
When you're searching for a home to buy, a normal first tendency is to imagine a space that checks every box on your list.
A dedicated home office. A guest room for when friends visit. A dining area that fits works for everyday use and for when extended family visits. A space for hobbies. Storage for seasonal decorations. A place for every person and function -- even if some of those people or some of those life functions are only present once or twice a year.
But...how often does your home really need to do it all?
Let's take a common scenario. It's just you and your spouse living in the house. One of your kids comes home every so often, so a third bedroom (maybe a combination guest room and office) feels practical. But what if all four kids decide to visit at once? Do you need five or six bedrooms... just in case?
Or maybe dinner is usually just the two of you. Occasionally, you host a birthday party with six people. And every other Thanksgiving, your extended family of sixteen gathers under one roof. Should your house have room for a 16-person table year-round?
I don't know that there is a right or wrong answer to these questions -- everyone will think about them differently based on family dynamics and how often they think these types of situations will arise when the space in their home will be stretched.
But sometimes, with our goal of finding the perfect home, one that meets every potential need, we might find ourselves pursuing a home that is bigger or more expensive than is needed for most of your daily life.
If a home works amazingly well for you 360 days of the year…
Should you spend another $100,000 to buy a home that works just as well on the other five days?
I'm not here to say you should or shouldn't. But I do think it's worth pausing to think it through.
Sometimes, the best home isn't the one that checks every box for every possible occasion… it's the one that fits your actual life most of the time -- and that can fit those other edge cases with a bit of flexibility or creativity.
Need help thinking through what that looks like for you? Let's talk.