New mini Mustach/Home owner/suggestions on inventory/new home stuff

[Trying2bFrugal]

After a longtime apartment living, at 38/34 with 2.5yo kid, we will be moving in to our new (1975, $300k with 5% down at 3% rate, thats 195/sq ft about average to this area) single family house in first week of December.

We are enthusiast but never did any kind of diy except fixing ikea stuff and owning ikea drill set, thats about it.
So far anything inside apartment is done by the apartment guys, also no car tool set either. So we have to build something from very scratch.

For a new house in cold snow winter (Michigan) the time that we will be moving, we dont know the list of tools we need or to gather.
I have to build a base for
- fixing any basic plumbing, carpenting, gardening stuff
- winter snow cleaning
- summer gardening
- No sprinkler in the new house with decent sized backyard
- No car tools/stuff

my Prius + Camry hybrid are fully paid. I do all car stuff with local mechanic since lack of garage space.
At the moment, wife is not working, but she would start working in 3 to 4 months. So most projects/work we plan would be weekender.

We have to ditch the recliner sofa (i know, 5 year back the only thing we bought new apart from our bed), we bought the faux leather one and the paint is peeling. 3 seater spring is gone. 2 seater is good but paint is off. Not sure how to fix it, if we could atleast we thought of saving the 2seater. We were thinking about any of those microfiber covers from Amazon. Otherwise will be looking for Marketplace for any good sofa. Kid for some reason likes jumping on the sofa than trampoline.

Due to lack of basement (2 level, with 20x23 garage and a finished room on one level), I am thinking about keeping a basic weights for garage gym. Making one end of the garage with some level of padding/basic makeover to look decent.

The garage need painting, other than that house checked out on all inspection and the inspectors said the house was maintained above average. Roof he said the grains are started to seen, said it may need inspection after 5years. Not sure if painting on winter will be a good idea, but I never painted or did any of the diy stuff.

I know i am not good at typing, but kind of given our position.

I started looking at marketplace, and some of them selling a lot of old tools for 20 bucks. But I dont know which one or which bunch I need to grow.

If any suggestions/pointing us on how we should build any tools/stuff we may absolutely need and any suggestions on what to avoid for new house screamers would be greatly helpful.
It will help us utilize the one month timeframe equipping ourselves, so in cold winter we dont sit stuck or disturbing friends. I know we cant be ready for everything but we could give it a try.



10/22/2021 --update:
Me and wife talked, may want to update
1. kitchen faucet - as its very old and both of us didnt like
2. Kitchen sink - it gives very old look and both of us agreed to change it in some point
3. Kitchen exhaust pipe outlet - currently the cabinets have the hole for pipe but there are no outlet on the wall

4. Painting - She thinks we just move in with same painting (the painting seemed like 6 to 9month old to me), but I was thinking to paint interior before we move in. Just like it to change the colors to a light and bright colors but we may do it later. I am not sure if interior painting is a good idea during winter where the windows are closed. Some of our friends said the paints will dry off  in a day and not smell. And do you suggest to paint roof? The only place in whole house which NEED painting is garage
On painting outer walls, (this is not due now, atleast have 6 months, next summer) do you suggest to just get pro or paint yourself?

5. Cleaning - What should we do to thoroughly clean before move in? The current owners will move out by end of Nov and we planned to move in mid of December. I saw some videos on washing machine cleaning. For each appliance there may be some level of cleaning? I have a carpet shampoo machine, for vinyl wood, will the steam mop work good? (I only lived in carpet areas)

6. Electrical - We will mount the TV and sound bar higher than reach of the 2yo. For that, I am thinking i should just get the power outlet behind the TV not wall run the wire from bottom outlet. I saw some video, but I am still very new on electrical stuff. Not scared, but still new.

7. LED light - We used and prefer to 6500k CFL bulb all places except bedroom (2700k here). I see some suggestion on recessed LED light. Is it really worth upgrading ? On upgrading LED lights, should we look for smart lights atleast on living area?

8. Window  - I feel the garage is too dark in day time. I see a option to swap the few box on garage door with transparent ones, apart from if I want to get a window in Garage, how much it would cost us? Or Is it better off leave it without a window?

9. Tools - we decided to go with suggestions and I talked to couple of my friends, they were happy to loan and even come to help if needed and suggested if I got to use the same tool second time then I can consider buying it. We talked about maintaining a google sheet for all the tools each have, so we dont buy same tools twice. Just loan and use it.

10. We decided to keep other appliances as is for next few months and decide if we want to change. Hopefully these Thanks giving deals dont shake her thoughts again.



11/17/2021  - NEED some inputs here
You can skip above portion and help on below

We would get keys for first new house by end of November and planning to move by Dec 12th. So we hardly may have two weeks of time.
I want to plan the stuff (buying, planning) out as most of the work might be done by me and wife unless we decide to hire a handyman.
We planned to paint interior, change Kitchen Faucet and sink, change gas range. Then move in, will decide any changes in summer.


Painting:
We were looking into some youtubing on painting to get some idea as we are noobs.

I need your suggestions on below:
1. Company/store/brand
2. Size
3. How to plan and buy during Thanks giving for these

Primer:

• When painting walls with paint on it, is there any specific primer we need to look for? On living room they have one wall painted with heavy blue (i dont know any about painting to say if its some latex or oil based paint)
  
• For ceiling primer, is it a different one than the wall primer?
  

Paint:

• We planned to paint as much we can and trying to see which brand we should go. We dont need fancy high priced ones, any decent ones will do. But the smell should go away in a week
• For ceiling paint, we just need white color but which one and should we be buying in one gal buckets?
  

Paint Brush:

• Should I get a painting set like https://www.amazon.com/Purdy-Corporation-14C811000-Premium-Painting/dp/B00HJBMPII/
  Home depot or lowes may have the same, but just giving it as its easy to search.
  I was thinking about getting some good ones for couple dollars extra now than buying every couple years if i have to paint something.
  
• Should we be getting 9", 4.5" rollers or should there be 18" rollers?
  I know 18 may be faster, but do you use it very often?
  
• Should the rollers be 3/8" or any specific for walls and ceilings?
  How many roller/covers should I be getting?
  We will be using three colors apart from one neutral color in Total house area.
  
• If I have to paint ceiling, should I be getting a roller stick?
  What would be an ideal length and any specific things  should I be looking?
• is there any other items like painters tape, bucket, drywall patching tools, covering cloth that I have to buy? Anything to specifically look for?

Cleaning:

• A friend told me to remove all panels and call for duct cleaning company to clean all ducts. In his opinion it is worth spending 100 dollars. How do I make sure we need it?
  
• Do you call professional cleaning service for cleaning the house? I know we could do, but with a 3yo running around in winter, either of us will get stuck with her and other one would get stressed. We could do after we move in too. Just asking if $150 is worth spending (last time I paid $125 when I was not around but have to vacate apartment).
  
• On washing machine and dryer, I saw some youtubers saying vinegar and baking soda cleaning. But I am not sure if that a safe route.
  Not sure how to clean and run the appliances efficiently or check the health of appliances

Sofa/Couch:

• We have to throw the current ones which we thought will come for some more time (most springs fell off on recliner).
  Wife want to get one new couch where we sit most times and can get one from marketplace for other room.
  We bought our first couch from Art Van (which is stupid, expensive, we were naive at that time). But looking for it, I am not getting much clue on where to look for decent priced ones.
  
• Gas range - one of our friend is buying washer and dryer and they were telling us if we buy ours with them (Ace hardware), there could be 5 or 10% discount.
  Any brands/models in specific we should avoid?
  

Mainly I have to plan for shopping during Thanks Giving. I do not know if this is a best time in 2021 for it, but we have no other time left, lol.

[deborah]

My first house was a fixer upper. I moved in with all my existing furniture and no tools. I didn’t replace the furniture until it fell apart. As I needed to do anything, I worked out what I wanted to do, planned it out, and bought the appropriate supplies, including any absolutely necessary tools. Several years later, I was pretty good at diy, and I hadn’t fallen into the trap of having new and wonderful stuff for my new and wonderful house.

I suggest buying the things you need for snow blowing (we don’t have snow, so I can’t help there), and only get other things as you need them. They shouldn’t be needed until warmer weather. If your sofa is used as a trampoline, hang onto it as long as possible, until it isn’t used as a trampoline any more, otherwise you’re just wasting money on stuff destined to be destroyed. Buy second hand until the trampoline period finishes.

I’m sure you have some diy skills from growing up helping around the house. Start with the types of jobs you’re already familiar with, and gradually branch out from there.

[anotherAlias]

I would say a snow shovel is the only real priority.  You may need it tomorrow or not until December but you will need it.  Everything else I would buy on a project by project basis. My dad gave me a tool box of some of his old tools when I bought my house.  I would say I've only used a couple of things in that damn rusty box. Every time a project came up, i needed a tool or two that I didn't have. Over time I've built up a nice collection of tools that will handle the type of projects that I'm willing to tackle.

[Uturn]

gym in garage - look at horse stall mats.  They are much more durable than workout mats, and often cheaper.

This is a pretty good tool kit, although it is missing pliers. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-267-Piece-Household-Tool-Set-with-Soft-Case/1003095530 Kobalt is a good brand.  Any other tools should be project specific.  Good tools last a lifetime, cheap tools get tossed and repurchased. You can sometimes find deals at estate sales.

Handheld power tools, such as drill. Cordless is nice, but I have gone back to corded.  If you are using the tool often, it usually stays charged.  If you are using it every 2 months, the batteries are probably flat.  Then after a few years, the batteries are junk, but the tool is still good.  New batteries are almost the cost of a new tool, so most folks just buy the new tool.  Multiply that over all the people doing that, and now the landfill is full of tools.

Headlamp.  I find these to be much more convenient than flashlights.

DIY Plumbing - don't sweat it.  You are not going to be designing a new plumbing system, you are just repairing what is already there.  Learn how to clean a P-trap and how it works.  Know where the whole house water cutoff is, really, know this before move in.  Wrap your Teflon tape clockwise. 

Here is a decent tutorial on the different types of water faucets you will find and how to repair them.  https://www.thespruce.com/types-of-faucets-1824889
If you are the type of people that upgrade often, faucets from big box are fine.  If you are the type of people who want things that last, get faucets at an actual plumbing supply house. The faucets will look the same on the outside, but the big box store models usually have cheaper insides to meet the price point. 

[chemistk]

Congrats! It's both exciting and stressful moving into your first owned house (I should know, we just did a couple months ago).

Before you get ahead of yourself, I'd really assess what your capabilities are and how far you're willing to take a DIY project before calling in a professional. You don't want to got out and buy a bunch of stuff that you then have to discount on Marketplace 6 months from now because you're not as willing to tackle some projects as your thought.

For example - would you be willing to re-plumb (with PEX or copper) an entire water line if, during the course of a faucet replacement, you find that the existing water line was on its last legs? Do you want to own all the tools necessary to DIY carpet, only to realize that you just can't get the new carpet you bought to fit correctly? How about your drywall mudding skills? If you have to punch a small hole in the wall to access a pipe or wire, are you prepared to replace an entire 1' x4' section of drywall if you have to tear much more of the wall apart? Not to mention painting?

I'm not trying to rag on the things you are already familiar with or want to become familiar with - I'm encouraging you to really think about how much you want to invest in DIY. It's really easy to spend $1k or more on tools and supplies, and that's money lost if you don't end up actually using them.

To look at it from another angle - how much time are you willing to commit to a given project (any project)? Think about it in terms of total hours, but also number of days or weeks. You might say you'd be willing to spend 8 hours - is that all on a Saturday, or is it 1 hour a day for a week? Would your partner be willing to live with a hole in the wall for a week until you can find the time to fix it?

Many 'easy' DIY projects can take 6-8 hours in one shot, by many also require splitting the time up (letting glue dry. paint dry, caulk dry, mud dry, waiting for hardware store to open, waiting for weather to cooperate, etc.). For example - i replaced the dishwasher in our house (old one dead) before we moved in. In the course of replacing it, both the feeder lines to the faucet and one of the drain traps for the sink all needed to be swapped out. This necessitated 3 trips to the local hardware store, and turned a project that under ideal circumstances would take an hour into a 6 hour thing over the course of 3 days. Another one was brakes & rotors on my car - found a caliper was going bad and had to get another one from Autozone, that job took 8 hours of my day (including brake bleeding).

So first, assess what you are willing to do and how much time you and your partner are willing to commit to the project.

Once you decide on that, here's some of my recommendations:

General tools:

PPE - safety glasses, masks, and gloves
Cordless drill/driver from a name brand, with at least 2 batteries and a charger. If you get it from marketplace, make sure you can still buy new batteries.
Quality set of drill bits, especially a kit that includes doubles of some common sizes
Hammer
Small prybar
An assortment of screwdrivers (manual) - philips & flathead, plus one with interchangeable tips.
Tape measure
Utility knife
Sandpaper
Work light (battery powered ideally)
Multimeter kit
-----
Plumbing tools:

Buy them as you need them. Seriously. Unless you really want to, I'd avoid copper&soldering and just stick with PEX. Some that you will need when you do get there (assume PEX):

Pipe wrench
Adjustable wrench
PEX cutter
PEX crimper (look for one that can do both 3/8" and 1/2").
Pipe cutter
File
Hacksaw
Pipe de-burring tool
Teflon tape
Plumber's putty
PVC glue
-----
Car repair:

Again, buy as you need. I'd strongly recommend against doing anything other than oil and bulbs for now. Hybrids add a lot of complexity, and a lot of repairs have to be done differently with them. Join the forums for both your vehicles if you haven't already and ask what a novice DIYer can do.

Allen (or hex if that's what you prefer to call them) wrenches
A basic ratchet starter set, with 1/4" and 3/8" drive and both SAE and metric sockets
A set of box-end wrenches. You'll probably want SAE and metric as well
Drip Pan
Funnel
Jack stands
WD 40
-----
Winter snow:

Shovel
Ice scraper
Salt
Snowblower if you absolutely must
-----
Drywall:

Putty knives
Level
Mud holder
Drywall tape
Drywall screws
-----
Paint:

Should be self -explanatory, right?
-----
Gardening:

Definitely get these off Marketplace

Rake
Shovel
Potting tools
Lawn bags
Pruning shears
Lawn mowing tool (manual or motorized)
-----

Many of what I listed pull double or triple duty in other areas, and the list is definitely not exhaustive. Don't buy it all at once, and if you buy used make sure you can look up the brand of the tool to avoid getting someone else's Harbor Freight junk.

[yachi]

- No sprinkler in the new house with decent sized backyard

Depending on the area of the country you come from, you might think grass dies and a yard turns into dust unless you have a sprinkler system for it.  That's not the case in most of the northeast.  Michigan and Pennsylvania have about the same amount of annual rainfall, and it's enough to keep your yard green.  Some varieties of grass will go dormant during periods of low rain in the summer, but I find even regular watering with a hose to be overkill. 
At our house the challenge is keeping things trimmed: keeping trees from seeding where they shouldn't, keeping bushes a reasonable size, keeping weeds at bay.

[Greystache]

For most hand tools, you can just delay buying them until you need them. In the mean time, check out garage sales and estate sales for tools that you may need.  About half of my tools were acquired that way. If you decide to buy new cordless tools, try to get all of them from the same manufacturer using a common set of batteries and charger.

[rockstache]

Join your local Buy Nothing group. I've been really successful in sourcing both tools and furniture/decorations that other people are done with. Yesterday I scored a solid wood china cabinet in exactly the style I wanted which is going for $500-700 on marketplace right now. All because I was willing to wait for it to pop up and pounce on it when it did. Highly recommend!

[Britan]

Before you get ahead of yourself, I'd really assess what your capabilities are and how far you're willing to take a DIY project before calling in a professional. You don't want to got out and buy a bunch of stuff that you then have to discount on Marketplace 6 months from now because you're not as willing to tackle some projects as your thought.

An anecdote about my GMIL And GFIL. Apparently her rule was: when money is tight, they hired a professional for anything more than changing a light bulb. When money is rolling in, then they could afford to let GFIL DIY repairs. Because he always managed to make the DIY more expensive than hiring a professional. YMMV depending on how handy you are, though it’s wise to know if it’s just not your strength.

Since we’ve owned our 100+ yo house, we have done a number of DIY projects and repairs of varying levels. A halfway decent drill, screwdriver, and hammer are handy to have on hand but you may already have that as a renter. Anything else can be bought as the need arises because different projects will require different tools. I’d also say snow removal but we rarely get more than a dusting here so a shovel is sufficient. Your needs may be higher so I defer to those more accustomed to that level of snow.

And one thing I’m beginning to learn: I’ve always sort of felt like I was a bother to people. But I’m finding that all of my best friendships out of college have kicked off with me asking for some kind of help, even when I felt I was “bothering” by asking. But once I had asked, they felt more comfortable asking me for things in the future and I was of course happy to return the favor. Of course, be willing to pay back with other favors and show gratitude. But I’d say don’t get yourself too wound up over not wanting to “bother” neighbors and friends to borrow a tool. It could be an opportunity for a deeper friendship.

[Fishindude]

Just one comment on tool acquisition.
Buy the good stuff, not the cheap stuff.   If you have any friends that are trades people, ask them what brand / type / model tools to buy if and when you need them.
You'll pay 2-3X more for the good stuff but it should last your lifetime and will work a whole lot better than the cheap stuff.

[Trying2bFrugal]

My first house was a fixer upper. I moved in with all my existing furniture and no tools. I didn’t replace the furniture until it fell apart. As I needed to do anything, I worked out what I wanted to do, planned it out, and bought the appropriate supplies, including any absolutely necessary tools. Several years later, I was pretty good at diy, and I hadn’t fallen into the trap of having new and wonderful stuff for my new and wonderful house.

I suggest buying the things you need for snow blowing (we don’t have snow, so I can’t help there), and only get other things as you need them. They shouldn’t be needed until warmer weather. If your sofa is used as a trampoline, hang onto it as long as possible, until it isn’t used as a trampoline any more, otherwise you’re just wasting money on stuff destined to be destroyed. Buy second hand until the trampoline period finishes.

I’m sure you have some diy skills from growing up helping around the house. Start with the types of jobs you’re already familiar with, and gradually branch out from there.

Thanks. Friend of mine said he will loan his special tools if needed and on need basis to acquire the new tools on my own. We will take it slow on the diy stuff for now.

[Trying2bFrugal]

Congrats! It's both exciting and stressful moving into your first owned house (I should know, we just did a couple months ago).
..avoid getting someone else's Harbor Freight junk.

Thanks!!

After the hectic roller coaster time, most stuff were sorted out from documentation, mortgage, insurance and other bigger stuff than house in life.
When it, it pours like Niagra.

I made a Google sheet list on all your suggestions. I took snap of all the tools I have so far and attached in the sheet.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DOFzQCCAXG1QYGao72jp1Srz022QZ1MZ_FMwCC1Xcfk/edit?usp=sharing

We will get our keys by end of Nov and will be moving in Mid of December. That leaves us two weeks of time.
We only planned to do painting and changing kitchen sink and Faucet. Have updated the other questions on painting.

If you have any comments, please do share.

For auto, I am still zero and I will work slowly to get even for oil change. So not buying much here.
For plumbing, may be i will get some help and tools from friends or hire a handyman.

[Sibley]

In your position, I would buy:

a hammer
screwdriver (multiple bits)
basic socket set
tape measure
snow shovel
leaf rake (if you have leaves to clean up)

After that, you can figure out what you need as you go along.

Good luck! You tube is helpful with how-to videos, just watch a bunch and you'll figure out who knows what they're doing.

[elaine amj]

I'd definitely consider painting before you move in. So much easier without furniture and stuff in the way.

Sent from my VCE-AL00 using Tapatalk

[Dicey]

1. You Tube is your Friend.
2. Don't believe everything you see on You Tube.

[Trying2bFrugal]

I'd definitely consider painting before you move in. So much easier without furniture and stuff in the way.

Sent from my VCE-AL00 using Tapatalk

Thanks. Yes, we planned to paint. I have updated the post while you were replying.

[Trying2bFrugal]

1. You Tube is your Friend.
2. Don't believe everything you see on You Tube.

Yes, we are getting spoiled or sparked with the videos. lol

[chemistk]

Congrats! It's both exciting and stressful moving into your first owned house (I should know, we just did a couple months ago).
..avoid getting someone else's Harbor Freight junk.

Thanks!!

After the hectic roller coaster time, most stuff were sorted out from documentation, mortgage, insurance and other bigger stuff than house in life.
When it, it pours like Niagra.

I made a Google sheet list on all your suggestions. I took snap of all the tools I have so far and attached in the sheet.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DOFzQCCAXG1QYGao72jp1Srz022QZ1MZ_FMwCC1Xcfk/edit?usp=sharing

We will get our keys by end of Nov and will be moving in Mid of December. That leaves us two weeks of time.
We only planned to do painting and changing kitchen sink and Faucet. Have updated the other questions on painting.

If you have any comments, please do share.

For auto, I am still zero and I will work slowly to get even for oil change. So not buying much here.
For plumbing, may be i will get some help and tools from friends or hire a handyman.

It always seems to go like that (raining ->> pouring)

Took a look at your list & pics. A decent set of basic hand tools to start with. Just keep an eye out as you're working on things for deals (either at hardware/home improvement stores or at estate/garage/marketplace sales) for upgrades. I'd wager that some of the components in that Entai kit are going to break right when you need them most - I'm guessing that, because it happened to me.

On Paint:

For your needs, you could go with Sherwin Williams/Benjamin Moore or you could go with quality 'big box' paint+primer combo (Behr @HD, Valspar @Lowes). You might run into some issues actually getting paint from SW/BM, we've been in a paint shortage for some time and those two retailers have been hit harder than big box stores. If you do get SW/BM, I'd go with mid-tier or higher. Behr/Valspar, one off the top tier. You want to pay for quality paint now, otherwise you'll be kicking yourself in a couple years.

Don't plan to paint everything at once. Painting takes more time and energy than you think.

Amount of paint needed depends on a few things - 1) room size, 2) what you're painting over, and 3) the quality you get. If you're painting over a neutral color and you get a quality paint+primer combo, expect about 400 sqft/gal. So for a typical living room you'd want at least two gallons. You'll need more if you paint over a darker color or use lower quality.

For primer, you shouldn't need to prime many rooms, especially if you get a quality paint+primer combo. The PO almost certainly used latex paint, so you probably aren't dealing with oil-based. Easy way to check is to dip a cotton swab in acetone-based nail polish remover - if you can swab some paint off the wall, it's not oil based.

     Reasons I'd use primer: 1)You can prove it's oil based on the wall. 2) You're painting over
     a really dark color. 3) After cleaning, the wall is still grimy. 4) You're using the cheapest
     paint you can buy. 5) The house reeks of smoke/pet/etc.

For ceilings - get a decent quality flat ceiling paint. And an extendable roller. They make color-changing ceiling paints (goes on a mild pink and dries white). Definitely go that route, or you're going to be in for a rough time figuring out where you still need paint. Don't prime the ceiling.

Brushes - Do spring for the Purdy brush kits, they are very high quality brushes that should last you a long time if you clean them properly.

Rollers - Get quality (not the cheapest value kit) 9" rollers. Skip the 18", those take some practice and harder-to-find paint trays. Also get some of the 4.5" ones, ideally with an extended brush - these are excellent for tight spots. 3/8" Nap is fine - again, don't skimp here, the finish will be apparent with cheaper.

Ceiling roller - yes get a stick. An adjustable one ideally. And drop cloths - get a couple huge drop cloths.

Other items - Yes tape. It takes much practice to paint without tape. I prefer the Frog tape (green) over the 3M/Scotch - you'll want a lot. Skip the bucket unless you are buying many 1-gallon cans of the same color, then in that case you'll want the bucket to mix them all. Yes drywall patch tools. You'll need to address holes, dents, scratches, etc. BEFORE you paint. Also get plenty of roller tray liners and a couple trays, as well as a couple hand buckets for brushwork.

Also, it's critical to clean the walls before you paint - use TSP or another product designed for paint prep and follow the directions!

On Cleaning:

Never hurts to clean ducts, I'd go for it. Be sure to replace the furnace filter at the same time, too.

Up to you on the cleaning service. $150 seems low for a whole house job if you want it to be done thoroughly. We cleaned ourselves, but with all you have to juggle you might be buying peace of mind by paying a service. Buy at least 4-6 hours' worth of cleaning, including in cabinets, behind appliances, etc.

You probably won't have to clean the dryer. Never hurts to clean the washer, and there are products specifically for that. Watch the washer run at least one cycle and look for leaks or listen for funny noises. You shouldn't have to watch the dryer, just make sure that the stuff comes out dry in a reasonable period of time.

    On the dryer: Take off the vent hose and clean out all the old lint

On Furniture:

Marketplace is a good place to start looking. You can also (if you are willing to hike to Canton) go to IKEA and get a decent one new for under $500. Don't count them out - our IKEA couch is still in great shape after 5 years with 3 boys jumping on it daily. Plus you can get other furniture there.

Avoid LG & Samsung as if your life depended on it.

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Other stuff - shopping during BF/CM can maybe benefit you, many stores that you'll need to hit up are going to have great sales on things you will probably need.

On the kitchen faucet & sink - please research an example of the one you want ahead of time, download the installation instructions, and read them with a fine-toothed comb. Prepare EVERYTHING ahead of time.

[FLBiker]

And one thing I’m beginning to learn: I’ve always sort of felt like I was a bother to people. But I’m finding that all of my best friendships out of college have kicked off with me asking for some kind of help, even when I felt I was “bothering” by asking. But once I had asked, they felt more comfortable asking me for things in the future and I was of course happy to return the favor. Of course, be willing to pay back with other favors and show gratitude. But I’d say don’t get yourself too wound up over not wanting to “bother” neighbors and friends to borrow a tool. It could be an opportunity for a deeper friendship.

Thank you for this!  This is a lesson I definitely haven't learned.  We recently moved to a small town in Nova Scotia (from Florida) and there are lots of things I don't know / am just learning about.  I'm always reticent to ask my neighbors, even though they're very friendly.  At the same time, I'm feeling like I'm doing a lousy job making local friends (I WFH).  I'll try to put your advice here into practice.

OP - I totally agree with the recommendation to buy things as you need, rather than in anticipation.  And Buy Nothing is also a great resource.  I got some of my favorite hand tools at Aldi, for quite reasonable.  For painting, I agree with the color change ceiling paint.  I'd do everything water based latex, unless you have some oil-based stuff you need to go over.  And I'd use Kilz primer on any place where you're going over a stain, or a dramatic dark to light color change.

Oh, and if you're new to cold climates (like I am) be sure to make sure the gutters are clean and turn off and drain the exterior hose bibs.  I just did that last weekend.  Some of your neighbors will likely have snowblowers, but we've gotten by with just shovels.  There are folks around that will clear our driveway for $30 (if a neighbor doesn't just do it for free) in the event of a big snow, so we figure it would be a lot of those before a snowblower was worth it.  Last year, we had about 16 inches one time and it was still fine with a shovel.  Honestly, I enjoy doing it.  Our driveway is flat and relatively short, though, so YMMV.

And for the yard, we don't have any sprinklers and that's fine.  I'm not a big lawn guy -- as long as it's green, it's fine with me.  Something can typically grow natively in a given space, unless it's really dry, and then I just mow whatever that is.  Personally, I really like electric lawnmowers but I'm admittedly not a fan of maintaining gas engines.  I got a Ryobi cordless last year and I really like it, before that I was using a corded one, which was great, but our new landscaping (after moving) made the cord a real pain.

Edit: One other thing I meant to add.  Rather than weights, you could consider getting a suspension trainer like TRX.  I'm no weight training expert, but I got a TRX last year and I really like it.

[Trying2bFrugal]

And one thing I’m beginning to learn: I’ve always sort of felt like I was a bother to people. But I’m finding that all of my best friendships out of college have kicked off with me asking for some kind of help, even when I felt I was “bothering” by asking. But once I had asked, they felt more comfortable asking me for things in the future and I was of course happy to return the favor. Of course, be willing to pay back with other favors and show gratitude. But I’d say don’t get yourself too wound up over not wanting to “bother” neighbors and friends to borrow a tool. It could be an opportunity for a deeper friendship.

Thank you for this!  This is a lesson I definitely haven't learned.  We recently moved to a small town in Nova Scotia (from Florida) and there are lots of things I don't know / am just learning about.  I'm always reticent to ask my neighbors, even though they're very friendly.  At the same time, I'm feeling like I'm doing a lousy job making local friends (I WFH).  I'll try to put your advice here into practice.

OP - I totally agree with the recommendation to buy things as you need, rather than in anticipation.  And Buy Nothing is also a great resource.  I got some of my favorite hand tools at Aldi, for quite reasonable.  For painting, I agree with the color change ceiling paint.  I'd do everything water based latex, unless you have some oil-based stuff you need to go over.  And I'd use Kilz primer on any place where you're going over a stain, or a dramatic dark to light color change.

Oh, and if you're new to cold climates (like I am) be sure to make sure the gutters are clean and turn off and drain the exterior hose bibs.  I just did that last weekend.  Some of your neighbors will likely have snowblowers, but we've gotten by with just shovels.  There are folks around that will clear our driveway for $30 (if a neighbor doesn't just do it for free) in the event of a big snow, so we figure it would be a lot of those before a snowblower was worth it.  Last year, we had about 16 inches one time and it was still fine with a shovel.  Honestly, I enjoy doing it.  Our driveway is flat and relatively short, though, so YMMV.

And for the yard, we don't have any sprinklers and that's fine.  I'm not a big lawn guy -- as long as it's green, it's fine with me.  Something can typically grow natively in a given space, unless it's really dry, and then I just mow whatever that is.  Personally, I really like electric lawnmowers but I'm admittedly not a fan of maintaining gas engines.  I got a Ryobi cordless last year and I really like it, before that I was using a corded one, which was great, but our new landscaping (after moving) made the cord a real pain.

Edit: One other thing I meant to add.  Rather than weights, you could consider getting a suspension trainer like TRX.  I'm no weight training expert, but I got a TRX last year and I really like it.

The gutters are at two story height on this duplex model house. No near by trees but may be some dust. I will see how to clean it.
I will visit HD/Lowes paint section to look around the suggestions. I am buying stuff goes on sale where buying new price is comparable to old on marketplace with additional warranties.

I got the below
Shop Vac: new for $29. This can blow stuff. We dont have trees on our perimeter, but neighbor has. So may be I will get one blower if needed on summer.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/HART-6-Gallon-Stainless-Steel-5HP-Wet-Dry-Vacuum/181296297

Lawn mower for $10 from marketplace
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Scotts-Scott-s-16-in-Manual-Walk-Behind-Push-Reel-Lawn-Mower-415-16S/100540960

Ryobi pressure washer for $70
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-1-600-PSI-1-2-GPM-Electric-Pressure-Washer-RY141612/301004462

Snow shovel - currently looking at BF deals, best one seems to be at
https://snowjoe.com/collections/deals

[sonofsven]

Simple advice: get a good flashlight (I prefer a headlamp for chores and a battery lantern for power outages) and a fire extinguisher.
Learn where your shut off for your water main is and have the tools to shut it.
Have an emergency bag and think about a fire plan.
Stash some gallon jugs of water. In an emergency fill your bathtub. Also there's likely fifty gallons of potable water in your hot water heater.
You can fill a toilet tank manually with a few gallons of water.
Do you have natural gas? Learn how to shut it down.
Some items, and some skills to learn.

[Trying2bFrugal]

Simple advice: get a good flashlight (I prefer a headlamp for chores and a battery lantern for power outages) and a fire extinguisher.
Learn where your shut off for your water main is and have the tools to shut it.
Have an emergency bag and think about a fire plan.
Stash some gallon jugs of water. In an emergency fill your bathtub. Also there's likely fifty gallons of potable water in your hot water heater.
You can fill a toilet tank manually with a few gallons of water.
Do you have natural gas? Learn how to shut it down.
Some items, and some skills to learn.

Thanks! I have a LED lantern but will need the headlamp/flashlight.
On the fire extinguisher, I saw one on Costco, what you usually keep in kitchen vs garage? (like the A/B/C combo) and what size should we keep?
Thanks for the gas and water shut off advice. Never thought of them.

[Trying2bFrugal]

Congrats! It's both exciting and stressful moving into your first owned house (I should know, we just did a couple months ago).
..avoid getting someone else's Harbor Freight junk.

Thanks!!

After the hectic roller coaster time, most stuff were sorted out from documentation, mortgage, insurance and other bigger stuff than house in life.
When it, it pours like Niagra.

I made a Google sheet list on all your suggestions. I took snap of all the tools I have so far and attached in the sheet.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DOFzQCCAXG1QYGao72jp1Srz022QZ1MZ_FMwCC1Xcfk/edit?usp=sharing

It always seems to go like that (raining ->> pouring)

Took a look at your..

Thanks, it took sometime to read through and research on the suggestions.

Went to HD, they have said the paints arent going on sale, but put me on some program where 20 off 200 coupon is given.
I looked at the paints, seems each brand is having the color changing for ceiling, yet to visit SW store. Not sure if there is any bf sale, will check the paint shops.
Do we need to wash/clean ceiling using the solution or just wipe with sponge and water? And do we need to sand any wall or ceiling? Do you use 100nits sanding?
Only two walls may need prime as they are currently dark colors. They are just satin finish, not oil based as you mentioned.

For Gas range, checked ABC warehouse. I asked for whirlpool and Sales person suggested GE. He said Whirlpool is better at washing, GE in gas range. He didnt suggest Samsung/LG.
Costco has it (2+2yr on warranty), but not sure when we have issues in appliance, if ABC or Costco or BB/HD/Lowes comes handy. Price seemed to be similar. Not sure I can sell the old one, thinking of just ask them to take it when deliver new as space is very limited. Still not decided which store is better.

For sink and faucet, not sure if there is any brand specific that I should be looking. Costco has some Kohler on sale. Is $350 the right price for a decent sink+faucet combo? Its over the counter sink/regular model on the house.
If fridge, washer/dryer looks working, but aged, is it good idea to change or is it better to wait till it get break?
Is there a place suggested for area rugs? Ollies is near by, i checked HD and costco. They all have various price ranges, not sure which is better or what not to look.

[chemistk]

Congrats! It's both exciting and stressful moving into your first owned house (I should know, we just did a couple months ago).
..avoid getting someone else's Harbor Freight junk.

Thanks!!

After the hectic roller coaster time, most stuff were sorted out from documentation, mortgage, insurance and other bigger stuff than house in life.
When it, it pours like Niagra.

I made a Google sheet list on all your suggestions. I took snap of all the tools I have so far and attached in the sheet.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DOFzQCCAXG1QYGao72jp1Srz022QZ1MZ_FMwCC1Xcfk/edit?usp=sharing

It always seems to go like that (raining ->> pouring)

Took a look at your..

Thanks, it took sometime to read through and research on the suggestions.

Went to HD, they have said the paints arent going on sale, but put me on some program where 20 off 200 coupon is given.
I looked at the paints, seems each brand is having the color changing for ceiling, yet to visit SW store. Not sure if there is any bf sale, will check the paint shops.
Do we need to wash/clean ceiling using the solution or just wipe with sponge and water? And do we need to sand any wall or ceiling? Do you use 100nits sanding?
Only two walls may need prime as they are currently dark colors. They are just satin finish, not oil based as you mentioned.

For Gas range, checked ABC warehouse. I asked for whirlpool and Sales person suggested GE. He said Whirlpool is better at washing, GE in gas range. He didnt suggest Samsung/LG.
Costco has it (2+2yr on warranty), but not sure when we have issues in appliance, if ABC or Costco or BB/HD/Lowes comes handy. Price seemed to be similar. Not sure I can sell the old one, thinking of just ask them to take it when deliver new as space is very limited. Still not decided which store is better.

For sink and faucet, not sure if there is any brand specific that I should be looking. Costco has some Kohler on sale. Is $350 the right price for a decent sink+faucet combo? Its over the counter sink/regular model on the house.
If fridge, washer/dryer looks working, but aged, is it good idea to change or is it better to wait till it get break?
Is there a place suggested for area rugs? Ollies is near by, i checked HD and costco. They all have various price ranges, not sure which is better or what not to look.

Paint generally doesn't go on sale, not like you'd expect other home improvement supplies to. I wouldn't bother trying to find a deal - typically the savings you might realize on lower quality paints is nullified by the longevity over time. Poorer quality paints will fade, stain, and rub off the wall much more easily. If you're trying to stick to a paint budget, get the supplies you need first, then the paint for the rooms that are top priority, then paint for the rest of the house. Trust me when I say that kids will put your paint choice to the test, in ways you'd never expect.

On the topic of paint again, one thing that I forgot to mention (that the paint counter rep can explain if needed) is finish. Most paints have finishes (glossiness) ranging from flat to full gloss. The more glossy the paint, the better durability it will tend to have - especially in high traffic and high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms. If you're looking more at the mid-tier or lower offerings, be sure that you get at least the equivalent of 'satin' gloss, or even semi-gloss.

As for the ceiling, it doesn't hurt to wash it properly. I used a floor sponge mop to apply the cleaner, and then wrung it out and wrapped it in a towel to wipe it down.

Sanding? You should only have to sand if you are doing hole repair/using joint compound. You also could lightly sand any imperfections (roller splatter, dried drops, etc.) from the PO's paint job if there are any. Otherwise a properly cleaned surface should be sufficient to allow the new paint to properly adhere.

For appliances - I'd generally recommend GE as a starting point. We have all GE appliances (the whole lot) and are satisfied with them. I would agree with the salesperson and look at Whirlpool/Maytag for washers and dryers if for nothing else than to price shop.

You'll get the best all-around 'deal' from Costco. If Costco happens to carry something that will work for you, their warranty is going to outperform HD/Lowes/ABC. ABC will have the best selection. Don't sleep on buying used though - if you can get a 3-5 year old appliance in good condition for less than half the price of new, you're going to probably come ahead in the long run. Plus, many appliances can be serviced somewhat by the consumer - at least basic stuff. Plenty of YT tutorials out there.

$350 sounds reasonable for a sink/faucet combo but you need to ensure that your kitchen can accommodate it. If you haven't, it's worth going to home depot, or even a specialty kitchen&bath store to figure out exactly what's going to work for you. Again, if you're going to DIY you need to make sure you have all the parts ahead of time. You might find yourself redoing some plumbing too depending on the condition of the feed lines, shutoff valves, or drain+trap.

Costco is going to have the best 'deals' but the selection is really limited. HD/Lowes' rugs are usually overpriced. We have not had luck with Ollies - 2 separate rugs started unraveling. IKEA is good for rugs, but we've purchased our last 6 or 7 rugs from Overstock and Rugs.com.

[Trying2bFrugal]

Congrats! It's both exciting and stressful moving into your first owned house (I should know, we just did a couple months ago).
..avoid getting someone else's Harbor Freight junk.

Thanks!!

After the hectic roller coaster time, most stuff were sorted out from documentation, mortgage, insurance and other bigger stuff than house in life.
When it, it pours like Niagra.

I made a Google sheet list on all your suggestions. I took snap of all the tools I have so far and attached in the sheet.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DOFzQCCAXG1QYGao72jp1Srz022QZ1MZ_FMwCC1Xcfk/edit?usp=sharing

It always seems to go like that (raining ->> pouring)

Took a look at your..

Thanks, it took ..

Paint generally ..
For appliances - I'd generally recommend GE ..
$350 sounds reasonable for a sink/faucet combo ..

On paint, after looking at Lowes/HD and we will go with their top tier Satin on living and egg shell on bed room (I want a flat, but kid likes to crayon all over the walls). I will visit a local paint shop too. The $10-15/gal is not going to save a lot for our small house, so will go with higher range. Got Purdy's rollers and covers from Lowes. We will hire handyman for painting high ceiling on entrance. For now, we decided to paint the bedrooms and see if we can do more otherwise will move in and do other parts later.

A friend ordered a GE gas range from GE itself for me using his employee discount (50%) with free 2 year extended inhouse service warranty with warranty on Citi card. so 5+ years of warranty. Out of door, it is around 750+ on order where same was 900+ on all stores (inc tax, haul away, installation). We never thought of this option but pulled trigger yesterday. Making a delayed delivery with haul away for old so we can put ad for 2 weeks if someone want to test and take it. Otherwise will just haul away. I dont want to keep it in already tight garage space.

For sink, we are thinking to hire a handyman/plumber to install. For rugs, we will do bit of checking in Ikea, Ollies and Costco. Every time I look I learn something new.
We decided to buy one 3 seater couch for our daily use as new and others from marketplace.

My wife thinks I over think on details and complicate :)

[chemistk]

We completely disallow all drawing implements in the kids' room for that specific reason. Once they all understand that drawing on walls is absolutely not okay, they can return.

Otherwise I definitely don't think you're overthinking things. I'm sure others can attest, but there's a certain energy/momentum that comes with moving that makes you want to knock out projects. Once you live in the space for a few weeks, you'll find that energy has all but evaporated. It's good to try and get done what you can now and then space out the rest as time allows.