🏠 Your first house

The unexpected costs of owning a house

A house comes with many expenses that are known. You know you're going to paint the house in a few years. You know you'll have to replace the roof many years from now. But it was all the small extra expenses that came as a surprise to us. Over time we started looking for sales. Batteries were stocked up on sale. Light bulbs. We figured out which different light bulbs we had, and bought up a small stock when there was a really good sale. Does your home have a veranda? Then it needs maintenance. Do you have a gutter? Then either you have to get up there and clear it out, preferably every year — or you'll have to hire someone for the job if you're not able to.

The hidden costs

You have to buy cleaning supplies, for the kitchen, floor and bathroom alike. Light bulbs. Batteries. Smoke detectors.

A home as savings

For a long time, a home has been an extremely good investment. How good it will be going forward, you never know. But putting money into your mortgage is usually the best investment you can make. Prioritize credit card debt and whatever has the highest interest first, but in the end, attack your mortgage. Whether you're going to sell eventually, or upgrade, you'll thank yourself that the loan has become lower. Try to treat your home in a way that makes it hold its value, and in the end it can become the biggest piggy bank you have.