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Some people use house and home interchangeably. There is a subtle difference.
A house is something a builder constructs. It has walls, windows, doors, a good roof and is hopefully weather tight. It is a place to stay. Banks give mortgages on houses. Houses are taxed.
A home is a place where you feel comfortable and safe. While it can be a house, it also can be an apartment, a condo, a mobile home or even a tent.
We believe the kitchen is the heart of the home. It is the gathering place for family and friends. It is where the big discussions take place, often over food prepared right there often as a community. When asked “Where would you spend money to upgrade a house?” the kitchen is always on the short list for discussion.
I have never had someone say, “Let me borrow that house for a dinner.” Houses can feel cold. Homes embrace you.
When staging a house, we try to make the house (or someone’s home) as appealing and welcoming as possible. We try to make it special, a place where someone can see themselves. We try to make it homey. Yet it still is not home. People make it home.
Therefore, people go house hunting and attend open houses. At-home delivery is enjoyed by many. Home Depot and Home Goods make the immediate emotional connection with the first word in their name.
As we enter the depths of winter with the accompanying darkness, we hope your home shines bright for you and yours. Whether from Christmas lights, candles in a Hanukkah menorah, Kwanzaa candles, the gleam of your Festivus pole or (insert your inclusive preference here), home is where the heart is.
This is my last article for 2020 and it has been one heck of a year for us all. Houses continued to sell in the face of a global pandemic.
On a personal level, my fourth grandchild (Everly Belle) just arrived. Her mom declared it a COVID-19 baby and proceeded to point to the matrimonial couch where blessed conception occurred. While some details are best left out of my earshot, I am happy for mom and dad and the hope Miss Everly represents. In an age when so much is impacted, her parents opted to create and look forward.
There is a positive lesson in there for all us.
Looking forward we expect interest rates to stay down at least in the short term and hope more houses come on the market for all those wanting their first home, wanting to move up, or those wanting to downsize.
Happy holidays, all, to your home from mine.
Stay sanitized!
I am not a huge fan of Zillow, etc. for buyers. Here is an app for your phone/tablet tied directly to the MLS https://www.homesnap.com/Gary-Kelley.
Tune into my show on WCRN AM 830 the third Sunday of each month at 8:30 a.m. where I discuss “All Things Real Estate.”
If you need advice on selling your home or buying a new one, give us a call 508-733-6005.
Gary Kelley, Realtor®
508-733-6005
