While owning a home comes with many benefits, it also comes with a lot of work, preparation, and research. Florida living is unique in many ways, and first-time Florida homeowners usually don’t grasp the full extent of that. For instance, there are certain must-have items for a new Florida homeowner. Although moving to a new area should be an exciting change in your lifestyle, a lot of people still stress during this process because of the ever-growing essentials checklist. We hope that this list of true must-haves will give you a little peace of mind when prioritizing.
Fire protection
There are two main items that are a must-have when it comes to prepping and protecting your home from major fires:
- Fireproof safe
- Fire extinguisher
- Smoke detection
A house fire is an unavoidable fear of every homeowner. The worst part of the fire is usually the loss of important property. This usually includes mainly valuable documents, expensive jewelry, and rainy-day funds. Having a fireproof safe in your house is the perfect way to ensure the safety of these things. Owning a home doesn’t necessarily mean that you will live to see a fire there, but having a fireproof safe at least means you can have peace if it does happen.
The importance of a fire extinguisher is pretty self-explanatory. It can keep a fire from getting to dangerous levels. You should buy, unpack and set them up in advance. In fact, it should be one of the things to unpack first after moving in. The main reason why you should deal with this first is that certain parts of the process of moving in can be a fire hazard.
Electric generator and backup batteries
Hurricane season is a time most Florida residents dread. And it definitely needs to be accepted as a part of the reality of living here. But with the right hurricane preparedness, part of that reality is also that you can go unscathed. The first step is having an electric generator ready for possible power outages. Some of the main reasons why this is a must-have item for homeowners in Florida is that it can:
- Preserve your cold food
- Help you keep in touch with family and friends
- Ensure you have access to the most up-to-date information about the storm.
Making sure that you always have a couple of extra batteries in your home can also save you from a lot of potential problems—especially when first moving in. The constant running of energy-draining and battery-operated batteries is sure to burn through them fast. The main rule of thumb to follow is that you can never have too many batteries.
Dehumidifier
A dehumidifier is one of the biggest must-have items for a new Florida homeowner. Seeing as how humid it can get here, they really are that important. Lowering the humidity levels in your home helps with multiple things. From reducing the potential of allergens such as dust and mold gathering to lowering energy costs by helping air conditioners remove moisture from the air.
Home security system
A home security system is something that most first-time homeowners forget to install until it’s already too late. You shouldn’t make the same mistake. Keeping your home and all the things inside safe is incredibly important. The main must-have items for a new Florida homeowner when it comes to this are:
- A camera system
- Door alarms
- Window alarms
- Glass break detectors
- Motion detectors
Expert movers from Big Man’s Moving Company suggest that installing home security items should be your first step in the entire moving process, especially when moving into a house. The fact that you are not likely to start living there right away and most of your possessions will be in boxes and left alone for long periods of time makes this the perfect moment for burglars to break in and take your things. Even though there is a high chance that you won’t be hit with this type of tragedy, it’s still better to be safe.
New door locks
Unless you are building a brand-new house in Florida, it’s likely that you are not the first owner of this home. So, it’s important that other copies of the keys to your front door aren’t “floating around” in the world. The safest way to ensure this is to get a new lock.
If you do decide to do this, you are then faced with a very important choice. Swap the old one for a new standard lock, or upgrade to an electronic keyless lock with a passcode. Smart locks are great since they eliminate the risk of losing your keys and getting locked out of your home. However, they can be very pricey, and it’s incredibly important to get a high-quality one. You wouldn’t want someone putting a magnet against your cheap smart lock and breaking in because the whole system fails instantly.
A hidden key
If you do go for a standard lock, you run the risk of getting stranded outside your home because you lost or forgot your keys. Having a copy of your key hidden somewhere for this type of emergency can be very useful. There are many ways to hide your key, just don’t go for the standard “under the doormat” option.
Toolkit
A toolkit is something that people have a tendency to forget about when making a list of must-have items for a new Florida homeowner. When you’re just moving in, tools can be helpful for things like hanging photos on the wall and fixing furniture that broke during the moving process. Of course, their usefulness doesn’t stop after you’ve moved in. No matter what you’re hanging, fixing, or building, it’s important to have at least a basic toolkit somewhere around the home.
A basic toolkit that you can and should expand on later includes:
- A hammer
- A screwdriver set
- A stud finder
- Pliers
- A power drill (it doesn’t have to be an expensive one)
- A tape measure
- A step ladder
- Backup light bulbs
- Wall screws
- Hanging nails
- A level
- A few different-sized rolls of duct tape
Cleaning supplies
If you want to keep your Florida home well-maintained, you’ll need a variety of cleaning supplies. An important thing to think about is the way you’ll approach the use of your supplies. Our recommendation is to remember that keeping things clean is a lot easier than getting them clean.
Here is a list of cleaning essentials you should always have on hand:
- Paper towels
- Trash bags
- Rubber gloves
- Cleaning cloths
- Dishwasher detergent
- All-purpose cleaner
- Window cleaner
- Toilet bowl cleaner and brushes
- Broom and dustpan
- Vacuum cleaner
- Mop and bucket
- Laundry detergent
Key takeaway
Buying your first home in Florida is both exciting and stressful. Ensuring you have all the must-have items for a new Florida homeowner is a crucial part of having a smooth and satisfying process. However, the uniqueness of the Florida lifestyle can make it a bit harder to prioritize correctly. We hope that this list has made that easier.