Tag: Finances

Being a Firts-Time Home Buyer: Tips & Tricks

Buying a home can be nerve-racking, especially if you’re a first-time home buyer.

These tips will help you navigate the process, save money and avoid common mistakes. We organized them into four categories:

  • Mortgage down payment tips.

  • Mortgage application tips.

  • House shopping tips.

  • First-time home buyer mistakes to avoid.

    Mortgage down payment tips

    1. Start saving for a down payment early

    It’s common to put 20% down, but many lenders now permit much less, and first-time home buyer programs allow as little as 3% down. But putting down less than 20% may mean higher costs and paying for mortgage insurance, and even a small down payment can still be hefty. For example, a 5% down payment on a $200,000 home is $10,000.

    Play around with this down payment calculator to help you land on a goal amount. Some tips for saving for a down payment include setting aside tax refunds and work bonuses, setting up an automatic savings plan and using an app to track your progress.

    2. Explore your down payment and mortgage options

    There are lots of mortgage options out there, each with its own combination of pros and cons. If you’re struggling to come up with a down payment, check out these loans:

    • Conventional mortgages They conform to standards set by the government-sponsored entities Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and require as little as 3% down.

    • FHA loans Loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration permit down payments as low as 3.5%.

    • VA loans Loans guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs sometimes require no down payment at all.

    Making a higher down payment will mean having a lower monthly mortgage payment.

    If you want the smallest mortgage payment possible, opt for a 30-year fixed mortgage. But if you can afford larger monthly payments, you can get a lower interest rate with a 20-year or 15-year fixed loan. Use our calculator to determine whether a 15-year or 30-year fixed mortgage is a better fit for you. Or you may prefer an adjustable-rate mortgage, which is riskier but guarantees a low interest rate for the first few years of your mortgage.

    3. Research state and local assistance programs

    In addition to federal programs, many states offer assistance programs for first-time home buyers with perks such as down payment assistance, closing cost assistance, tax credits and discounted interest rates. Your county or municipality may also have first-time home buyer programs.

    Mortgage application tips

    4. Determine how much home you can afford

    Before you start looking for your dream home, you need to know what’s actually within your price range. Use this home affordability calculator to determine how much you can safely afford to spend.

    5. Check your credit and pause any new activity

    When applying for a mortgage loan, your credit will be one of the key factors in whether you’re approved, and it will help determine your interest rate and possibly the loan terms.

    So check your credit before you begin the homebuying process. Dispute any errors that could be dragging down your credit score and look for opportunities to improve your credit, such as making a dent in any outstanding debts.

    To keep your score from dipping after you apply for a mortgage, avoid opening any new credit accounts, like a credit card or auto loan, until your home loan closes.

    6. Compare mortgage rates

    Many home buyers get a rate quote from only one lender, but this often leaves money on the table. Comparing mortgage rates from at least three lenders can save you more than $3,500 over the first five years of your loan, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Get at least three quotes and compare both rates and fees.

    As you’re comparing quotes, ask whether any of the lenders would allow you to buy discount points, which means you’d prepay interest up front to secure a lower interest rate on your loan. How long you plan to stay in the home and whether you have money on-hand to purchase the points are two key factors in determining whether buying points makes sense. You can use this calculator to decide whether it makes sense to buy points.

    7. Get a preapproval letter

    You can get pre-qualified for a mortgage, which simply gives you an estimate of how much a lender may be willing to lend based on your income and debts. But as you get closer to buying a home, it’s smart to get a preapproval, where the lender thoroughly examines your finances and confirms in writing how much it’s willing to lend you, and under what terms. Having a preapproval letter in hand makes you look much more serious to a seller and can give you an upper hand over buyers who haven’t taken this step.

    House shopping tips

    8. Hire the right buyer’s agent

    You’ll be working closely with your real estate agent, so it’s essential that you find someone you get along with well. The right buyer’s agent should be highly skilled, motivated and knowledgeable about the area.

    9. Pick the right type of house and neighborhood

    You may assume you’ll buy a single-family home, and that could be ideal if you want a big yard or a lot of room. But if you’re willing to sacrifice space for less maintenance and extra amenities, and you don’t mind paying a homeowners association fee, a condo or townhouse could be a better fit.

    But even if the home is right, the neighborhood could be all wrong. So be sure to:

    • Research nearby schools, even if you don’t have kids, since they affect home value.

    • Look at local safety and crime statistics.

    • Map the nearest hospital, pharmacy, grocery store and other amenities you’ll use.

    • Drive through the neighborhood on various days and at different times to check out traffic, noise and activity levels.

    10. Stick to your budget

    Look at properties that cost less than the amount you were approved for. Although you can technically afford your preapproval amount, it’s the ceiling — and it doesn’t account for other monthly expenses or problems like a broken dishwasher that arise during homeownership, especially right after you buy. Shopping with a firm budget in mind will also help when it comes time to make an offer.

    In a competitive real estate market with limited inventory, it’s likely you’ll bid on houses that get multiple offers. When you find a home you love, it’s tempting to make a high-priced offer that’s sure to win. But don’t let your emotions take over. Shopping below your preapproval amount creates some wiggle room for bidding. Stick to your budget to avoid a mortgage payment you can’t afford.

    11. Make the most of open houses

    When you’re touring homes during open houses, pay close attention to the home’s overall condition, and be aware of any smells, stains or items in disrepair. Ask a lot of questions about the home, such as when it was built, when items were last replaced and how old key systems like the air conditioning and the heating are.

    If other potential buyers are viewing the home at the same time as you, don’t hesitate to schedule a second or third visit to get a closer look and ask questions privately.

    First-time home buyer mistakes to avoid

    With so much to think about, it’s unsurprising that some first-time home buyers make mistakes they later regret. Here are a few of the most common pitfalls, along with tips to help you avoid a similar fate.

    12. Not budgeting for closing costs

    In addition to saving for a down payment, you’ll need to budget for the money required to close your mortgage, which can be significant. Closing costs generally run between 2% and 5% of your loan amount. You can shop around and compare prices for certain closing expenses, such as homeowners insurance, home inspections and title searches. You can also defray costs by asking the seller to pay for a portion of your closing costs or negotiating your real estate agent’s commission. Calculate your expected closing costs to help you set your budget.

    13. Not saving enough for after move-in expenses

    Once you’ve saved for your down payment and budgeted for closing costs, you should also set aside a buffer to pay for what will go inside the house. This includes furnishings, appliances, rugs, updated fixtures, new paint and any improvements you may want to make after moving in.

    14. Buying a home for today instead of tomorrow

    It’s easy to look at properties that meet your current needs. But if you plan to start or expand your family, it may be preferable to buy a larger home now that you can grow into. Consider your future needs and wants and whether the home you’re considering will suit them.

    15. Passing up the chance to negotiate

    A lot can be up for negotiation in the homebuying process, which can result in major savings. Are there any major repairs you can get the seller to cover, either by fully handling them or by giving you a credit adjustment at closing? Is the seller willing to pay for any of the closing costs? If you’re in a buyer’s market, you may find the seller will bargain with you to get the house off the market.

    16. Not knowing the limits of a home inspection

    After your offer is accepted, you’ll pay for a home inspection to examine the property’s condition inside and out, but the results will only tell you so much.

    • Not all inspections test for things like radon, mold or pests, so be sure you know what’s included.

    • Make sure the inspector can access every part of the home, such as the roof and any crawl spaces.

    • Attend the inspection and pay close attention.

    • Don’t be afraid to ask your inspector to take a look — or a closer look — at something. And ask questions. No inspector will answer the question, “Should I buy this house?” so you’ll have to make this decision after reviewing the reports and seeing what the seller is willing to fix.

    17. Not buying adequate homeowners insurance

    Before you close on your new house, your lender will require you to buy homeowners insurance. Shop around and compare insurance rates to find the best price. Look closely at what’s covered in the policies; going with a less-expensive policy usually means fewer protections and more out-of-pocket expenses if you file a claim. Also, flood damage isn’t covered by homeowners insurance, so if your new home is in a flood-prone area, you may need to buy separate flood insurance.

Being a Homeowner: Struggling with Mortgage

If you are now struggling to make your mortgage payments, you’re not alone. According to RealtyTrac, 1 in every 2,253 homes is in foreclosure. In New Jersey, it’s 1 in every 1,043 homes; in Ohio, it’s 1 in every 1,503 homes.1 And with the novel coronavirus pandemic leading to rising levels of unemployment and income loss, you may feel that you’re also on the fast track to becoming another foreclosure statistic. Know that the federal government is suspending all evictions and foreclosures until the end of April. And if your mortgage payment issues are related to COVID-19, both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which together guarantee more than two-thirds of all mortgages, are offering assistance to those financially struggling due to the fallout of the virus.

Whether your trouble meeting your mortgage payments is coronavirus-related or not, the first thing to do is to call your loan provider. If you can, try doing this before missing payments, as this will keep the largest number of options available to you. Here, experts lay out different options for when you’re struggling to pay on time.

Solution #1: Refinance to Change Your Interest Rate Terms

Refinancing to an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) is a viable option if you’ve almost finished paying off your mortgage. “More and more consumers recognize the financial benefits an adjustable rate mortgage can provide under the right circumstances,” says Hensling. A perfect example is a homeowner who anticipates selling their home in the next three years and currently has a $400,000 fixed rate loan at 4.25% paying $1,976.76 per month.

Hensling says if the homeowner refinanced to a hybrid adjustable rate mortgage fixed for five years at 2.875%, this would reduce the monthly payment to $1,695.57 per month and save $281.19 per month.

Jeremy Brandt, CEO of WeBuyHouses.com, agrees, adding, “If a home is nearly paid off, the vast majority of the monthly payments are going to equity and not interest. Refinancing to an ARM might solve short-term cash flow issues by reducing the monthly payment at the expense of subsequent payments.” That being said, if interest rates start increasing, the monthly payments may increase over a period.

Alternatively, if you have an ARM, switching to a fixed rate mortgage may not lower your current monthly payments, but it can stop your payments from growing. “This makes sense if current fixed rates are lower than the ARM interest rate, or if you expect to move later than the next three years,” says Brandt. However, he warns that if you’ve been in an ARM for a while, the fixed rate you refinance into may be higher than your existing rate and this can cause your monthly payment to go up.

Solution #2: Request Mortgage Forbearance

Both Freddie Mac and Fannie May released guidelines for mortgage forbearance related to COVID-19. Essentially, they each are providing mortgage forbearance to borrowers financially affected by the novel coronavirus for up to 12 months. That means that individuals can reduce or suspend their payments for that time. Additionally, any related mortgage delinquency won’t be reported to the credit bureaus, so missing payments won’t tank your credit score. After the forbearance is over, lenders will work with borrowers to modify loans to lower monthly payments as necessary.2 3

Solution #3: Refinance to a Longer-Term Loan

Spacing your loan out over a longer period is one option that can reduce your monthly payment amount. Refinancing to a longer-term loan is the simplest way to reduce monthly mortgage payments, especially when cash flow is a problem, according to Al Hensling, president of United American Mortgage in Irvine, Calif.

However, it’s important to note that your interest rate will increase. To offset this, Matt Hackett, underwriting and operations manager at New York-based Equity Now, recommends making higher payments to increase the speed at which you pay down the principal. The majority of mortgages have no prepayment penalty (though you should definitely check yours).

Solution #4: Modify the Loan

A loan modification is an alternative for those who cannot refinance their loan but need to lower their monthly house payment. But, unlike a refinance, it requires a hardship. Pierce says borrowers must show the lender that as a result of a financial hardship, they are not able to continue making the regular monthly house payment. “This process involves extensive paperwork that must be completed and sent to the lender for review,” says Pierce.

She recommends that homeowners get counseling through a HUD-certified organization to fully understand their options and get help contacting the lender. “However, not all lenders offer loan modifications or may just offer short term loan modifications,” says Pierce.

As part of their mortgage assistance plans related to COVID-19, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are both allowing borrowers to modify their loans after forbearance.32

Solution #5: Get a Home Equity Loan

Getting a home equity loan may provide immediate assistance to struggling homeowners, but this strategy only works if you have a lot of equity in your house, which means that your home is valued at much more than you owe on it. Anthony Pili, director of strategic planning at Greater Hudson Bank in Bardonia, New York, advises struggling homeowners to consider paying off a mortgage with a home equity line. “Banks usually cover all closing costs on home equity lines. The savings in closing costs can be used to pay off the principal balance quicker,” says Pili.

He adds that this strategy is highly effective for borrowers who have the self-discipline to pay more than what is owed each month, since the minimum payment is usually just the interest that has accrued during the month.

Solution #6: Get the Lender to Eliminate Private Mortgage Insurance

Depending on how much equity is in your home, eliminating the private mortgage insurance (PMI) can lower your mortgage payments. “If you have at least 20% equity in the property, I recommend contacting the lender about dropping the mortgage insurance,” says Pierce. She explains that borrowers who usually don’t pay 20% down are required to have PMI for at least two years, but says there may be exceptions to the two-year rule. For example, if the homeowner made improvements to the house that increased the value, the requirement may be waived.

Solution #7: Challenge Property Taxes

If the value of your home has dropped, challenging your property tax may provide some financial relief, says Cara Pierce, a certified housing counselor at Clearpoint Credit Counseling Solutions, a national nonprofit organization. “You’ll need to contact the county tax assessor’s office in the county in which the house is located to see what type of information they will need as proof that the housing values have dropped,” says Pierce.

However, Pierce says this is a short-term strategy. She warns that as property values increase, property taxes will rise. Also, be advised that it may cost several hundred dollars to have your home appraised.

The Bottom Line

If you’re struggling with your mortgage, don’t throw in the towel. There are various solutions that can help you stay in your home and manage your monthly mortgage payments.

New Homeowner Checklist

The weeks leading up to a home purchase are super stressful. Between the home inspection and finalizing your financing, you also have to start packing up your entire life and maybe arranging for movers — or even selling your old house under a tight timeline. Then there’s the actual closing, when you sign your life away on about 500 different forms.

But after closing, the real fun begins. Now you’ve got this house to deal with. And if your home, like ours, is full of fixer-upper flaws charm… it can be very overwhelming.

Seven years ago this month, we bought our house — our first home. It was exhilarating, but also terrifying. We found that focusing on a few small, manageable-but-productive tasks during our first week of home ownership made us feel way more in control of things during a period that could have easily spiraled into existential despair.

In that vein, here’s a checklist of simple things you can and should take care of when you first move into your new house. (Also, I forgot to say: Congratulations!)

1. Clean (or book a cleaning).

Before you unpack, and ideally before the furniture arrives, clean like mad, or hire a house cleaner to do a one-time deep clean (check for deals on Handy, Groupon, or Angie’s List — you shouldn’t have to pay more than $100-$150). You don’t have to be a clean freak to appreciate that living in your own mess is very different from living in someone else’s.

Vacuum and wash carpets (rent a carpet cleaner if you need one), sweep and mop the floors, bleach the entire bathroom, clean the fridge and the oven and all the sinks, and wipe down all your cabinets, drawers, shelves, and closets.

2. Take a few days off.

The first week or two in your new home will be an adrenaline-fueled flurry of phone calls, fixing stuff, unpacking, and waiting — for deliveries, contractors, and Internet installers. Trying to squeeze all that in around your job will only make it more stressful.

You just bought a house — it’s a big deal, and something you’ll probably only do a few times in a lifetime. Allow yourself to take some vacation or personal days.

3. Do any improvements or repairs you can before moving in.

Whether you do it yourself or hire a pro, it’s infinitely easier to do work on a house when no one is living there. This is especially true for those projects best done without furniture in the way, such as interior painting, plastering, or sanding and refinishing hardwood floors.

And if your home needs some work behind the walls — such as updating knob-and-tube wiring or replacing rusted-out pipes — do it now, before you get settled in, if at all possible. You’ll be glad you did.

4. Change your address and set up utilities.

For starters, alert the post office that you’ve changed your address, so they can forward mail to your new home. However, that service only lasts for a few months, so you should also start changing your address on all of your important accounts, such as your workplace benefits, bank accounts, credit cards, car and health insurance, magazine subscriptions, and memberships.

Likewise, call up the gas and electric companies and tell them you’ve moved. In most cases they’ll just transfer your account to your new address. You can often do the same with your cable or Internet provider, too, if you’re moving within the same service area. Otherwise, investigate your local options and call to set up service while you’re home getting settled.

5. Change the locks.

Even if you like and trust the previous owner, there’s no way of knowing how many copies of your house key are floating around – or who has them. (That reminds me: Our electrician still has a key to our basement. Um, I should probably get that back.) A new door hardware set will only run you about $50, and it’s well worth the peace of mind.

While you’re at the hardware store, get a few extra copies of your new key made, and give one to a trusted friend, neighbor, or relative for emergencies.

6. Plan now for emergencies.

The time to be researching plumbers in your area is not when the toilet is broken and spewing funky sewage onto the bathroom floor. (Gross — see “Find your shut-off valves” above!)

Ask your new neighbors for the names of any tradespeople they’d recommend, including plumbers, electricians, and handymen, or get an Angie’s List membership and start researching highly rated contractors in your area. (You can also sign up and introduce yourself on NextDoor, a neighborhood social media site, and ask for recommendations.)

Also, look up the numbers for poison control and local emergency services (if it’s not just 911) and put them on the fridge. Check all your smoke detectors and replace the batteries if you need to — you can also ask the fire department to come by and inspect them. Finally, find all of your emergency exits, and make a family fire plan that also designates a meeting point outside.

7. Use your home inspection report to plan future upgrades.

Your home inspector should give you a comprehensive report indicating the condition of all the major systems and structural parts of your home. Ours probably had like 50 items that “needed attention,” and this originally formed the basis of our long-term home improvement game plan.

From there, we made some lists: The stuff that was fairly easy to accomplish — or simply critical — went on the short-term, right-away list. Make sure there are some gimmes on there to help you build momentum! The stuff that can wait may have to wait.

8. Get a small safe or filing cabinet.

Even if you’ve never had one before, you’re probably going to need a filing cabinet or small safe now. File your closing statement and all the paperwork from your home purchase — that’s important stuff, and you’ll need it come tax time at the very least.

And that’s just the beginning of a lot of paperwork you’ll be filing from here on out. Keep receipts and instruction manuals for any new appliances you buy, your insurance and property tax bills, and any estimates or receipts from contractors as you make improvements.

9. Find out where your shut-off valves are.

One of your first lines of defense when it comes to common homeowner emergencies — burst water pipes, for instance — are shut-off valves. Turning off the water (or gas, or electricity) is like being able to slam on the brakes when you’re driving.

First, there are shut-off valves for small, localized problems: If the toilet is overflowing, look for the valve coming out of the floor or the wall behind the toilet and turn that to the right to stop the water flow. If your sink or faucet is leaking uncontrollably, the shut-offs will usually be under the sink (one for cold and one for hot).

Likewise, there should be a gas shut-off valve near your stove or dryer if either one uses natural gas. Find and familiarize yourself with all of these local shut-offs.

Then — and most importantly — find your main shut-offs, which control the gas and water coming into your house from the street. They’re usually found in the basement, toward the front of your house, but not always. Learn where these are ahead of time so you’re not clumsily searching for them in a panic as a geyser of a busted pipe is gushing water all over your kitchen.

Your circuit breaker acts as a shut-off for your home’s electricity. Individual circuits will control the electric flow to certain rooms or appliances — one breaker switch might shut off all the overhead lights, while another might control the refrigerator and the microwave outlets. Get familiar with the circuit breaker, and note where the main shut-off switch is to turn off all power in an emergency (if water is leaking into a live light fixture, for instance).

10. Create a seasonal home maintenance checklist, and start using it.

There are some maintenance tasks you’ll have to do to your home annually or semi-annually to keep it in good shape. And depending on the season you move in, it’s probably time to get started on some of them.

It’s really more of a two-season checklist than a four-season one; nobody wants to do stuff like this in the scorching summer heat or from underneath a foot of snow, so I tend to break down the tasks into spring and fall:

Spring/early summer home maintenance checklist

  • Install window A/C units (or check central air units): Trust me, the time to lug these things down from the attic and wrestle them into place is before the first scorching hot day, not right in the middle of it. Clean the filters before firing them up for the season.
  • Test your smoke detectors: Fire safety folks recommend doing this whenever the clocks spring ahead or fall back. Change any dead batteries.
  • Clean your gutters: Leaves and other debris from fall and winter may have choked up the works, and you want them free and clear before April’s heavy rains. If you have a one-story house, this is easy to do yourself; if your home is two or more stories or you’re afraid of heights, it should only cost about $60-$100 to have a pro come and do it.
  • Fertilize or plant new grass: The time to plant and fertilize grass is early spring: With the nights still cold, grass grows but weeds don’t. If you get a nice thick lawn growing by May, it can naturally crowd out the more unsavory stuff like crabgrass and dandelions. (If you don’t mind some chemicals, you can use crabgrass preventer or weed-blocking fertilizer — but usually not with new grass seed.)
  • Clean out your dryer vent: Your lint screen may be full of fuzzies each cycle, but a lot of it is still getting into that space-age silver tube. Clean it out with a vacuum or a long, bendy brush once a year to improve your dryer’s efficiency (and so it doesn’t catch fire).
  • Clean ceiling fans: They can get pretty dusty up there sitting idle all winter long.
  • Stain or paint the deck: Every other year or so, you’ll need to add another coat of stain to your deck’s floorboards (the railings and spindles can usually go five years or more). On a dry spring day, give it a good cleaning, and then strap a roller brush to a broom handle and slap another coat on there to protect the wood.

Fall/early winter home maintenance checklist:

  • Store hoses and turn off the water to outside spigots: You don’t want water freezing in your garden hose or faucet and breaking the pipes. In the basement, just follow the pipe from the faucet to the nearest shut-off valve, and turn it clockwise or so it’s perpendicular to the pipe.
  • Chimney sweep: You should get your main boiler or furnace chimney swept every couple of years — buildup in there can cause a chimney fire. And if you have a wood-burning fireplace or wood stove, get that cleaned out every couple of years or every time you go through a cord of wood, whichever comes first.
  • Boiler/furnace clean-out: Before heating season begins, you should get an inspection and the recommended annual maintenance on your boiler or furnace. If you get oil delivery, your oil company should take care of this for you. With gas, you’ll need to call your own plumber or heating technician. Since we have a pretty new gas steam boiler, our plumber told us we could do it ourselves: Just flush out all the water that’s in there (draining into a bucket and dumping it outside or down a drain), and then fill it back up. Repeat that a couple of times and you’re good to go.
  • Batten down the hatches: Move patio furniture into the garage (or at least take the cushions inside), cover up the grill, and remove and store your window A/C units (or cover up your central air unit). Move snow shovels, deicer, and other snow gear to an accessible spot in the garage or shed.
  • Tune up your snowblower: Snowblowers take a beating each winter — the metal parts get soaked, they get road salt inside them… it’s easy for them to get rusty and crap out on you. But you want yours ready to perform well when that first foot of snow falls. This year I plan on taking mine for a tune-up in the fall so it’s all set to go — you can often find a deal on Angie’s List, and you shouldn’t have to pay more than $100 for this type of service.

11. Throw a housewarming party.

Your first few weeks in a new house are going to be filled with the adrenaline and excitement that comes with such a big life change. Now, trust me on this: You need to tap that energy and get everything done that you can before the adrenaline wears off.

Don’t lose steam. For most people, whatever isn’t unpacked after about two months just stays in boxes and gets shoved in a closet. If you haven’t put pictures up on the wall after a couple of months, you’re going to be looking at empty walls for a long time.

Once you stop going all-out in move-in mode, it becomes really, really hard to get going again. After all, it’s exhausting, and you deserve the rest!

That’s why throwing a housewarming party is a great idea after you move in. It gives you a defined deadline to get the place in order, and puts just the right amount of motivational pressure on you to keep at it.

It’ll force you to confront those stray boxes and make tough decisions about what to do with them. It’ll push you to get the walls painted and decorated and to assemble that IKEA desk that’s been sitting in a box for two weeks. If you don’t do it now, there’s honestly a good chance you’ll be using that box as your desk six months from now.

It will allow you to share your excitement and hard work with the people you care about – not to mention, you might get a nice gift or two. (Tools make great house-warming gifts.)

And finally, accept that once the party arrives, you’re allowed to relax. You’re done. This is your home now, and this is what home looks like. You’ll make many more improvements to it, but for now, enjoy it.

12. Go to IKEA.

Let’s face it: Unless you’re downsizing, you might need some new home furnishings to fill out your new place. And for most of us 99 percenters, that means an IKEA run.

Maybe you’re moving from a small galley kitchenette to a large eat-in kitchen, or your old couch was too big or too ratty to move. Whatever the case, if you need to fill some empty rooms, the Swedish home goods superstore is a good starting point.

What do I mean by a starting point? You’ll have made a LOT of big decisions in the past few months, and you may not be ready to commit to an $1,800 living room set the same week you move in. You may do better living in the house for awhile before you make those kinds of design choices.

Meanwhile, IKEA furniture is cheap, functional, and attractively designed, so you usually can’t go wrong getting basic items here. What’s more, IKEA items hold their value surprisingly well — at least in a college town like Boston — so you can start with stuff that’s fairly cheap and functional and upgrade at your own pace.

Pick up a basic Ecktorp sofa to buy yourself some time — a steal at $450 — and then, when you do find that perfect living room set, sell the sofa for $300. (Or head straight to Craigslist or other places you can find used furniture and home goods.)

Finally, do not go to IKEA on a weekend if at all possible! Browse the catalog first to research the stuff you want to see in person, and then make a targeted trip around 7pm-8pm on a weeknight. You can zip through in under an hour without the mobs of people in your way, saving you time and certain rage.

And make sure to go with an empty trunk! When we went to buy our sofa, we brought the kiddo. Despite the flat-pack design, the sofa wouldn’t fit with her car seat in the back, even with half the back seat folded down (I don’t know why I thought that would work).

So I had to leave my wife and kid at IKEA and race home with the sofa. The worst part was that they were still inside the store and had no idea I was doing this — there’s no cell service in there. So I sped home, dumped the sofa in the driveway, and raced back, anxiously hoping that I got there before a) they went looking for the car or b) a toddler meltdown ensued.

The good news is, it’s IKEA, and it takes anyone a couple of hours to get through the store, much less someone with a dawdling toddler. They didn’t even know I was gone. Whew.

How to Increase Your Home Value

My first year of home ownership looked something like this: three bathroom updates, basement renovation, updated backyard landscaping and a heck of a lot of paint. Although my husband and I intentionally planned on most of those projects, we also started making a wish list of other things we wanted to do, like expand the master bathroom or swap carpet for hardwood floors, which got me thinking—there’s a fine line between making updates that add immediate resale value and investing in choices with zero ROI down the road.

A 2018 Homeowner Protection Survey by Chubb, which queried more than 1,200 U.S. homeowners about their approach to property, found that 58% of homeowners will “definitely” or “probably” undergo a home renovation or improvement project over the next 12 months. Of those who plan to do so, 65% plan to spend at least $10,000, with 20% budgeting between $10,000-40,000 and 15% spending more than that.

But as you make decisions regarding home upgrades, renovation and major projects, it’s vital to pay close attention to the market value of your home and the homes around you. “Pay attention to what homes top out for in your neighborhood,” advises Leneiva Head, real estate broker and founder of Welcome Home Realty in Tennessee. “If they top out at $500,000, and yours is already worth $475,000, you may lose money if your project is more than $25,000. Even that bears consideration because if you spend $25,000, then you only break even. Check the market against your home’s current value, then plan your renovations.”

Unsurprisingly, homeowners are most likely to spend money renovating or improving kitchens and bathrooms, according to the Chubb data. Here’s why, along with two additional smart ways to increase your home value in the first year.

1. Modify the floor plan or add square footage.

“If you’ve purchased a home that’s closed off and choppy at a time when most people prefer a more open design, then removing a wall here or there will increase the value within a year,” says Head. “For example, a couple bought an older home with a wall between the kitchen and the living room. They removed the wall (leaving about two feet on each end), sanded the hardwood floors, and added an island in the kitchen—which created the open look people prefer.”

Or, simply add square footage through a second bathroom, family room or four-season room. Bigger homes usually lead to higher values, and that’s something buyers tend to notice. Meghan Chomut, a certified financial planner who specializes in supporting families and property owners, says adding another decent-sized bedroom alone can broaden your buyer list if you sell, since many people will always consider more bedrooms than their family requires, but rarely consider looking at properties with less. Finally, you can also focus on creating additional living space, such as finishing a basement, building a deck or converting an attic.

If you’re not sure where to start, Remodeling magazine offers a great “Cost versus Value” report, which analyzes what you’ll pay for various upgrades alongside how much you can expect to recoup upon selling. “The doubling of homeowner equity over the past six years has given people the financial wherewithal, and the confidence, to make investments in their homes,” says Hunter. “This is showing up now as homeowners take on projects that they may have previously put off, or as they indulge themselves in discretionary upgrades that they can now afford. People are showing a greater tendency to stay in the home they already have and improve it rather than moving.”

2. Update kitchens and bathrooms for the greatest return on investment.

Brad Hunter, chief economist at HomeAdvisor, notes that millennial homeowners are now twice as likely as baby boomers to tackle kitchen and bathroom remodels. Based on findings from HomeAdvisor’s annual True Cost report, most millennials have compromised on the size and condition of their first homes, and many purchase older homes that need repairs in order to be able to afford home ownership at all. Those stats combined with the fact that most people perceive bathroom and kitchen updates as most impactful on home resale value—and kitchens and bathrooms are high-use, high-traffic rooms—results in a high level of interest for these types of projects. Also, says Indiana mortgage banker Corey Vandenberg, appraisers tend to look for updates in these areas first, due to the appeal for potential buyers.

Kitchens will give you one of the biggest returns on your investment, says Aaron Bowman, a realtor in Connecticut. Start by replacing old appliances with new, and make sure all appliances match if possible. You can reface or replace outdated cabinets, as well as revive old flooring with newer tile or vinyl options. And even very simple updates, like a backsplash or new appliances, can be a valuable place to put your money, adds Des Moines-based realtor Sara Hopkins.

“For example, if you just bought a home with standard cabinets and Formica countertops in the kitchen, then a simple swap out for quartz or granite will benefit you in your efforts to realize a return on your investment,” says Head. “Add gourmet-style cabinets and swap out the fluorescent overhead light for monorail lighting and you’ve got a winner.”

With bathrooms, Bowman says a complete renovation usually isn’t required. You can tackle inexpensive elements like vanities, toilets and fixtures, and still get the look and feel of an update without breaking the bank.

3. Prioritize curb appeal with landscaping.

“Landscaping is probably the best and easiest, most affordable way to increase your home value in the first year,” says Hopkins. It makes sense—healthy trees, blooming flowers or plants and neatly trimmed lawns make a house, well, prettier. Cassy Aoyagi, president of FormLA Landscaping, says some of the most impactful ROI can be earned outside of the home, and shares three easy, low-cost steps homeowners can take to make it happen.

  • Strategically plant native trees, which can reduce energy costs by as much as 50%, plus raise the value of neighboring homes
  • Plant young shrubs and leave space for it to grow to full size, as this will help cool your property
  • Replace annual plants or flowers with perennial foliage to help cut costs

What not to do: Aoyagi warns against installing synthetic turf and gravelscaping, as both can increase energy costs and degrade environmental resilience, as well as removing established trees.

How to Save Money as a Homeowner

Your house gives you so much: security, pride, shelter. With all that on the line, it’s easy to assume the costs of keeping it up just are what they are. But wait. There are plenty of expenses you probably make to keep your home in good order that are simply a waste.

Here’s how to save money each month without putting a dime of home value at risk.

#1 Cut Back on Laundry Detergent

Never mind the barely visible measurement lines in the cap: You typically only need a tablespoon of detergent. And, clothes actually get cleaner when you use less, because there’s no soap residue left behind.

#2 Clean Your Light Bulbs

What? Who does that? Well, smart people. A dirty bulb emits 30% less light than a clean one. Dust off both the bulb and fixture, and you might be able to cut back on the number or brightness of lights in each room without noticing any difference.

#3 Keep Your Fridge Full

Solid items snuggled together retain the cold better than air and help keep each other cold — requiring less energy overall. Leaving town for awhile and fridge is empty? Fill voids in the fridge or freezer with water bottles.

#4 Switch Your Bulbs to LEDs

By replacing just five of your most-used incandescent bulbs with uber-efficient light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs, you could save $75 a year on your energy bill.

And LEDs last 15-20 times longer than incandescents, so you won’t have to replace them nearly as often.

#5 Cut Scouring Pads In Half

Most clean-ups don’t require a full one.

#6 Use Power Strips

Appliances like coffee makers, TVs, and computers continue to suck power even when they’re off — which can cost you $100 a year. And did you know the AC adapter for your laptop keeps drawing power even if the laptop isn’t plugged in? Stop this slow money burn by connecting them to an easy-to-switch-off power strip.

#7 Use a Toaster Oven When Possible

Toaster ovens use 50% to 70% less energy than a full-size oven.

#8 Set Your Water Heater to 120 Degrees

Hot water heaters often come with a factory setting that’s higher than you need. You’ll cool your water heating costs by 3% to 5% every time you lower the temperature setting by 10 degrees.

#9 Insulate Your Water Heater

For $30 or less, an insulating jacket or blanket can shave 7% to 16% off your water heating costs for the year. Just make sure to follow the manufacturer’s directions to avoid creating a fire hazard.

#10 Use the Right Dryer Cycle

If you’re using a high-heat setting for each load, you could be using more energy than you need. Almost all fabrics can be dried with a lower heat setting, such as the permanent press setting. It uses less energy and has the added bonus of extending the life of your fabrics. Save the higher heat for items such as sheets and towels.

#11 Use Homemade Cleaners

Many commercial products rely on baking soda or vinegar for their cleaning power, so why not make your own? Most homemade cleaners cost less than $1.

#12 Ditch Disposable Sweeper and Mop Head

Stop throwing money away every time you clean! Refill your Swiffer Sweeper with microfiber cloths. Just cut to size and use them dry for dusting or with a little water and floor cleaner for mopping. Or switch to a microfiber mop with a washable head.

#13 Stop Buying Dryer Sheets

Another easy swap? Give up your dryer-sheet habit (about $7 for 240 loads) in favor of wool dryer balls (about $10 for six, which last more than 500 loads each). Of course, depending on your laundry preferences, you can always just go without either.

#14 Wash Clothes in Cold Water

Just switching from hot to warm water will cut every load’s energy use in half, and you’ll reap even more savings taking the temp down to cold. And don’t worry: Your clothes will get just as clean from cold water, thanks to the efficiency of today’s detergents (except in the case of sickness; you’ll want hot water and bleach then).

#15 Don’t Rinse Dishes

Two minutes of rinsing with the faucet on full-power will consume 5 gallons of water — the same amount efficient dishwashers use during an entire cycle. Shocking, right? And it’s an unnecessary step, since most newer models are equipped to remove even stubborn food debris. Just be sure to clean the dishwasher trap regularly to keep your dishwasher running efficiently.

#16 Keep a Pitcher of Water in the Fridge

You won’t have to waste time and money running the faucet, waiting for it to get cold enough for a refreshing sip.

#17 Set a Timer for the Shower

The average American takes an eight-minute shower and uses about 17 gallons of water. It’s easy to linger, so set a timer for five minutes. Or try this more entertaining idea: Time your shower to a song or podcast segment.

#18 Install Low-Flow Fixtures

In addition to water-conserving practices, low-flow showerheads, which cost less than $10, and other fixtures can drop your water use in the shower by 43%.

#19 Water Grass in the Morning to Save on Your Water Bill

Turning the sprinkler on midday is kinda like watering the air — especially when the mercury soars. Lose less to evaporation by watering during cooler hours (but avoid overnight watering, when too-slow evaporation can invite fungus growth).

#20 Hack a Water-Hogging Toilet

If you don’t have a water-conserving toilet, there are water-saving retrofitting kits that could yield about $110 in savings every year. Or place a half-gallon milk jug filled with water into the tank — in the corner and away from the flapper and ball-cock assembly. Every time you flush, you’ll save.

#21 Close Closet Doors

Each closet and pantry may hold a paltry amount of square footage, but you’re still heating and cooling it. Add up all the storage space, and you’ve got the equivalent of a small room. Shut the doors to keep the conditioned air out.

#22 Program the Thermostat

Program your thermostat to turn the heat down by 3 to 5 degrees when you’re not home and at night, and set it to bump the temperature up by the same amount when the A/C is cranking. You’ll save $10 to $20 a month and never feel the difference.

#23 Don’t Crank the Thermostat Up or Down Too Far

Varying the setting by 10 or more degrees when you’re gone for work or over the weekend is overkill. Your HVAC system will have to work overtime to get back to the ideal temperature, erasing your savings.

#24 Use Fans Year-Round

Ceiling fans can reduce your summer cooling costs and even reduce winter heating bills — but only if used correctly. Flip the switch on the base to make the blades rotate counterclockwise for a cooling effect or clockwise to help distribute heat in the winter. And in the warmer months, an attic or whole-house fan can suck hot air out and help distribute cooler air so you can give the A/C a little break.

#25 Caulk or Weatherstrip Around Doors and Windows

Caulk may not have the charisma of something like solar panels, but using it to seal air leaks around doors and windows will deliver immediate savings rather than a 14-year payback. You’ll spend $3 to $30 and save 10% to 20% on energy bills.

For gaps between moving parts that can’t be caulked, add weatherstripping.

#26 Add Insulation

This is a bigger weatherizing project than caulking or weatherstripping, but it could yield more than $500 in yearly savings. While your home should be properly insulated from the roof down to the foundation, prioritize the attic, under floors above unheated spaces, around walls in a heated basement and in exterior walls.

#27 Plant Shade Trees

Block the summer sun to lower cooling costs. Planting one shade tree on the west side and one on the east side of your home can shield your home from the sun during the summer months (but avoid south-side trees, which block winter sun). By the time they’re 15 years old, these two trees can reduce your energy bill by 22% , while adding value to your home.

 

#28 Cool with a Cross Breeze

On a breezy day, open a window on the side of your house that’s receiving the breeze, then open another on the opposite side of the house. Make sure the window on the receiving side is open a little less than the exhaust side to accelerate the breeze. You can also use a fan if there’s no breeze outside.

#29 Check Your Mortgage’s PMI

If your mortgage was for more than 80% of your home’s purchase price, you could be paying more than $50 a month, and as much as $1,000 a year, for private mortgage insurance (PMI). So as soon as you have at least 20% equity in your home, contact your lender to terminate the policy — they aren’t necessarily required to notify you when you reach that threshold.

Another option for ditching PMI? If your credit score or debt load has improved since securing your mortgage, look into refinancing with more favorable terms.

#30 Check Your Home Insurance for Savings

Your homeowners insurance should change as your life changes. Buying an automatic generator or installing security alarms could reduce your premium by 5% or more.

Bundling your home and auto coverage could save even more — up to 20% off both policies. But the point is to compare and do a price check to see if you can save.

Surveys have found you could be paying a lot more than what another insurer would charge for the same coverage. So you could save by going with a new company, or by using their quote to bargain with your current provider.

#31 Borrow Tools Instead of Buying

How often are you going to use that $600 demolition hammer once you remove your bathroom tile? Not so much? Rent it from a home-improvement store for a fraction of the cost. Be sure to do the math for each tool and project though; sometimes the rental price is high enough to justify buying it.

Or join a tool lending library or cooperative to borrow tools for free or much less than retail stores.

#32 Cut Back on Paper Towels

Two rolls of paper towels a week add up to about $182 every year! Instead, try machine-washable cotton shop towels. They clean up messes just as fast and cost less than $2 for five. Save paper towels for messes that need to go straight into the trash, like oil and grease.

#33 Stop Buying Plants for Curb Appeal Every Year

A pop of color in your landscaping perks up your curb appeal. But instead of wasting household funds on short-lived annuals, invest in perennials that will keep giving for years to come.

#34 Make Your Yard Drought-Tolerant for Long-Term Savings

Save $100 or more yearly by replacing water-hogging plants and grass with drought-tolerant and native species, and beds of rock or gravel. You’ll save time on maintenance, too.

#35 Use Curtains as Insulation

Another way to practice energy-saving passive heating and cooling? Open curtains on sunny windows in the winter and close them up in the summer.

Is Owning a Home the Right Choice?

Buying a home is the biggest financial decision many people make. Among the questions you need to ask yourself is why are you looking to buy?

“There is an emotional side to home ownership, particularly in the United States – it’s often baked into people’s vision of the future or part of the American dream,” said Tom Figgatt, president of Portolan Financial in New Orleans. “And it does feel good to own your own house; you can feel like it is a home and not just a temporary dwelling.”

But it’s not as simple as that. The benefits of home ownership don’t come without costs and limitations. Is renting a better option? The pros and cons of buying a house should be weighed up front.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Owning a Home

Before buying a home, it’s important to consider how such a purchase will affect your finances and your lifestyle. It makes sense to review all of the advantages and disadvantages of becoming a homeowner before making this big commitment.

What Are The Disadvantages of Owning a Home?

  • Equity doesn’t grow immediately: Most of the payments go toward interest in the early years of a mortgage, so you don’t gain equity quickly unless property values in your area skyrocket.
  • Illiquidity: Although houses have value, they typically don’t sell as quickly as stocks or other assets. While you’re trying to sell your home, you still have to keep making mortgage payments and maintain it.
  • High upfront costs: Closing costs on a mortgage can run from 2% to 5% of the purchase price, including numerous fees, property taxes, mortgage insurance, home inspection, first-year homeowner’s insurance premium, title search, title insurance, and points, which are prepaid interest on the mortgage. It can take about five years to recover those costs.
  • Less mobility: If one of the advantages of home ownership is stability, that means it will be more difficult to accept an attractive job offer requiring you to pick up and move to another city.
  • Maintenance costs: There is no property supervisor to take care of plumbing problems, and if the air conditioner goes out, you’re not only going to sweat until it’s fixed but you’ll be writing a check to get the cool air flowing again. The same is true of the landscape.
  • Property values can fall: That happened during the 2008 nationwide housing crisis, and more local conditions can cause this, too. Your building will depreciate over time, especially if you don’t maintain it.

What Are The Advantages Of Owning A Home?

  • Stable monthly payments: A fixed-rate mortgage means you’ll pay the same monthly amount for principal and interest until the mortgage is paid off. Rents can increase at every annual lease renewal. Fluctuating property taxes or homeowner’s insurance can change monthly payments, but that typically doesn’t happen as often as rent increases.
  • A good long-term investment: The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis reports that the average price of homes sold in the United States rose 28% in 10 years starting in 2009 and 10% from 2014 to 2019. Even if the value of the structure itself depreciates, the land on which it sits can become more valuable. You are investing in an asset for yourself rather than a property management company.
  • Building equity: Your equity is the difference between what you can sell it for and what you owe. Your equity grows as you pay down your mortgage. Over time, more of what you pay each month goes to the balance on the loan rather than the interest, building more equity.
  • Greater privacy: Also, since you own the property, you can renovate it to your liking, a benefit of home ownership that renters don’t enjoy.
  • Stability: People tend to stay longer in a home they buy, if only because buying, selling and moving frequently is difficult. Buying a home requires confidence you plan to stay there for several years.
  • Federal tax benefits: Mortgage interest is deductible, as is interest on home equity loans, property taxes and some closing costs when buying the home. However, Figgatt notes, tax law changes raising the standard deduction and capping deductions that can be taken on state and local taxes, make it less likely for younger people and those buying starter homes to enjoy those breaks.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Renting a Home

So, home ownership might not be for everybody, at least not in every stage of life. If renting a residence isn’t considered the American dream, not everyone in a nation of 330 million has the same needs or resources. So, before you buy, consider whether that is right for you right now.

Financial Disadvantages of Renting

  • No cosmetic improvements: If your home looks dated, you may just have to get used to it.
  • You can’t change the property: Would you like a deck for entertaining? Would you prefer a fenced yard? There’s nothing you can do about any of that in a rental except complain and see where that gets you.
  • Rent may increase: You may be comfortable with what you’re paying each month, but that could change when your lease comes up for renewal, typically in six months or a year.
  • You aren’t building value: When you leave your rental, all you take with you is yourself and the moveable property that belongs to you. It’s the property owner’s equity that grows, not yours.
  • No credit score improvement: While paying a mortgage on time improves your creditworthiness, you don’t get the same benefit from rent.

Advantages of Renting a Home

  • Low upfront costs: Except for a security deposit – often the cost of a month’s rent – you don’t have to write a big check or finance the costs required to get a mortgage. No HOA dues: Some homes are in developments with homeowner’s associations that require monthly dues on top of all the other expenses, and they aren’t optional. Not so with renting.
  • Rent payments may be lower: This certainly can be true if you’re renting an apartment, and it also may be the case when renting an identical house. If a mortgage is more than you can afford right now, renting makes more sense than being stretched too thin financially.
  • Repairs aren’t your responsibility: The property owner has to pay for that leaky faucet and anything else that breaks or wears out. So, you don’t have to factor those unplanned expenses into your budget.
  • Flexibility: If you want to relocate, having a mortgage can make that difficult. A house can take much longer to sell than you’d like, and if you move before it sells, you still have to make the monthly mortgage payments, so you’re paying for two residences while living in only one. Your obligation to a place you rent can’t exceed the length of the lease, and if the property owner can quickly find a new tenant, that can get you off the hook.

In assessing the pros and cons, Figgatt suggests you ask three questions.

1. Why are you looking to buy?

“If you’re looking at the purchase as an investment, it could work out very well, but high fixed costs mean the shorter the amount of time you hold the property for, the less likely you are to come out ahead relative to other investment opportunities out there,” he said. “Constantly buying and selling houses if you move frequently may be eating up wealth, not increasing it. And if you plan to rent the place out after you move, make sure you have a plan for managing the property – be ready to pay for that, too.”

2. Can you afford it?

“The down payment, closing costs and risk of sudden, very large expenses popping up combine to make it a very expensive proposition,” he said. “You need to save above and beyond your mortgage payment for infrequent yet major household expenses so that you keep it up properly. And making a smaller down payment and paying private mortgage insurance (which protects a lender in case you default on your mortgage) only increases the total cost of ownership.”

3. How long do you expect to stay in the house?

“It can be difficult to break even on a house if you stay in it for three years or less; the closing costs and commissions are significant, and expecting the house to appreciate in value enough within three years to make up for those costs may be setting your expectations too high,” Figgatt said. “And remember that your entire mortgage payment does not go towards the home’s equity. During the first year of your mortgage, depending on the terms, perhaps only about 30% of the principal and interest payments will actually go towards the principal of the home.”

How to Increase Your Home Value

Making your house more efficient, adding square footage, upgrading the kitchen or bath and installing smart-home technology can help increase its value.

Nearly two-thirds (65%) of U.S. homeowners believe the value of their home will continue to rise over the next 10 years, according to a NerdWallet survey conducted online by The Harris Poll among over 1,400 homeowners in August 2018.

That may be optimistic, considering that some factors that determine what a house is worth, like its location and the popularity of that market, are out of your control.

If, like 70% of American homeowners, you believe your house is your biggest asset, taking care of it is probably a top priority. The good news is, keeping up with repairs and making smart improvements are both proven ways to increase home value over time.

Whether you want to build equity or get top dollar when you sell, use the tips below to raise the value of your home.

1. Make it low-maintenance

Since many home buyers worry about buying a home that will need constant maintenance, replacing a major component before putting it up for sale — like the furnace, water heater or even the roof — may calm fears of an emergency repair in the near future and help get you a higher price.

Improvements that make things easy to clean and maintain may also increase home value. Consider replacing easily stained carpet with hardwood floors or replace high-maintenance wood siding with vinyl siding.

2. Make it more efficient

Energy conservation features can have a significant impact on home value, depending on what area of the country you’re in, Joanne Theunissen, chair of the National Association of Home Builders Remodelers, said in an email. Energy-efficient mortgages (EEMs) allow borrowers to take on additional debt to cover both the purchase of the home as well as energy-efficient upgrades. EEMs can also offer lower mortgage rates to increase purchasing power, according to Energy.gov.

Consider double-paned windows, enhanced attic insulation, LED lighting and efficient appliances as a way to increase home value and entice energy-conscious buyers.

If you’re willing to go bigger, put solar panels on the roof. Thirty-nine percent of agents surveyed recently by the National Association of Realtors said solar panels increased perceived property value. But since solar panels are a big financial and structural commitment, they only make sense if you’re hoping to increase value over the long term, not looking for a quick boost in resale value.

Schedule an assessment with a certified energy auditor or your utility company to determine where your home is wasting energy and which upgrades will save you the most money.

3. Make it more attractive

Curb appeal — how your home looks from the street — is your first chance to make a good impression, says James Murrett, president of the Appraisal Institute, a professional association for real estate appraisers. A home’s exterior needs to make a prospective buyer want to walk through the front door.

Make sure existing landscaping is well-maintained. If your yard seems dull in comparison with your neighbors, consider planting flowers or repainting the front door.

Once the exterior looks good, focus on the kitchen and bathroom. When these two rooms are outdated, they can keep a property from reaching its highest valuation, Lori Noble, a senior residential appraiser (SRA) in Charleston, West Virginia, said in an email.

And you don’t have to spring for heated towel racks or marble floors, either. A minor kitchen remodel recoups 81% of its cost in added value on average, versus 53% for an upscale kitchen remodel with stone countertops, custom cabinets and commercial-grade appliances, according to Remodeling magazine’s “2018 Cost vs. Value Report.”The same is true for bathrooms; a midrange remodel — new flooring and a few updated fixtures — delivers a 70% return on investment, while an upscale bathroom remodel — heated flooring, custom cabinets and designer fixtures — sees 56% on average.

4. Make it smarter

Safety-enhancing gadgets top the list of “smart” technologies buyers want in their new homes, according to a 2018 survey by Coldwell Banker. These safe and smart devices include thermostats, fire detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, security cameras, door locks and lighting.

While smart tech doesn’t always increase home value, it does add appeal, Tavia Galvin, a licensed Realtor in Arvada, Colorado, said in an email.

Those who see themselves as “techies” are more likely to pay more for these items, Martin said.

Unlike replacing the roof or renovating the bathroom, you can usually install these devices yourself for about $1,000 or less.

5. Make it bigger

“Square footage has a huge impact on value,” Angie Martin, director of operations at Hales and Associates in Overland Park, Kansas, said in an email. Price per square foot is one way she helps clients compare homes that are similar in style and upgrades.

Bigger homes often command higher values, and even if an appraiser doesn’t officially acknowledge the full value of added space, a buyer will likely notice.

Adding a room is the obvious way to make your house bigger, but you can also create additional living space by finishing the basement or building a deck.

How to pay for improvements that increase value

When thinking about how to increase home value, root your expectations in reality. Updates rarely recoup 100% of their cost, but they can make your family more comfortable and even help your home sell faster.

If you can’t pay for home improvements in cash, be sure to choose the right method of financing for you.

Cash-out refinance: This popular refinance option may be a good fit if you want to tap equity but don’t fancy a second mortgage. Of the 36% of homeowners who reported taking a cash-out refinance in the NerdWallet survey, over half (52%) used the funds for home improvements and repairs. A cash-out refinance doesn’t make sense if your equity is limited or current cash-out mortgage rates are higher than your existing rate.
Credit card: Putting home renovations on a credit card may be OK as long as you’ll be able to pay off the entire balance in a short amount of time.
Home equity loan or line of credit: These second mortgages turn your home’s equity into easily accessible funds. Home equity loans pay out in a lump sum while home equity lines of credit, or HELOCs, are a line of financing you can borrow against over time. Both home equity loans and HELOCs have interest rates, fees, monthly payments and tax advantages to consider.
Personal loan: If you don’t have enough equity for a home equity loan or HELOC, consider a personal loan. The interest rate will be higher than home-equity-based financing, but lower than a credit card in most cases.

How to Save Money on Remodeling Costs

We originally paid $200,000 for our 4,000-square-foot home and intend to own it for a good, long time. We’ve worked more or less nonstop since moving in three winters ago, and kept a close eye on rising housing prices in our (way undervalued) neighborhood, a historic district that’s home to the largest concentration of Victorian houses in the country. So, when our house appraised for over $340,000 after those three years, we took out a renovation loan thinking we could do an amazing kitchen, or convert a laundry room into a master bath. I decided we wouldn’t have to choose: I would make both renovations work for what money we had available. In this case, $50,000.

In the end, we spent exactly $50,000 redoing both the kitchen and the existing bathroom (even throwing in some upgrades to the dining room while we were at it). Yep, I stayed on budget and on schedule.

Was it worth it? Our realtor’s new estimate of what he would list it for now blew past my wildest expectations: $429,000 to $448,000! Based on his assessment, we added about $100,000 in value to our home.

So how did we spend $50,000 on what I’m calling a $100,000 remodel? There’s no one magic bullet; it meant saving on absolutely every aspect we could, large and small. Settle in for the full run-down:

1. Know when to go custom… and when to not go custom

I first priced out custom shutters for our very old kitchen windows and the quote took my breath away. So I went to The Shutter Store for made-to-fit wooden plantation shutters at (yep) half the price. I measured like sixteen times to be sure, and it was fine.

But I also knew I didn’t want a run-of-the-mill cabinet shop island. Dreams of repurposing a vintage French store counter had to give way to our limitations, so instead, I contacted a woodworker friend and told him what I had to spend and what I wanted. He was able to work within that budget to design and build a beautiful custom piece using reclaimed wood from the same time period as our house. The island is now the anchor of the kitchen.

2. DIY contracting

To start, I ran the projects myself. General contractors have great value (my dad is one so I know this firsthand). If we’d had the money and been able to line one up, I’d have done it in a heartbeat. It became a heavy part-time (veering into full-time) job and there are a lot of drawbacks to being your own GC. But, that’s 10 percent right off the top of your budget. What’s more, while a contractor will go a customary route, I had the freedom to bargain hunt to my heart’s content, like buying kitchen cabinets for dirt cheap on Facebook Marketplace, for instance. Which brings us to…

3. Floor model appliances FTW

Ok, so a Ferrari red Bertazzoni range was NOT part of the plan. But when we randomly walked into a floor model clearance at a fancy fixture store and saw the shiny red Italian range for half price? It suddenly happened. The $6,000 stove, something I’d never have dreamed of having, was $3,000. We also scoured the internet looking for a deal on the fridge we lusted after at Lowe’s, a gorgeous black stainless KitchenAid French door model that was an eye-popping four grand. Excessive Googling finally led me to a floor model at a Sears Outlet. Even after paying for shipping, we saved almost half (and ended up getting a refund on shipping costs).

4. Strategic timing

We couldn’t find the matching KitchenAid dishwasher on any kind of crazy deal, so we waited for Lowe’s to offer an extra 10 percent off to Lowe’s cardholders to buy that—while it was on sale, no less.

5. Create big impact with lower cost materials

We did an interesting twist on subway tile for the shower—the tile is longer than the standard 2″ x 6″ dimensions, and has a wavy texture. And then we took it all the way to the ceiling and wall to wall, set on thirds. It created instant drama with a (relatively) low cost tile. The shower floor was a much smaller space so we could splurge on a special order tile. Meanwhile in the kitchen, we balanced the pricey quartz countertop on the island with a butcher block top on the cabinets at a fraction of the price.

6. Love the one you’re with

We wanted to start completely over in both rooms, but to move plumbing in the kitchen alone was going to cost $2,500. So we opted to keep the same footprint. I spent a couple hundred dollars working with a design consultant, who helped me make smart choices on how to tweak what I could without expensive plumbing moves. That was money wisely spent.

7. Change gears mid-stream

We’d planned to install a high-end(ish) floor tile in the kitchen, then found original hardwood below the ugly old stuff on demo day. We’d budgeted about $3,000 for the tile and installation, so the $1,100 we spent refinishing the existing floor was a coup. That price included a sweet discount for being a repeat customer—we’d hired the same company who restored the beautiful floors in our third floor.

8. Stalk Amazon Warehouse and monitor prices

Buying the kitchen and bathroom fixtures refurbished or repackaged from Amazon Warehouse and third party sellers was a huge savings. We paid builder-grade prices for high-end finishes, saving as much as 500 bucks on one faucet alone. I also used the price tracker camelcamelcamel to watch for prices to drop on whatever we needed.

9. Big money for boxes? No way

I have a thing about spending a ton of money on cabinets. Cabinets are normally a massive expenditure in a kitchen reno. So we did a couple of things here: no upper cabinets, instead opting for open shelving. Besides the island, we also only had room for two lower cabinets, which also saved money. And those were a fortuitous, albeit somewhat, shady find: A longtime employee of a local cabinet shop was selling their practice runs and samples. They’re slightly imperfect and they cost 50 bucks apiece.

10. Price match

I bought a lot of stuff online, but wanted to see some things—lighting, for instance—in person, so we went to a local lighting store. I found a great fixture I’d never have chosen online, but cost more than any of the cheap lighting stores on the web had it. No problem—the sales assistant just had me show him the lowest price I could find for the same thing and he matched it, to the tune of a couple hundred dollar savings.

11. Use the big box stores wisely

I avoided the big box stores for the most part, because I wanted a more unique look. But when I couldn’t find an affordable bathroom vanity/medicine cabinet/linen cabinet set anywhere, I turned in desperation to Menards, where I found some very similar versions of items I’d eyed at the high-end shops online, but for a fraction of the cost. I also tracked down a farmhouse sink online at Home Depot for about half what I’d seen from the high-end places.

12. Shop around

Yes, this isn’t a secret. But let’s take the quartz countertop I had my heart set on. I called practically every cabinet and counter place in town to get prices, and the cost varied tremendously. I went with the cheapest, and while I can’t give them any compliments on their service, they did the job and the Silestone Eternal Calacatta Gold I chose is just delicious.

13. Don’t forget to thrift!

My first purchase for the new kitchen was vintage brass knobs for the cabinets. I found them at my old stomping grounds, Architectural Salvage Warehouse in Detroit for 50 cents apiece.

14. Shop the house and make it fun

When it came time to accessorize the kitchen, there wasn’t really anything left. But I realized that an old, heavy mirror I’d found in the house and stashed in the garage would be perfect. And we took advantage of a painting workshop to collaborate on a small mural to hang on a wall. A free mirror and $40 workshop to make a statement on two walls? Done.

15. Take advantage of contractor discounts

I asked for a discount everywhere and from everyone. Many vendors offer ‘to the trade’ pricing so, since I have a side gig helping Airbnb hosts with their listings, I explained that I’m a short-term rental hospitality and design consultant, and several shops gave me 10 percent off my orders. Your mileage may vary, but it seems like a lot of places are willing to work with shoppers.

I scored even bigger discounts using my sub-contractors’ connections. The bathroom and the kitchen backsplash tile both dropped drastically in price at the specialty tile shop after they plugged in our tile installer’s info. And, after giving my plumber’s name at the plumbing supply house, they dropped about a hundred bucks from the toilet’s price.

At the end of the day, getting this kind of savings boiled down to a lot to time, a lot of work and research, and being willing to take a non-traditional approach. And it couldn’t have happened without advice from people smarter than me, and sub-contractors we knew and trusted and who were patient with my frequent lack of knowledge.

Being a Homeowner: Pros & Cons

Homeownership has always been part of the American Dream. Because of that, many people accept owning a home as the right, even obligatory thing to do without considering the benefits and the risks. If you are contemplating buying a home, you should know and review the pros and cons of the investment you are about to make—as you would any investment decision—before signing on the dotted line.

Pros:

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’s Effect

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, passed in December 2017, made substantial changes to the parts of the tax code that have to do with homeownership. Unless a future Congress amends the law, all provisions will expire after Dec. 31, 2025. But for now, changes in that law have reduced the value of owning a home.

The law limits mortgage interest deductions to $750,000 of total mortgage debt, including for a first and second home and any home-equity or HELOC loans. The previous limit was $1,000,000 in mortgage debt plus an additional $100,000 in home-equity debt.

There is an exception allowing $1,000,000 in total mortgage debt if you bought your home on or before Dec. 14, 2017. This provision even applies if you refinance that older mortgage. Home equity loan interest is only deductible if the money is used for substantial improvements to the home on which you took out the loan. Previously, interest on up to $100,000 was deductible no matter how the home-equity money was used.

The law also set the SALT deduction limit to $10,000. Previously, all SALT payments were deductible, unless you were subject to the alternative minimum tax.

Other new provisions include restrictions on claiming casualty losses except for federally declared disasters. The moving expenses deduction no longer exist except for the active-duty military moving for reasons of work.

All these changes have lowered the value of owning a home—including the fact that, with the doubling of the standard deduction (another feature of the Act), fewer people will have enough deductions to file Schedule A instead of taking the standard deduction. So the fact that you are eligible for a tax deduction does not mean that it will end up being useful to you. The severe limiting of the SALT deduction will be particularly detrimental in lowering available deductions for people who live in highly taxed states.

Attractive Long-Term Investment

Appreciation represents the increase in home values over time. Real estate prices are cyclical, and homeowners shouldn’t expect the property’s value to increase drastically in the short-term. But if you stay in your home long enough, there’s a very good likelihood you will be able to sell your home for a profit because of appreciation later in the future.

Despite some dramatic dips, such as that in 2008-10, residential real estate tends to rise in value. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the average price of sold houses in the U.S. rose from $340,400 in Q3 2014 to $380,300 in Q3 2019—a 10% increase in value over five years. Go back a decade, when the average home fetched $274,100 (Q3 2009), and you have a 28% increase. That’s not a bad return on an investment that also provides you with a place to live.

Consider a home that is rundown and dilapidated to the point that it’s uninhabitable. The land underneath the home may still be worth a significant amount of money—more than the residence, in this case,. A seller may consider selling it as is—with the structure still intact—or spending a little extra to demolish the home and sell the land at a higher price on its own.

Capital Gains Exclusion

Eventually, you will sell your home. When you do, the law allows you to keep the profits and pay no capital gains taxes. Well, not necessarily all the profits. There’s a tax-free profit of up to $250,000 for single homeowners and $500,000 for married couples. This is for your main residence only—not for a second home or vacation property.

There are a few requirements you need to meet in order to qualify for this exclusion. You must own the home for at least two years—24 months—within the last five years up to the closing date. The residence requirement dictates that you should have lived in the home for at least 730 days, or two years, during the five-year period leading up to the sale. The final requirement, the look-back requirement, outlines that you didn’t profit from selling another primary residence during the two-year period leading up to the most recent sale.

Tax Deductions

After appreciation, the benefit of homeownership that is cited most often is tax deductions or savings. When you buy a home, you can deduct some of the expenses of owning that home from the taxes you pay to the government. This includes mortgage interest on both your principal residence and a second home, which can amount to thousands of dollars per year.

Interest on home-equity loans or home-equity lines of credit (HELOCs) is also deductible if the funds are used to substantially improve your home.

You can also deduct up to $10,000 in state and local taxes (SALT), including property taxes.

Home equity represents the difference between how much you still owe on your mortgage and the market price or value of your home. Home equity and appreciation may be considered together. As noted above, your home is likely to grow in market value over time. Your equity also grows as you pay down your mortgage, with less of your payment going toward interest and more toward lowering the balance on your loan.

Building equity does take some time because it takes time to lower the principal balance owing on the mortgage loan—unless, of course, you make a large down payment or regular prepayments. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that the length of time you have your home is a big factor in how much equity you build and the appreciation you can realize. The longer you keep it, the more equity you obtain.

As you pay down your mortgage and reduce the amount you owe, without realizing it, you are saving as the value of your home is increasing—just as the value of savings account increases with interest. When you sell, you will likely get back every dollar you paid out and more, assuming you stay in your house long enough. Over time the average 6% return (interest rate) on your savings should more than
cover your outlay.

Another plus: Home equity provides flexibility to get a loan that is tied to the amount of your home equity. Many investors follow their home equity and home appreciation simultaneously. If an investor believes their home value is greatly appreciating they may put off a home equity loan to have a better opportunity to realize seller’s appreciation.

 

Cons:

Illiquidity

Unlike stock, which can be sold within a matter of days, homes typically take much longer to unload. The fact that you may have access to $500,000 in tax-free capital gains doesn’t mean you have ready access. Meanwhile, you still must make mortgage payments and maintain the house until you sell it.

High Upfront Costs

The cost of investing in a home can be high—there’s more to your expenses than the property’s selling price and the interest rate on your mortgage. For starters, you can expect to pay anywhere from 2% to 5% of the purchase price in closing costs. Some of the most common closing costs include an application fee, appraisal fee, attorney fees, property taxes, mortgage insurance, home inspection, first-year homeowner’s insurance premium, title search, title insurance, points (prepaid interest), origination fee, recording fees, and survey fee.

Experts say you should plan to stay in your house at least five years to recover those costs.

Pride and Financial Responsibilities

One often-cited benefit of homeownership is the knowledge that you own your little corner of the world. You can customize your house, remodel, paint, and decorate without the need to get permission from a landlord.

Ownership comes with responsibilities, however. You must pay your mortgage or risk losing your home and the equity you’ve built. Maintenance and upkeep are your responsibility. You can’t call the landlord at 2 a.m. to have a leaky water pipe repaired. If the roof is damaged, you must repair it—or have it repaired—yourself. Lawn mowing, snow removal, homeowners insurance, and liability insurance all fall on you.

Potential Depreciation

Not all homes grow in value. The housing crisis of 2008 resulted in many homeowners being underwater, which means owing more on your mortgage than your home is worth. It doesn’t take a housing crisis for home prices to stagnate or drop. Regional or local economic conditions can result in home values that don’t keep up with inflation.

Remember, as well, that the actual structure you live in will depreciate over time. This can be due to wear and tear on the property, or a lack of maintenance and repairs.

The Bottom Line

A home is an investment that comes with many investment benefits but also risks, which makes it an investment that is not for everyone. Weighing the investment benefits against the risks is important. A rational comparison of pros and cons can help you decide whether to put your money into a home investment or potentially find better returns elsewhere.

How to Save Money for a House

Buying your first house is the pinnacle of adulthood. But as you’re probably well aware, the road to home ownership isn’t exactly easy to navigate. Unless you’re completely debt-free and disciplined enough to live below your means to save money, buying your first home in the near future can seem more like a fantasy than an actual possibility. In fact, a 2017 Zillow survey of 13,000 adults found that only 39% of millennials are able to make the standard down payment on a home, and just one in five can pay the bare minimum to secure a home loan. Yeah, it’s tough out there.

The good news is that buying a house doesn’t have to be something you only wish you could do. You can definitely make it a reality. But it may require you to make a bit of an adjustment. Fortunately, experts shared some sneaky ways you can save money for a house — and the timing’s perfect, since April is Financial Literacy Month.

What you need to know before you even think about buying your first house

When you’re looking to buy your first home, it is crucial to understand how to save money. As Dottie Herman, finance expert and CEO of Douglas Elliman, one of the largest real estate companies in the United States, tells us,

But before you even begin your search, Herman says it’s in your best interest to meet with a qualified mortgage lender. They’ll be able to help guide you through the process of qualifying and buying a home. Most importantly, constantly check your credit score. The higher the score, the better interest rate you will receive.

“For most people, buying a home is an exciting time. But it can also be a very long process that may seem like a financial hurdle that requires short-term sacrifices for long-term success,” Herman says. “By following a few smart and savvy ways to lower your expenses, you will be able to save enough money to purchase that dream home in less time than you think. In the end, it all comes down to discipline, desire, and you.”

So how can you save up for a house without making it seem like such a huge sacrifice?

Sneaky ways to save up for a house

1. Use cash as much as possible

Using cash may seem like such a hassle, but Adam Jusko, founder and CEO of ProudMoney.com, tells us it can save you a lot of money down the line.

“Many studies show that people spend more when paying with credit cards, so use cash instead,” Jusko says. “You’ll not only spend less on food and other items, but taking away the convenience of using credit means you simply won’t buy frivolous impulse purchases.”

According to him, the pain of going to the ATM to get cash will have a way of slowing down your spending. Just think, when you only have $10 in your wallet and no credit cards, you start to think of ways to prevent that money from being spent.

2. Split your paycheck into two separate accounts

This may not seem like a sneaky way to save at first, since you know you’re doing it. But if you have direct deposit, have your paycheck deposited into two accounts.

“I have my employer put the bulk of my paycheck into my everyday checking account, and then I have a specific amount from each paycheck that automatically goes into a savings account at another bank that I rarely use,” Jennifer Beeston, VP of mortgage lending at Guaranteed Rate Mortgage, tells us. “When it comes to saving, out of sight, out of mind can be very powerful.”

3. Skip online shopping every other month

Online shopping is the number one way people “mindlessly spend” money these days, Beeston says. Just think about your own online shopping habits. Are your purchases typically impulse buys, or do you mostly buy things you actually need? According to Beston, the nature of online shopping makes it difficult to truly understand or feel the cost of purchases.

That’s why she suggests banning online shopping every other month. Do a digital detox on your wallet. “This is a great way to save extra money,” she says. Just try it one month and see how much you end up saving. If it’s a lot, you might be more motivated to make it a regular thing.

4. Be flexible with your grocery list

When you’re trying to save money, flexibility is key. For example, if you really like Heinz Ketchup but there’s a sale on the generic store brand, go with the generic store brand.

Same goes for meals you’re trying to make. “When you see a sale, try to swap out a meal you’d planned to make with a cheaper meal using the discounted food,” Jusko says. This allows you to be a little creative, and can save you a bit of money at the same time.

“What are little things you can do to constantly remind yourself of the goal so you keep doing the right thing? No matter how frugal you are, there is one thing you are buying that you could leave at the store,” he says. “Make a game of figuring out how you could replace that item with things you already have at home or how to simply live without it.”

5. Make a calendar of things you’re not going to do

Most of us like to plan events on our calendar, but more often than not, those events mean spending money. Instead, Jusko suggests making a calendar of what you could do, but won’t. For instance, put down, “Not having dinner with Kim and Sam at that new restaurant on Friday.” Then, calculate how much money you saved by not doing those things.

“This may sound corny, but one of the hardest things about saving money is filling the time that would normally be spent on entertainment,” he says. “Being silly about the process by making it a game is key to making it happen.”

6. Buy a French press

If you’re a coffee lover, you probably know your daily drink of choice can seriously add up. You can even check your bank or credit card statements to see just how much you’re spending. But there is a way to save money without having to forego your caffeine addiction altogether.

“Instead of going to Starbucks in the morning and then again for your afternoon pick-me-up, go to Starbucks or another coffee specialty shop and buy the coffee grounds to make make your drink at home,” JJ Choi, an agent at real estate brokerage firm Triplemint, tells us. “A French press is an easy alternative vs. a big expensive machine. Coffee will net out to less than a dollar per drink compared to the $8 to $10 daily expense.”

Saving money to buy a house may take work and a lot of discipline, but if it’s something you really want, you can definitely do it.

7. Lock money away in a certificate deposit (CD) account

A CD is a savings account with a fixed interest rate and fixed date of withdrawal. Essentially, these are savings accounts with a catch. “A lot of people can save money, but they can’t avoid the temptation of spending the money when it’s sitting there,” Holden Lewis, home financing expert, tells us.

“You can buy a certificate of deposit for six or 12 months, and there’s a penalty for withdrawing the money early. That can help you keep your hands off it.” It’s definitely a good option if you’re known to tap into your savings account every now and then.