When you are budgeting to buy a new Bay Area home there are some costs that you might not think of until it’s too late.
- Moving. You may have a new home but how are you going to get your stuff there? Unless you are planning to bribe your family into helping you move one weekend you are going to need to enlist the help of a moving company. Think about all the items you have to move and do your research for local movers.
- Improvements. Do you want to change the carpet? Paint that hot pink wall? Remodel the kitchen? All of these items no matter how little or small are going to have a cost associated with it. Make sure you budget in addition to closing costs for any improvements you want to make.
- Utilities. If you are moving from a small one bedroom apartment to a single family home there will be a big change in the cost of your utilities each month.
- Maintenance. If you are buying a home with an older roof or non-dual pane windows then you might have some maintenance in your near future. Make sure you have some money stashed away for any home maintenance repairs that could come up at any time.
- Décor. If you are moving from a smaller place to a much larger home then there is a chance that you will need to buy new furniture. This is a cost that can add up quickly so you want to make sure you keep some money for furnishing you brand new home.