New homeowner...what do I need?

[scout]

I own a condo now, but I know that owning a home is different. In my condo everything on the outside was taken care of. DH was already listing the things that we need to get (Lawnmower, rake) What else will I need? Also...what things do I need to know? The home inspector guy mentioned duct cleaning which I had never even heard of.

Help!

[Jennifer]

Let's see, when we bought our house our garage was empty and 5 years later its stuffed and we bought a shed to house our yard stuff :eek:

First - duct cleaning I think is something that can be done every few years - I know our local equipment rental place can rent a duct vacumn - it's like a vacumn with a long hose wiht something that looks a lot like a bottle brush on the end to help scrub loose and suck out dust/hair etc that can build up in your ducts. Also useful for cleaning out the dryer vents - lint can really build up in there. You can also hire someone to do this - a few hundred $$ I think. Your inspector may have noticed some build up or clogs in yours?

I think these were the things bought/acquired in our first 3-6 months of homeownership (we bought in the winter, so we picked up the yard stuff as we needed it in the spring)

Lawnmower
hedgeclippers (we started out manual, but have lots of bushes so bought an electric one last year - a "hedgehog" which we love!)
Rake
a couple different sized pruning shears
big outside broom and dustpan
garbage cans if your garbage service doesn't provide them
work gloves (for weeding mostly)
shovel - regular sized and "floral"
hand garden tools - like the long metal stick, trowel, bulb planters
lawn fertilzer
hose/nozel
gas cans for the lawnmower
various fertilizers/miracle grow for the lawn and flowers
bug killers (wasp/hornet spray, one for roses, one for ants)
Tools - DH has collected what feels like a full hardware store of items, but it depends on if you guys will want to DIY improvements and repairs...

I think owning a home is a lot like owning a condo - you take care of the inside...and add a yard. A yard service actually starts to seem pretty cost effective when you think about the cost of buying (and storing!) all the tools and the time spent taking care of a yard!

Enjoy your new home!

[2kCougar]

In addition to what Jennifer listed, we have bought:
a wheelbarrow
weed trimmer
mulch and garden soil
metal rakes
active hoe
hangers for all of the new tools to be stored in the garage
storage cabinets for chemicals
drainage pipes for gutter downspouts
garden bed edging and weed mats

Good luck with the new house!

[KKay]

Don't forget about the winter months! You'll also need:
Snowblower
Heavy shovel

You should be able to get good deals on the winter stuff right now. It may feel silly buying a snowblower on a 90 degree day, but you'll appreciate that first snowfall at 6am when you are trying to leave your house. :)

[kam]

Subscribing. Good to have this handy!

[scout]

Ooh! Things I had not even thought of! Thank you so much!