Contract closed at the end of April.

We've been spending an insane amount of time and money on the house. I'd really only been thinking about how it made financial sense to get into a home now while we were fortunate enough to be in a position to buy in a depressed market. I hadn't counted on how much work it would be.

-Spent 2 weekends measuring and planning out a kitchen, theme, and picking colors. 
-Met with 3 contractors, visited prior and current worksites for examples. 
-Hounded previous owner for 3 weeks to get him to cover his unpaid water bill. Had to track the guy down to his new house and show up on his doorstep since he was ducking my calls.
 -Researched appliances, materials, design, studied consumer reports, consumersearch, product reviews.
-Designed a kitchen and closet, picked specific paints, hardwood and laminate, countertops, cabinetry, lighting, adding kitchen ventilation. 
-Bought sofa sets for living room, and family room, refridgerator, washer, dryer, and stove hood.
-Still have to buy dining room sets, eat-in kitchen, entertainment center, tv stand, deck furniture, bedroom furniture, carpeting, rugs, bookshelves, computer desk, and stovetop
 
After that, then we actually begin to decorate... probably won't move in until mid-July!
 
Thank goodness my father is a home inspector, so unlike most home-buyers we weren't treated to any unpleasant surprise repairs lurking around. That sort of thing is a whole extra set of headaches for most new buyers. That isn't to say the house was perfect, but at least we were aware of what we were getting into so that we could have our contractor take care of the bigger issues before we move in. Now I can take my time doing the research and buying all the tools necessary for repairs as they come in, instead of drowning under a pile of repairs as soon as I step in.