I Bought My First Home Two Years Ago, This is What I Would've Done Differently

Buying my first home was such a surreal experience. The entire time I kept having to pinch myself that it was actually happening and it all happened so fast - 17 day escrow! After putting in several offers for other homes and not getting them, and then a bidding war with this home, when we finally “won” I was so excited that I drove by every day and was already starting to pack up our apartment. I was determined to move ASAP. Looking back now, here’s what I wish I had done differently.

First and foremost, I wish I had gotten the house tented for termites right off the back. The sellers had said that they spot treated it, but I consistently saw termite droppings until I finally said no more and got it tented ourselves. 

Another thing I wish I had done, is deep clean. And I mean like deeeeep clean; we’re talking washing everything from the ceilings to the baseboards. Again, the sellers had hired their own cleaner and it just wasn’t the cleanest it could be upon moving in.

Along with cleaning, I also wish I repainted. A fresh coat of paint would have gone a long way to make it feel new. Don’t get me wrong, the paint isn’t terrible to live with, but the bedroom and bathroom need some love. The bedroom ceiling is blue and the trim is tan with white walls, and then the bathroom is gray. Ugh don’t get me started on gray: it changes color throughout the day and it makes the space feel small, cold and dark. 

I also wish I had gotten rid of things before moving to avoid moving everything over. But we literally only moved three blocks down and one street over so I packed up everything and told myself I’d go through it and throw things away when unpacking. We were able to have a proper garage sale shortly after moving in, but even two years later I see things I haven’t used since moving. 

The last thing I wish I had done differently is to embrace the work in progress of an empty house and slowly furnish it instead of dishing out more money to make it seem like I had lived there forever. I’m still happy with most of the purchases I’ve made, but I do wish I had spread those purchases out or at least shopped around a little more. 

Overall, the thing I wish I had done differently is take the time to appreciate the journey of buying a home and not rushing the process of moving and getting settled.