You’ve spent years saving up for your first home. When it’s time to buy, you’ll spend even more time researching the best mortgage deal and adding up your purchase expenses. But when you’re thinking about money, you don’t want to forget about the ongoing costs. Buying a home is expensive, but the cost of owning a home is a big deal too. Once you’re settled into your new home, you’ll have multiple expenses you have to stay on top of. And some houses are going to be more expensive to run than others. So watching out for ongoing costs when you’re buying is key.

Care and Maintenance

As a tenant, your landlord is responsible for maintaining your home. But once you’re an owner, it’s up to you. You’re now in charge of repairs and preventing your home from falling apart. And a few different things can affect how much your home will cost to maintain. You’ll have to think about how the features you’re looking for from your home will make a difference. Can you afford pool maintenance if you’re dreaming of swimming every day? Do you have the cash to take care of a larger property with more bedrooms?

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Utilities and Bills

You can’t forget about the bills you’ll be paying, and they’re going to be different in every home. This will include everything from electricity to water, internet, and more. You might not have exact numbers on how much it’s going to cost, but you can get an estimate. There are tools you can use to work out how much you could be paying on some utilities based on the size of your home and your typical usage. You can also look at typical costs for things like broadband providers and find out which services are available at the property.

Property Taxes

Property taxes are likely to be a pretty significant expense that you’ll have to take into account. Knowing how much you’ll have to pay each year is essential when you’re trying to decide whether to buy a house. Fortunately, it’s easy to check and see what you could be paying. Using a property tax calculator will give you an estimate of property taxes based on the value of the house and its location. You can also check the county’s website for local rates if you’re looking for more accurate information on what you could end up paying.

Home Insurance

Home insurance can’t be ignored if you want to protect your home. Without it, you could be in big trouble financially if anything unexpected happens. Home insurance doesn’t have to cost too much, so it’s worth comparing some options and finding a policy that will work for your home and budget. You can get an estimate before you’re ready to buy so you can include the cost of home insurance in the overall cost of running your home.

Owning a home means paying to keep it running, so don’t forget to calculate your ongoing costs when you’re looking for the perfect first or next home.