting.\nReplace all your lamp bulbs as well. Rest easy knowing you won&#8217;t have to deal\nwith changing light bulbs for many months to come.<\/li><li><strong><em>Buy energy-efficient appliances<\/em><\/strong>. If your new home has outdated, energy-sucking\nappliances, splurge on new ones that offer energy savings. They are easy to\nfind and install. While this can be a large investment, the appliances will\nlast for years and will chop a noticeable amount off your electric bill every\nmonth.<\/li><li><strong><em>Purchase an automated thermostat<\/em><\/strong>. There&#8217;s little use in heating your home full force if\nyou&#8217;re at work. With a programmable thermostat, you can set it so your heat\nturns down when you leave, and heats back up a few minutes before you return\nhome. You can also program it to turn down while you&#8217;re sleeping. This saves\nyou several dollars a month, and won&#8217;t inconvenience your comfort at all!<\/li><li>It&#8217;s important that first-time homebuyers start out on the\nright foot with their new home and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/staging.migonline.com\/blog\/2018\/08\/08\/first-time-owning-a-home-how-to-plan-ahead-and-save-money-on-homeowner-expenses\/\">save money on expenses<\/a>. By making a small investment upfront and implementing\nthese changes immediately, you can enjoy an energy-efficient home and a bit\nmore money in your pocket every month.<\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are lots of expenses facing\u00a0first-time homebuyers, and the costs don&#8217;t stop after closing. That&#8217;s why a new home owner needs to put practices in place that help avoid wasting money on certain aspects of the new digs. Here are three important things first-time homebuyers should do. Stay Warm &#8220;I love high electric bills&#8221; said &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/2019\/01\/17\/3-important-things-first-time-homebuyers-should-do\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">3 Important Things First-Time Homebuyers Should Do<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3699,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3695","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3695","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3695"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3695\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3705,"href":"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3695\/revisions\/3705"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3699"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3695"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3695"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3695"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}