Bristow:New Home owner, Need tips and advice (coupon, new house)

[mrrame]

I would like to thank everybody in this forum for all your help. I finally closed my house last week and moved to my new house.

Though the new house is exciting, it is scary when it comes to utilities,maintenance, repairs etc..

Its a SFH with 4 bedroom and a basement (Ashley Ridge neighbourhood).

Can you give me some general guidelines on
1) how to lower utilities (gas heat, electric stove, twin fans units outside the house)
2) What kind of blinds should I get? (none of the windows have blinds)
3) Replacing bulbs with energy efficient bulbs etc
4) Where to shop for home needs (furniture,window blinds,general home fixtures) etc. So far I been looking in Lowes and Home Depot. Is there any other shops to save some money ?
5) Dumb question: I cannot find a mailbox in the community. Do I have to go to post office to post all mails ? Can I leave them in the mail box in front of the house for the mail man to pick up?

Thanks

[HEATHER72]

1) I only run the upper level furnace in the early morning or taking a shower. Turn the heat down and put on more clothes in the winter. Open the blinds when it's sunny to warm the house (the reverse in the summer).


2) Just get the 2" inch wood blinds. I can't say enough good things about Blind & Shutter Solutions. 571-379-7130


3) Get a Costco membership and buy the fluorescent bulbs in bulk (assuming you have lots of recessed lights)


4) Lowes. Home Depot. Lay Z Boy. Belfort. Havertys. Bed Bath and Beyond. Target. Avoid the Room Store like the plague.


5) Hmm... your mailbox is for incoming & outgoing mail.

[becwells]

Definitely look at Costco for things like CFL bulbs. We bought a set of 2 from Lowes, but then found a pack of 6 at Costco for the same price! They also have pretty much anything you'll need for your home - fixtures, blinds, furniture etc. Plus, if you get the Executive Membership you will get a 2% rebate on all your purchases, so making big purchases like window treatments and furniture will get you a decent return.

[Samara11]

Register at homedepotmoving.com, they will send you a 10% off discount coupon. The website also has a lot of tips for decorating your new home.
Same with Lowes: Lowe's Home Improvement
You'll get the coupon in the mail. Make a list of everything you need and make a bulk purchase to maximize your savings using that coupon.

Belfort is awesome if you want to find quality furniture at clearance prices, just go to their warehouse and go straight to the clearance section in the back. We found a king size four-poster bed for $399, the price was marked down from $1400 to $399 as it was missing the posts from the headboard and footboard. All I had to do was cover up the four holes and the bed looks awesome.

Like previous posters have said, Costco is also great.

Also check to see if you have a programmable thermostat, if you set it up to kick on the heating around an hour before you arrive at home, that helps a lot in lowering energy bills.

[HEATHER72]

Forgot to mention I love JC Penney's Catalog for home goods.

[VEIK]

I buy stuff from Ikea.

You got to know what you are looking for, but I have purchased decor and furniture items there, and light fixtures as well.

For long lasting furniture - head over to Marlo.