Perfect for Parties
When I look at real estate listings I am struck by how the most frequent selling point for any home is: "it's perfect for entertaining". No matter the size of the place, or the way it is configured, its main feature is that it is always perfect for having lots of people over.
Apparently the sole reason you have a home is to host events. You must have to actually live somewhere else.
Is that what I want in a place to live? A party venue?
Our current house will be marketed that way when the time comes -- its open floor plan and nice finishes and tall ceilings and kitchen counter bar and spacious layout are all perfect for entertaining. Yes they are.
Our lifestyle is so at odds with that idea. Yes, we host Thanksgiving some years, and our adult children have come for Christmas a handful of times over the years, but not often. Book group comes twice year and we sit in the living room. We've had another couple over for dinner occasionally. But the vast majority of the time it's just me and Jim batting around the house.
The cocktail party / grand buffet / circulating guests / family get togethers / weekend brunch events just don't happen. I'm not looking for a house to entertain in or to look showy to visitors.
I'm looking for a house to live in.
I do need nice things around me. I can't live in a cramped, ugly space. But the last thing I am imagining when considering a house for sale is how I'd throw parties in it all the time. That's just not helpful to determine if a place would suit us.
Apparently the sole reason you have a home is to host events. You must have to actually live somewhere else.Is that what I want in a place to live? A party venue?
Our current house will be marketed that way when the time comes -- its open floor plan and nice finishes and tall ceilings and kitchen counter bar and spacious layout are all perfect for entertaining. Yes they are.
Our lifestyle is so at odds with that idea. Yes, we host Thanksgiving some years, and our adult children have come for Christmas a handful of times over the years, but not often. Book group comes twice year and we sit in the living room. We've had another couple over for dinner occasionally. But the vast majority of the time it's just me and Jim batting around the house.
The cocktail party / grand buffet / circulating guests / family get togethers / weekend brunch events just don't happen. I'm not looking for a house to entertain in or to look showy to visitors.
I'm looking for a house to live in.
- I want a patio and a little garden area, but we don't need an outdoor space for parties.
- I'd like finishes that look tasteful, but I don't need fancy stuff to show off for guests.
- We need a bedroom for occasional visitors. Mostly we'll use our house as a base for traveling more easily to Denver or L.A. or around the state to explore. We'll go visit people, rather than have people stay with us, but an extra bedroom for sometime guests would be nice.
- I want cozy and comfortable, and I want storage and livability. A decent place to do laundry, a workable kitchen, and room enough, or some views, so that we don't feel confined.
I do need nice things around me. I can't live in a cramped, ugly space. But the last thing I am imagining when considering a house for sale is how I'd throw parties in it all the time. That's just not helpful to determine if a place would suit us.
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