<prompt> Human: Ive been doing some searching through past posts and Ive seen this discussed a little, but thought we could get a good thorough discussion to post in the FAQ. Essentially, how much does it cost to buy a house and get settled. In essence, how much should I save before I am ready to buy a home and not feel any financial hardships for doing so. For the sake of simplicity, well assume this is for first time homeowners.nbsp;New homeowners are definitely going to be our best resources here, but everybody is welcome to pitch in. Costs I can think of are listed below:nbsp;The Purchase Down Payment: Ideally 20, but not required to be this high NOT FROM YOUR EMERGENCY FUND!!! Closing Costs: Varies with bank, could be flat rate but most commonly 2-5 Home Inspection: Varies with property. Basic is 500 - 200. Extensive can be in the 1000-1500 range PMI: If down payment 20 Real estate attorney Escrow Any estimates from people? Percentage? Flat rate? Origination fee on a loan: 0.5 - 2.0nbsp;Financial Changes Increasing your emergency fund: If your monthly expenses are increasing Property Taxes Home Insurance Flood Insurance If located in a flood plain 1-3 annual maintenance HOA Fees Utilities: Paying for utilities that were previously covered by a landlord. Differences in heatingcooling a larger space Utility hookup fees if applicable Trash servicenbsp;The Expenses Moving costs: Truck rental, boxes, pizza and beer for the people you suckered into helping you move, etc. Furnishing the home: Varies with size of house and current furniture Appliances May or may not need to buy Yard equipment: Mower, shovels, rakes, etc. Landscaping Varies wildly Immediate renovationsupgrades: Painting supplies AND paint if you are painting The little things everybody forgets: Toilet plungers, trash cans, cleaning supplies, etc. Tools If applicable, varies from person to person Per utanuma, sooo many lightbulbs Take-out budget: Some spare cash for eating out before you unpack your kitchenware Broken things: Spare cash to replace items that are damaged in the move. Accidents happen. Replacing locks: 40doornbsp;Can anybody think of other costs? EDIT: Editing and updating with responsesEDIT 2: Now with better formatting!Assistant: Dont forget agent fees are normally 6, and earnest money usually will go to closing costs is paid up front at between 1-2. Youll pay for an inspection on the house around 400. Human: Arent agent fees covered by the seller?  <response>: Yeah, youre right. Im currently buying and selling, hence the mix up. Everybody wants a piece. 