So your home loan has been approved and you’re finally going to leave your tiny cottage and move into a sunny spacious home with a garden to die for. The countdown to the move has begun, so this means there are a lot of things that need to be considered.
Here are a few tips to help make sure you enjoy your new place:
• Pay attention to cracks, leaking pipes, the lawn, peeling paint and blocked gutters before they become expensive to fix. The last thing you want to do is spend time and too much money fixing these .
• Check your taps regularly and don’t leave them running. This can be an expensive mistake so make sure all are tightened properly and there are no hidden leaks in the piping system. Make sure the washers are in good condition too.
• Learn how to budget: As a homeowner you will now be responsible for all the repairs around the house. So it’s important to include house stuff in your budget so that if the pipe suddenly bursts you aren’t left in a flooded mess. Be sure to have household insurance for burst geysers and similar disasters.
• Insure your house: We can’t stress enough the importance of being properly insured. Many major damages, such as an exploding geyser can be dangerous and enormously expensive to repair. Insurance mitigates this financial risk.
• Make sure you have proper security. You’ll need to be safe so get an alarm, hire a security company and make sure you have burglar bars on your doors and windows.
• And lastly, get to know your neighbours: If you get a chance to see your neighbour in the driveway, introduce yourself and make friends. You never know when you will need help from a neighbour.
We wish you many happy memories in your new home. Owning a house is a liberating and wonderful step. We hope that our tips will help you enjoy your new asset.
Until the end of this month Standard Bank South Africa is running a home loan special. If you apply for a home loan between now and the 30 September you will get 50% off your first home loan instalment and 50% discount on your bond registration fees.
Click here for more information.
http://www.standardbank.co.za/standimg/campaigns/WR_1138-Homeloans/index.html
