Lipstick on a Pig
I wear makeup. Actually, I don’t usually even go out in public without prepping to some degree. Men put on nice clothes and shave. Well, maybe. Moms put cute little bows in their babies’ hair.
Why?
Because we all want to look pretty and presentable. We cover up a few flaws and put our best face forward. We want to make the best presentation possible so the world sees the polished version first.
Houses are no different.
We stage them. We fix problems we’ve conveniently overlooked for the last ten years. We freshly paint the walls and cover up those ugly spots we’ve somehow managed to live with. We declutter. We landscape. We put in brighter light bulbs.
Or maybe dimmer ones if we’re still trying to hide something. 😊
Either way, no matter how beautiful a house looks when you walk through the door, there is always more underneath.
And that’s where things can get interesting.
When you’re looking for a home, there are a lot of factors that should matter. The floor plan needs to work for your family. The price needs to fit your budget. Location is huge. School districts, commute times, insurance costs, neighborhood trends, future resale, proximity to the things you enjoy. The list goes on.
Then you walk into THE house.
It’s freshly painted.
It smells amazing.
The kitchen is gorgeous.
The furniture is perfectly staged.
There’s a candle burning somewhere that smells like vanilla and financial irresponsibility.
And suddenly all that sensible criteria you made before you arrived goes flying right out the beautifully updated window.
You are in LOVE.
Emotion plays a much bigger role in our decisions than most of us would probably like to admit. We like to think we’re using our wise, rational, sage brain.
Nope.
Sometimes the monkey brain takes over.
And once that monkey decides it wants the house, your rational brain suddenly becomes its attorney. You start gathering every possible piece of evidence to justify what you’ve already decided you want.
“The roof probably has a few years left.”
“We can make that payment work.”
“I don’t really mind driving an hour.”
“That smell is probably nothing.”
Monkey wants house.
This is one of the reasons having a knowledgeable Realtor in your corner is so important. We aren’t there to decide for you. We’re there to help you remember all the things you cared about before you fell madly in love with the farmhouse sink.
And believe me, I know this from personal experience.
Representing myself when buying my own house was NOT one of my better ideas.
I fell in love with everything about it. The smell inside, because apparently, diva scent makes you in the mood to buy. The peace and quiet of the land. The perfectly staged farmhouse décor. The whole thing felt right.
Unfortunately, much of what I fell in love with belonged to the sellers.
The furniture left.
The décor left.
The smell left.
The new development of sixty seven new neighbors next door stayed. 😊
Looking back, I paid too much because everything looked so perfect. I didn’t do all of the due diligence I should have because I trusted the sweet sellers. I allowed my emotions to have far too much influence over my decisions.
Here’s the humbling part.
I KNOW BETTER.
I can help other people evaluate properties rationally all day long. I can point out concerns, weigh the pros and cons, study the numbers, and help someone make a thoughtful decision.
But apparently my own monkey has a real estate license too. And it’s been in business longer than I have!
That’s why even experienced people need someone objective in their corner.
And sometimes what’s hiding underneath the lipstick is considerably worse than paying a little too much.
This year, we worked with a young couple buying their first home. They were in a starter-home price range, getting ready to begin a family, and inventory was limited. Finding something affordable, updated, and in good condition wasn’t easy.
Then they found one.
It was pretty.
Really pretty.
Updated. Clean. Cute.
Miss Piggy was looking GOOD.
Thankfully, they had a home inspection.
The electrical had problems.
The roof needed replacing.
And then there were the floors.
THE FLOORS WERE BEING HELD UP BY CAR JACKS.
Yes.
Car jacks.
The same things you use to hold up a Buick while you’re changing a tire were apparently part of the structural support system of this house.
Suddenly those pretty countertops weren’t quite as exciting.
That’s why due diligence matters.
The things that cost you the most money in a house are very often the things that aren’t pretty enough to catch your attention.
Roofs aren’t sexy.
Electrical panels don’t photograph well.
Crawl spaces aren’t usually featured in the listing photos.
Nobody walks into a showing and squeals, “OH MY GOODNESS, LOOK AT THIS GORGEOUS HVAC SYSTEM!”
But those things matter.
A lot.
That’s where a good Realtor becomes part guide, part coach, part investigator, and occasionally part wise parent.
We aren’t there to tell you which house to buy. We’re there to help make sure you understand what you’re buying before you make one of the largest financial decisions of your life.
We can help you ask better questions, recognize potential concerns, recommend appropriate inspections and professionals, understand the market, evaluate comparable properties, and consider things that your monkey brain may have temporarily decided aren’t important.
Then YOU make the decision.
An experienced Realtor isn’t a replacement for inspectors, engineers, attorneys, contractors, or other specialists. But a good one knows when something deserves another question and when it’s time to bring one of those professionals into the conversation.
And sometimes that question can save you thousands of dollars.
So yes, enjoy the pretty kitchen.
Admire the fresh paint.
Fall temporarily in love with the porch.
Picture your Christmas tree in the living room.
Just don’t forget to look underneath the lipstick before you marry the pig.
Because as beautiful as Miss Piggy may be…
She’s still a pig underneath. 😊