Well, hello to you, my reader chums! I'm still in awe that I've bought my first home with my partner. It's a dream I've had since I was a teenager, and I'm loving seeing the progress we make every day with decorating and organising, in the space we're creating.

Buying a house was a long process, and I thought I knew more about being a homeowner until I actually did. If you're new to owning a home, here are 5 things I've learned about what being a homeowner means.

Insurance is essential

I knew there would be insurance costs involved with being a homeowner, but I didn't realise the number of insurance types and their costs. The insurance you need by law is building insurance. 

Other insurances I'd recommend include life insurance and income protection. Building insurance covers the repairs for your home in case something goes wrong, and each policy varies. Life insurance covers your life if you die, and all the money goes to the other person on the policy. Whilst income protection helps if you fall ill or lose your job and can't cover the bills.

The level of adulting increases to the max

I love how we millennials use the term adulting, but owning a house is like level 100. Everything is now up to you: ensuring you pay all your bills, keeping on top of life admin, house maintenance and being sensible with where your money goes.

You need to gather a list of handy businesses for household maintenance 

Jobs can always crop up for house maintenance, such as boiler servicing, a broken shower, leaks, DIY, plumbing and electrical problems. You never know what'll happen, even if your house is in the best condition when you buy it. It's best to gather a list of local people who have been recommended and can help you out when you need, and offer you a reasonable price. 

Not everything can get done overnight - it's a process

I wasn't naive and thought we could have the home exactly how we wanted it straight away, but it's good to be prepared that it's a process and takes time and money. From moving in, it'll take you a while to figure out where you want your belongings, cleaning, decorating and organising. Decorating is something that could take years of planning and doing, and saving for as well. You may have an idea of what you want your home to look like, but don't get disheartened if it doesn't happen all at once. Save for it, plan for it, and your vision will come together.

Being financially secure is important, as there's always something to pay for

Being money-sensible is always important, but especially as a homeowner. Costs can always crop up for house maintenance or something breaking, and as you own it, you'll need to fix it. This is why emergency pots and savings come in handy, so always live under your means in case you have some spare cash for any instances occurring.

I hope you enjoyed this post. What have you learned?

Thank you for reading <3