I think often eveyrone gets so focused on just qualifying they forget about everything else that go along with it. I had alot of people comment on a post I maded on another thread and I thought I would post some of the "extra" fees etc that are not directly mortgage but tied to when you get a new home.
Frist let me say in my case I have saved up to buy these items directly but decided to take the opportunity to "make" a little int he process. I had been new credit free for over ayear other then the 2 credit pulls for my mortgage in May and October. and I was quite nice to not be "worried" if I would get approved when I went to Best Buy and Lowes.
So that aside. So after closing the items I have so far and what I have yet to do.
1. There was no refridgerator so I needed a fridge. Expect to pay between 1000-2000 depending on the features you want. With the black friday sales goign on I got a good deal but it was an expense that was needed
2. I called to have gas and electric changed over to my name. Even though it is the same company I am with now and been with for 2 years with perfect payments they won't forgoe the deposit till you ahve been with them for 30 months so I had a 50 dollar deposit for gas and electric
3. I will call for water on Monday (they were closed by the time I went to call them Friday) I do not yet know what the deposit will be for water
4. I am traveling out of town for thanksgiving so I will call and set up trash pickup and pay that deposit when I return.
5. My house did not come with a garage door opener (now this is not a necessity but an expense for me) this can range from as low as about 80 dollars if you install your self a base opening to 300 for a top of the line model with someone else installing
6. my cable and internet athough I am stying with comcast since I am upgrading service I don't have a deposit but i do have an installation charge (so much for their " mover " thing they advertise.
7. movers (unless you have a bunch of friends with trucks)
8. then there is the critial Lowes (or home depot if you prefer) I got some basics like a ladder, sealant for my granite, murphey's oil for my cabines and some stuff for the hardwood floors as well. I am alos painting before I move in so painting supplies etc (this actually was around 500 dollars even with the 5% off)
and 3 items that i had saved for that are something I JUST WANTED!!!!!
9. matress for my guest bedroom
10. new dining room set (my current one is more just a kitchen set and is over 35 years old)
11. new TV yes this is a pure selfish splurge for myself.
So I just wanted to shrare what all the expenses I have encountered since closing!
you are correct, there are a ton of expenses that come with a new house!
It's a killer for sure. It's MY HOUSE now, not a rental, and I want things to be the way I want them. I want to take care of painting etc before I move my furniture in. Been to Home Depot twice (since Friday closing) and have to drag myself out of there before I spend a fortune. Let's face it, there's some stuff you don't want to drag to your new home.. door mats, mops, brooms, you need picture hangars, blinds, drapes, curtains, area rugs ( I need a bunch, my dog hates the hardwood floors). That's not including the outside stuff, I need a lawn mower, a snow blower, rakes etc. I want some more outdoor lighting. I want to insulate my attic and stain and polish the concrete floors in the basement. I'd like wall to wall in my bedroom (I'm old fashioned that way). I want a tile backsplash in the kitchen. Never mind that I don't know how to do ANY of this stuff, I'd better be a fast learner or I will have to pay someone to do it for me. I want to mount my flat panel in the bedroom, and I want a new sofa. I want to paint and tile the basement bathroom. At the same time I don't want to take on ANY new debt!!!! Something has got to give 
Starting Score: 597
@DallasLoanGuy wrote:where's the car?
man, a new lexus would look good parked out front
It's funny-- cars are the one thing I HATE to spend money on. I'd rather drive a well maintained older car ( I have two VW Jetta's, a 2006 TDI and a 2000 VR6) that I paid cash for. Can't stand the car payment. I often feel sorry for people I see here that have one or sometimes two car payments in the 400-500 range and they are trying to get a mortgage. My wish list for my house is just that, wishes. I'll get to things little by little when I have the money....
EZ Ihad 5 "I want" items on my want list that I saved for to get after closing.
Today I finished that list so that feeling of power walking into the store is gone now its back to be frugal and start saving for new things again. prioritize them and tackle them 1 at a time. So my 5 were
1. a new matress and box spring for guest room
2. a new dining room set
3. a garage door opener that I can control from my cell phone (i have a horrible habbit of questioning if I closed it after I am about a mile down the road)
4. fridge
5. new modem and router (tiredof paying comcast for a horrid modem/router)
6. Like you a new tv. I had the space for a 70 but I went with a 65 samsung instead.
I also painting all the bedrooms beforeI move in. I actually had never painted before and just finished the master bedroom tonight. gonna be tight to finish all 3 before moving day on the 6th since I am out of town w-sa and go back to work monday.
@ezdriver wrote:We are having some fun with this thread but hopefully buyers keep these things in mind and not leave themselves without some savings or disposable income to pay for the things that contribute to making that new house a home.
One of my cars is a 2002 Mercedes E430 with 180k miles... but bought it for cash and nothing having a payment makes me enjoy the old car. Would like to get a new four-door Jeep Wrangler but completing all the things that I want for my new home is much more important than the new Jeep. Nothing spoils the joy of homeownership like needing or wanting to do something for one's home and not having the financial ability to do it.
I sell new construction and it hurts me to see people maxing out their financial capability unnecessarily. Last week I had two buyer prospects arrive at my office driving very cool cars [new Camaro convertible and new Mercedes fullsize SUV] and both failed to qualify for mortgages. I think that one of the most valuable aspects to this forum is that we share our stories so others may use them to avoid some common pitfalls in home buying.
May this holiday season bring everyone some good cheer and hope.
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The car culture n this country is out of control. When I was a kid (granted that was decades ago) there was not one family in my neighborhood driving a brand new car. Everyone drove a modest used vehicle that they paid cash for. My father never had a car payment! Now it's a sign of status and success the bleeds people dry. You are underwater from the moment you drive out of a dealership, stuck in a loan you cannot pay off by selling the vehicle. People don't realize that their ability to purchase the roof over their heads has just been downgraded or even eliminated-- and eliminated for many years! Almost everyone is taking out five, six and seven year loans. That's a long time to pay rent. If you sat down and added up the interest on your car loan and the rent you poured down the drain while you were paying the car off you would RUN- not walk- out of that fancy dealership!