First-time Homeowners’ Club: Three Hacks for Household Maintenance
When young adults reach a certain age, it no longer makes sense for them to keep living with their parents. Some even leave their childhood homes after finishing high school; they set off on their own to see where life takes them. Often, it can lead them to buy their first house and actually being a homeowner.
However, having that much freedom and responsibility at the same time can be overwhelming, especially now that they would no longer have their parents to fall back on. Of course, their parents could still be one call away, but what young adult wants to crawl back into their parents’ arms after a minor inconvenience?
Most people would try to hold their ground and solve their problems on their own just to prove to themselves that they can stand on their own two feet. While this can be a remarkable trait worthy of pride, there’s also no harm in seeking out help when you actually need it.
But if you’re truly determined to make it on your own, then at least give yourself room to learn and grow from your mistakes. It can also help if you discovered tips and tricks on how to maintain a household from those who came before you. In fact, here are three hacks to get you started on the right track:
Hack #1: Get Yourself a Toolbox
That is if you don’t already have one. A complete toolbox is a must-have for any homeowner who tends to try solving their problems on their own before deciding to seek help. Having one inside your home will allow you to make minor repairs easily with the help of your trusty friend—the Internet.
You might think that you won’t need it if you don’t know how to use tools to save your life, but it may come in handy when you actually do need it. Besides, it’s better to have a toolbox lying around than to not have one at all because learning how to use tools is a piece of cake. Plus, that’s why you have YouTube.
With a toolbox kept safe inside your cupboard, you will no longer have to worry about whom to contact when your faucet suddenly starts leaking in the middle of the night. But if know you can’t handle the situation at hand, please make the right decision and call an emergency plumbing repair service before it becomes even worse.
Hack #2: Keep Important Contacts on Speed Dial
This brings you to the next hack: keeping important people on speed dial because you never know what can happen when you’re living alone. This can refer to your parents or closest friends who might already be your emergency contacts, but it can also be for other important people you need to contact.
During a medical emergency, fire, or other life-threatening situation, 911 should always be your go-to. In this case, you won’t need to put 911 on speed dial because it’s fairly easy to remember. But if you had other emergencies that aren’t considered life-threatening, it can be smart to program local hotlines into your speed dial.
For instance, if you suddenly had to deal with an overflowing toilet or a leaking roof emergency. These situations won’t be posing a danger to your life, but they can affect your day-to-day routines. So it might come in handy if you had a plumber or a roofer’s number within arm’s reach.
Hack #3: Build an Emergency Fund
The last hack on this list is probably the most important of all. This is because you never know what life will throw your way and you have to be prepared to face the unforeseeable, especially since you’re living alone. That means you have to be able to take care of yourself and your house.
Curveballs aren’t always thrown in noticeable ways because disasters strike when you least expect it. For example, in the middle of summer, your HVAC unit suddenly broke down because you’ve been blasting it on high to keep you cool despite the heat waves outside. And repairing that can cost a lot.
If money’s tight, you would have to move things around to make some room on your monthly budget to fit the costs of the repair. That could mean taking some money out of other important living expenses. However, if you were to build an emergency fund, that could cover the costs of emergencies.
As a first-time homeowner who is living alone, you would have to go the extra mile just to prepare for what could happen, even if they never do. It’s better to be safe than sorry, especially since you’re your own backup plan. So learn from the experiences of others and try to apply those to your situation to the best of your abilities. Trust the process; you’ll become a pro in no time.
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