He Wants a Weight Room; She Wants a Home Office
The Scene: Sunday PM in the basement of the 13th prospective house.
The Players: A couple (formerly charming) and their Realtor (long suffering.)
ACT 1
WIFE A weight room? Are you serious?
HUSBAND Yes, I’ve always wanted one.
WIFE We don’t own any fitness equipment.
HUSBAND Yes we do, the treadmill in the basement.
WIFE The one from college? When was the last time you got near it?
HUSBAND If I had a comfortable room, I would use it.
WIFE Well, this basement is barely big enough for my home office. A weight room is out of the question!
Husband stomps off. Realtor studies the ceiling. Two children begin to cry.
Needless to say, the house does not make the cut.
Could this sad scenario have been avoided?
Yes. Ideally, buyers complete a questionnaire (mine is 5 pages)and/or have a substantial conversation about their wants and needs with their Realtor before hoping in the car.
But in addition, I suggest that buyers complete the following exercise on their own. Silly? Perhaps. But really, how drama can you tolerate ?
AN EXERCISE FOR BUYING A HOUSE TOGETHER (Full disclosure: I did not originate this exercise. I would give credit to the author or instructor, but I can’t remember where I heard it!)
Individually, prepare three lists—do not look at your partner’s list until the exercise is completed!
My home must have the following features (include neighborhood requirements). This list should be short, 2-6 items.
It would be nice if my home had the following features. This list can be a bit longer.
In a perfect world, the following features would be ideal. Blue-sky thinking.
Get together with your partner and compare lists. Hmmm. Shocking isn’t it?
Prepare one list that includes your agreed upon wants and needs. This is the list you give to your Realtor.
Now go forth and purchase a home!
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