{"id":13,"date":"2018-03-27T08:48:42","date_gmt":"2018-03-27T07:48:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hamuch.com\/blog\/?p=13"},"modified":"2018-04-06T12:00:28","modified_gmt":"2018-04-06T11:00:28","slug":"first-time-buyers-top-five-tips-to-avoid-homeowner-hassles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hamuch.com\/blog\/2018\/03\/27\/first-time-buyers-top-five-tips-to-avoid-homeowner-hassles\/","title":{"rendered":"First time buyers: Top Five Tips to Avoid Homeowner Hassles"},"content":{"rendered":"

Buying your first house can be a stressful experience. Once all of the legal dealings are out of the way, and you\u2019ve popped the cork on your \u2018welcome to your new home\u2019 bottle of champagne, the reality sets in \u2013 everything from the bricks and mortar to the knives and forks are now your responsibility.
\nWe at HaMuch have put together our top five tips to help make your first home run like a dream.<\/p>\n

\n

1. Find the essentials<\/h3>\n

When you first move in, it can be tempting to focus on where the TV will go and what colour the spare bedroom will be, first make sure you find the essentials. Locate your gas and electricity meters, the fuse box, and the stopcock on day one. Once all your boxes are unloaded from the moving van, you should take readings from your meters, as your suppliers will need this information, and it will avoid you getting over charged.
\nIf you can find your fuse box in the dark and can access (and shut off) your stopcock valve quickly, you will be covered for most major emergencies. When you need the services of an electrician<\/strong> or a plumber<\/strong>, they will ask you where these are, so it\u2019s handy to tell them straight away.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

2. Put your own stamp on it<\/h3>\n

One of the best things about owning your own home is that you can decorate it the way you like. A fresh coat of paint or new wallpaper can help to make it your own. If you\u2019re not keen to get out the pasting table or paint brushes, it\u2019s worth finding a good local decorator who can work their magic on your walls and get the look you want.
\nIf you peel back the paper to reveal a cracked or problematic wall, a good plasterer<\/strong> should be able to skim it for you, making it the perfect surface to paint. You can then hang your mirrors, pictures and shelves to your heart\u2019s content.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

\"Find<\/p>\n

3. Make friends with tradespeople<\/h3>\n

You\u2019ve committed a lot of money to your new home, so it\u2019s easy to become nervous when jobs too complicated for DIY need doing. Find trusted, certified tradespeople in your area, so you won\u2019t need to worry next time your boiler needs servicing or you need a new plug socket.
\nMake sure your electrician is regulated to meet UK safety standards, your plumber is WIAPS approved and your gas engineer is on the Gas Safe Register. You can check all of this information from HaMuch when finding a tradesperson.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

\"Double-glazing<\/p>\n

4. Check your security<\/h3>\n

When you first move in, it is worth making sure you\u2019re happy that the doors and windows are secure. Consider changing the locks if the house is not a new build, or replacing the windows if they\u2019re not double-glazed. This will make your home feel safer and give you peace of mind. Double-glazing will also save you money long term on your heating bills.
\nYou may also choose to invest in a burglar alarm or security lights to help keep your home safe when you\u2019re away. Make sure you choose a reputable company to fit these to make sure you get a reliable service.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

5. Consider the extras<\/h3>\n

If your house or garden is large, or if you\u2019re working full time, think about hiring a cleaner or a gardener to help keep your house looking its best. It can lift your spirits considerably to come home to a spotless house, and having a cleaner to look after this for you can take a load off your mind.
\nGardens can start to look drab without regular TLC, and if you\u2019re not green-fingered, this can start to feel like a chore. Getting a good local gardener<\/strong> on the case will help you fool the neighbours into thinking you\u2019re Monty Don with minimum effort.<\/p>\n

HaMuch has more than 11,000 trusted local tradespeople who can help with every homeowner hassle.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Buying your first house can be a stressful experience. Once all of the legal dealings are out of the way, and you\u2019ve popped the cork on your \u2018welcome to your new home\u2019 bottle of champagne, the reality sets in \u2013 everything from the bricks and mortar to the knives and forks are now your responsibility. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":67,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,10,3,14,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-electrican","category-gardener","category-heating-engineer","category-plasterer","category-plumber"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/hamuch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/gas1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hamuch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hamuch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hamuch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hamuch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hamuch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/hamuch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":89,"href":"https:\/\/hamuch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13\/revisions\/89"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hamuch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hamuch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hamuch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hamuch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}