In case you missed it, my wife and I just bought a house. More accurately, we’ll be buying a house on November 2nd when we actually close. As that date quickly approaches, we’re realizing there’s still a few things we need to do. And while we don’t plan on making any major changes to our new house right away, there are a few things we’ll need to purchase. For example:
Locks
It’s not that the house we’re buying doesn’t have locks (it definitely does) but, as a friend recently reminded me, it’s always a good idea to change the locks when you move in. That’s because you never really know how many people have a copy of the current key, so it’s best to be safe. I’d say this is especially true in our case as the currently vacant home we’re buying was previously a rental — meaning that there might be plenty of keys floating around out there.
Although we could just purchase simple locks for the front door and garage entry door, I am considering going the smart lock route. This may seem like a bit of overkill but I think there are some practical applications. For example, once we move into our home, we expect that it will be easier for us to take day trips while hiring someone to check in on our pup. So, with a smart lock, we can provide the dog sitter with their own entry code so we not only know when they arrive and leave but can also revoke their entry if needed. On top of that, being the type of people that have definitely wondered whether or not we locked the door after we’ve already driven for an hour, I love the idea of being able to check the app and rest assured that we did, indeed, lock up.
Whatever option we ultimately go with, some sort of lock is at the top of my new home shopping list.
A fireplace set
In the apartment we had prior to our current one, we had a fireplace kit. However, while moving to a place that didn’t have a fireplace, we got rid of it. Now, considering that our house does have a wood-burning fireplace, winter is coming, and we’re going to be responsible for our utilities, I suppose we should pick up a new set.
Unlike with the lock situation, this purchase doesn’t have to be fancy at all. I just need the basics to be able to start a fire and keep it going without making a mess. Perhaps this could be the first Amazon delivery we have made to the new house.
Lighting fixture and clip
The one small project I do want to take care of as soon as we can involves a light in the kitchen. Currently, there’s a low-hanging light with a giant ball on it that sits above where a kitchen table would presumably go. While there’s technically nothing wrong with the light, it’s a bit of a nuisance. In fact, my wife already accidentally ran into it once while we were touring the house.
I haven’t completely mapped out a plan for this one but the basic idea would be to take off the fish bowl that’s currently attached to it and put on something much lower in profile. At the same time, we can clip the light so it hangs higher up. In my opinion, this will not only look better but will also prevent us from hitting it. Eventually, we’ll also need to get a kitchen table to put under it, but that’s a purchase for another time.
Although there are some other things we want to do to our new (and first) house, those projects can wait until we have the time and funds to tackle them. In the meantime, these few minor purchases should serve us well as slowly get settled. P.S. — I’ll of course have much more to share on the homebuying process and homeowner life in the months ahead.