Posted: 2/28/2010 4:10:06 PM EDT
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My wife and I are closing on our first home the end of March. We have no kids, and we are both 25.
House is located in Wisconsin, in a town of about 70,000 House is a quad-level, 4bd, 2.5 bth 1750 sqft. Yard is only 0.2 acres, but back yard touches the best elementary/middle school in town. Newer/nicer YMCA is about 2 blocks down. Natural Gas forced air heat on main level and upper level. Electric baseboard heaters in lower level. Also have unfinished basement area under main level living room and kitchen. 2.5 car attached garage located at the front of the house. 4-5 stairs at the back of the garage take you down to a door that enters the lower level living room. No fireplace. Electric stove & Dryer. I don't have a generator, I don't have food storage. I have some reloading supplies and equipment, but not nearly enough. I don't have a security system. I don't have a BOB. So..... What are the first few major steps I should take? I was thinking about putting a pellet stove in the lower level, getting a 5k-7k generator, and starting to store a small amount of food. Taco |
| How much do you want to spend. I do not think you need a big Genny. I would get the Honda EU 2000. It will run the fridge and a few other things. If you put it a pellet stove you will be ok with heat. I like gas logs for BU heat, but that is a convience thing too. But first I would get some food and water stored. |
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So..... What are the first few major steps I should take? Taco Congrats on the new house. First thing should probably be to get 30 to 90 days worth of food and water (or a way to purify it). Then the pellet stove sounds like a good idea. Don't be afraid to ask more questions. Good luck with your preps. |
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1. change ALL of the locks. You don't know who has keys to what.
2. Get a wood burning stove. Pellet stoves need power to run. 3. Fire extinguishers and smoke alarms. 4. 14 day's worth of food and water. Now you are prepped for 99% of likely events. My next step would be a generator and a snow blower. Take a breath, sit down, and make a plan. Plan for the most likely event first, don't ignore the mundane like job loss, or house fire. Ops |
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I thought about wood stove vs. pellet. My father heats his house purely with wood. However, it would take me at least a year to cut, split, stack, and age enough wood to heat my house....or I could go out right away and buy a few pallets of pellets. I figured that the blower could be powered with a car battery or small generator. I was also steering away from a gas fireplace due to the fact that last year a few areas in Northern WI lost gas service and hundreds of homes had their pipes freeze.
I like the idea of getting even just SOME food & water prepped right away. Keep these thoughts coming! Taco ETA: I also have most of the cold weather gear required to climb a mountain such as Denali (the REAL stuff like Mountain Hardwear and Arcteryx). |
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I thought about wood stove vs. pellet. My father heats his house purely with wood. However, it would take me at least a year to cut, split, stack, and age enough wood to heat my house....or I could go out right away and buy a few pallets of pellets. I figured that the blower could be powered with a car battery or small generator. I like the idea of getting even just SOME food & water prepped right away. Keep these thoughts coming! Taco I have a pellet stove in my house for a backup. The wife and I really like it. When I get home in a couple months, we'll be installing a battery/inverter backup. We also have a generator for power and during an outage, we'll run the generator for awhile to recharge the batteries and run heavier power using appliances. Then, we'll turn the generator off and run the pellet stove off the batteries. Our plan is to run the generator for about 8-10 hours per day spaced out over 2-3 runs. That way, our batteries will be getting charged regularly. My next house will have a wood stove in the basement for power free heat. However, in town, sometimes it can be hard to have wood stoves for heat without pissing off the neighbors. You can stand right next to the exhaust on our pellet stove and there is just a faint wood smoke smell. Pleasant but not overpowering. We use the pellet stove to supplement the heat pump when the temps drop. We really like it. |
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House is located in Wisconsin, in a town of about 70,000 So..... What are the first few major steps I should take? I Taco ................. First thing to do is acquire 70,000 rounds for your favorite rifle.................... 
The first thing I do is make a safe room in the house, and reinforce the exterior doors so they can't be kicked in. Basic things that help to keep theives out. Then build you some shelves in the garage and get to storing... |
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Two weeks worth of food and water or a way to purify water.
You said above that you have serious camping gear. Does this include sleeping bags for you and your wife? If not do you have extra blankets and quilts? You need something for both of you! I have never been around anybody that has a pellet stove. Will it burn anything besides pellets? If not you will ALWAYS have to have a good supply of pellets. In a bad storm you might not be able to get to the store to buy more. Even if you can get to the store does not mean the trucks will be able to re supply if the store runs out. You are almost at the end of winter. Getting wood for next winter should be do able over the next eight months. A fireplace or wood burning stove can always burn cut up pallets, furniture etc etc. My Mom and Dad lost electricity last year for 16 days. Their generator did not work and they had to do without for almost a week. Without their wood burning stove, they would have really been in a hurt locker. Maybe see about a propane stove and a couple of 100 gallon tanks. Not pretty but better than freezing. Then back to storing food and ammo. Good luck and congratulations on your new house. |
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I thought about wood stove vs. pellet. My father heats his house purely with wood. However, it would take me at least a year to cut, split, stack, and age enough wood to heat my house....or I could go out right away and buy a few pallets of pellets. I figured that the blower could be powered with a car battery or small generator. I was also steering away from a gas fireplace due to the fact that last year a few areas in Northern WI lost gas service and hundreds of homes had their pipes freeze. I like the idea of getting even just SOME food & water prepped right away. Keep these thoughts coming! Taco ETA: I also have most of the cold weather gear required to climb a mountain such as Denali (the REAL stuff like Mountain Hardwear and Arcteryx). Regarding the wood stove, pellets also require power for the pellet feeder as well as power for the fan. The wood stove does require you to cut, split, stack, and season, but doesn't require electricity and you can cook on it. You could get the wood stove and purchase a couple of cords of seasoned hardwood for this year and then for next year, you could take care of the firewood yourself. Then you would have a more ARFCOM Survival Forum approved stove and have the seasoned wood this year. In proper ARF tradition...you'd get both! 
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Taco, you probably know, housing prices are deflating in most areas of the country.
The most likely serious SHTF you need to prepare for is economic and not the "fun stuff". Think hard that you will not find yourself underwater on this house and also that you have sufficient job security to make the payments, taxes, maintenance, insurance, etc. Right now, for many, renting makes far more sense. That said, you know your finances and reasons for buying and your judgement to buy now may be correct if you have already considered the above issues and aren't buying for primarily emotional reasons. |
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What do you think are the most likely event to happen where you are now? Make a list and prepare for them.
I would say definatly get going on food storage. That way if job loss, food shortages, or a myriad of other disasters occur you can still eat. I will add this: get to know your neighbors. Building a relationship of trust with them can be a lifesaver. |
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You said above that you have serious camping gear. Does this include sleeping bags for you and your wife? If not do you have extra blankets and quilts? You need something for both of you! Good luck and congratulations on your new house. Both bags are down. Mine is rated to -20, and hers is rated to -40. We also have thermarest pads and closed cell foam pads.....along with many other cold weather camping items. We did a trial run about a month ago and slept out overnight. Temp got down to about +20 overnight. Thanks for the good luck. Taco |
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Taco, you probably know, housing prices are deflating in most areas of the country. Think hard that you will not find yourself underwater on this house and also that you have sufficient job security to make the payments, taxes, maintenance, insurance, etc. Right now, for many, renting makes far more sense. That said, you know your finances and reasons for buying and your judgement to buy now may be correct if you have already considered the above issues and aren't buying for primarily emotional reasons. Thank you for the honest and wise advice. It is something that MANY should have heard prior to buying their home over the past 5 years. Having worked in the banking industry for several years (including processing mortgages, 2nd mortgages, and leases) I know first hand the mistakes that many have made. The $8k housing stimulus will be going straight into a "Cushion" fund.....not to be touched but in an emergency (as in we would otherwise lose the house). Taco |
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First few major steps. . .buy some champagne, a couple of thick porterhouses and "christen" each room of the house with your bride.
Worry about preps next week. Enjoy the moment and celebrate. Your first home is a major milestone and you should make sure you live it up. If you don't take time and celebrate life as opposed to prepping right out of the chute; you'll have no frame of reference of what you're prepping to keep secure. |
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What about a fence?
You said that it butts up to a local school? Do you want kids accessing your property and short cutting through your yard? Most schools are also incorporated into local disaster plans to be used as shelters. Something to think about, potentialy having several hundred hundred evacuees adjacent to your property. What are the schools disaster plans and how do they and how could they affect you? School goes into lockdown, fire drills, severe weather notifications.... |
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Taco, you probably know, housing prices are deflating in most areas of the country. Think hard that you will not find yourself underwater on this house and also that you have sufficient job security to make the payments, taxes, maintenance, insurance, etc. Right now, for many, renting makes far more sense. That said, you know your finances and reasons for buying and your judgement to buy now may be correct if you have already considered the above issues and aren't buying for primarily emotional reasons. Thank you for the honest and wise advice. It is something that MANY should have heard prior to buying their home over the past 5 years. Having worked in the banking industry for several years (including processing mortgages, 2nd mortgages, and leases) I know first hand the mistakes that many have made. The $8k housing stimulus will be going straight into a "Cushion" fund.....not to be touched but in an emergency (as in we would otherwise lose the house). Taco Taco, you probably shouldn't touch the $8K even if you risk loosing the house, but do as Obama has just suggested and get .gov help, etc. Make sure if available in your state, to get a NON-recourse mortage. I'm sure w/ your experience you've already considered this. Also, let that $8K be a "Ratchet" in your finances, it's going into your resource pool and it isn't coming back out to a banker or other wasteful purpose. |
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Oh, in this economy, put down as little as possible and make as small a payment as you are allowed. Save the rest and don't touch it.
Continue until you see what's is happening with the economy [that will take years probably...], because the most likely "real SHTF" that you are likely to face WILL BE economic. |
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First few major steps. . .buy some champagne, a couple of thick porterhouses and "christen" each room of the house with your bride. Worry about preps next week. Enjoy the moment and celebrate. Oh, there will be plenty of "Christening" occurring.....right after we buy blinds for the now-empty windows. I wouldn't want some middle schooler catching a glimpse of it. ;-) Taco |
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Oh, in this economy, put down as little as possible and make as small a payment as you are allowed. Save the rest and don't touch it. Continue until you see what's is happening with the economy [that will take years probably...], because the most likely "real SHTF" that you are likely to face WILL BE economic. FHA with just 3.5% down locked in at 5.25% for 30 years....... and the mortgage is assumable. |
Well I would make sure you have at least a 30 pack sitting on the new storage shelves you just made to organize and hold all your new SHTF supplies. And a man cave.....stake it out...and don't let the woman talk you down to a lesser area. For once it is ok to go on the offensive with your wife. She will never know you did it until it is to late. Oh ya...and might I suggest a security system. For starters though, just get the stickers and a yard sign or two. That is all you really need anyway. In know a guy who can get you a few free stickers.......
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Oh, in this economy, put down as little as possible and make as small a payment as you are allowed. Save the rest and don't touch it. Continue until you see what's is happening with the economy [that will take years probably...], because the most likely "real SHTF" that you are likely to face WILL BE economic. FHA with just 3.5% down locked in at 5.25% for 30 years....... and the mortgage is assumable. Ok Im also 25 and my wife and I are buying a 1,400 sq foot house on 8 acres of land. We are putting 20% down to bring the payment way down. The lower you put down, the higher the payment and the more money you save over time! So I would suggest putting down as much as you can, if you ever want to refinance you have to pay closing fees all over again! And as you know thats thousands of dollars! Also if you put less than 20% down on a house you have to pay PMI and that can cost you a couple hundred a month. With an FHA loan you have to pay PMI even after you hit the 20% of equity. When you finally get 20% equity in your home, I would refinance to a conventional loan ...that is if the interest rates are decent at that time. We were SUPPOSED to close on Tuesday....But we found out this past Thursday that because there is not a heat source in every room (there is two gas heaters but not any central units, kinda like space heaters) We cant get a loan because the banks are selling all their loans to Fannie Mae....With you getting an FHA loan, call your bank (loan originator or underwriter) the DAY AFTER the APPRAISAL and ask them if everything is OK because Fannie Mae loans have special guidelines. Or they might be like my bank, less than 2 business days away from closing and spring "oh we cant finance that" even thought we gave them a full f@#$king month to get the work done. If my wife and I can get this loan, we plan on making an extra $500 month to the loan and pay the house off in 10 years:) Sorry, I was a finance major in college...I love that stuff and making the most of my money 
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| I think your wife will have you busy hanging pictures, curtains, planting shrubs and shopping for new furniture for the next couple of years. After that you might have some time and money to worry about preps. At least thats how it worked out for me. Congrats on the house. |
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Oh, in this economy, put down as little as possible and make as small a payment as you are allowed. Save the rest and don't touch it. Continue until you see what's is happening with the economy [that will take years probably...], because the most likely "real SHTF" that you are likely to face WILL BE economic. FHA with just 3.5% down locked in at 5.25% for 30 years....... and the mortgage is assumable. Ok Im also 25 and my wife and I are buying a 1,400 sq foot house on 8 acres of land. We are putting 20% down to bring the payment way down. The lower you put down, the higher the payment and the more money you save over time! So I would suggest putting down as much as you can, if you ever want to refinance you have to pay closing fees all over again! And as you know thats thousands of dollars! Also if you put less than 20% down on a house you have to pay PMI and that can cost you a couple hundred a month. With an FHA loan you have to pay PMI even after you hit the 20% of equity. When you finally get 20% equity in your home, I would refinance to a conventional loan ...that is if the interest rates are decent at that time. We were SUPPOSED to close on Tuesday....But we found out this past Thursday that because there is not a heat source in every room (there is two gas heaters but not any central units, kinda like space heaters) We cant get a loan because the banks are selling all their loans to Fannie Mae....With you getting an FHA loan, call your bank (loan originator or underwriter) the DAY AFTER the APPRAISAL and ask them if everything is OK because Fannie Mae loans have special guidelines. Or they might be like my bank, less than 2 business days away from closing and spring "oh we cant finance that" even thought we gave them a full f@#$king month to get the work done. If my wife and I can get this loan, we plan on making an extra $500 month to the loan and pay the house off in 10 years:) Sorry, I was a finance major in college...I love that stuff and making the most of my money You are correct in saying that with FHA we cannot get away from PMI. However, we would be unable to come up with 20% before the $8k stimulus ran out. Also, we have other debt (like school loans) that has an interest rate higher than 5.25%, and therefore we would be making the most of our money by paying off the debt with the higher interest rate first. Congrats on your house. 8 acres sounds fantastic. I hope it works out for you. ETA: Our PMI is costing us 0.55% of the loan value per year, or about $70 a month. |
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As a newish first time home buyer i'll say throw out a few thoughts;
First is I hate pellet stoves. In three years I moved probably 7 of the SOBs in and out of the same house, that soured me but survival wise, i just dont see them as any better than electric heat. Wood all the way for me. Not always practical for every house and pellet stoves are pretty efficient for what they are. I'd get on the food storage sooner rather than later but go easy at first. Too many people grab 50lb bags of beans or wheat or whatever theyve never cooked or eaten before and its just not that practical. Go with the buying two of the one item you need when grocery shopping for the week. Its stuff you eat already and low impact cost wise but adds up fast. Water is easy enough to do with washing and refilling soda/juice bottles but the 30-50 gal jugs are better for long term storage. Changing/upgrading locks and hinges/hardware is good advice too. Also the impact resistant window film on ground level windows is on my list too. Its the spring so get some garden plots or pots ready to go too. Besides feeding yourself, its fun. We moved in to our place in July and had watermelons ready to eat in september. Even if its jsut some basil in a planter, its a start and you'll apprciate the fresh additions to your meals. One thing I started doing was right away taking note of schedules/trends of everyone and everything around your house and neighborhood. You'll pick up faster when something is out of place when activly looking at routines. I didnt exactly make range cards out as that is alittle creepy in town but knowing what land mark is a 100 yards away or a quarter mile away is good practice too. Listening to the scanner in the evening is a part of that too. Like everyone else has said, just enjoy it first and foremost. -Sefus |
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Do you have a gas grill yet? Score a grill on sale or on the cheap on craigslist. Then make sure you have a few extra propane tanks too. That way you can cook off grid. Grilled food always tasted better too! I have a newer coleman camping grill with skillet..... and an MSR lightweight backpacking stove. Extra fuel tanks is an excellent idea. Taco |
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1) Secure your new home. New locks, Alarm System, change and replace every exterior light bulb, Install new or replace Smoke Detectors/Monoxide Detectors, and setup motion activated Flood Lights.
2) If you and your wife likes dogs, get a dog. Preferably a BIG dog. German Shepard, Lab, Husky, Rotty, etc. 3) Start a food storage plan. Aim for 2 weeks worth, then 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and finally 1 year. 4) Start a water storage plan. Again, aim for the same things like I mentioned in #3 5) Make a BOB for you and your wife. Keep it in a location that you can get to it VERY quickly. 6) Get yourself some firearms and ammo. Plus GET SOME TRAINING for those firearms. 7) Get some "extras". (TP, Paper Towels, Light bulbs, hygiene supplies, Duct Tape, etc.) 8) Get a "Home" medical kit. You can buy one or make your own. 9) Get a USB Thumb Drive, secure it with Trucrypt, and put all of your inportant documents and information on it. Make a few copies, and put them in secure locations (i.e. Mothers house, Bank Deposit box, etc.) 10) Gather some quality camping gear. 11) Get a Genny (Put make that a low priority) 12) Last but certainly NOT least, GET A PLAN! Plan on what you would do in a natural disaster, family emergency, riot, house fire, aliens attack, government collapse, and economic meltdown. Rehearse your plan, have a plan to bug out if things get really bad, what you need, where are you going, etc. etc. Hope this helps! Best of Luck and congrats on the new house! |