
My decision-making process is just that--a process. Part of it is instinct and vibe, and part of it is old-fashioned pragmatism. Oh, and I’m cheap too, so there’s that.
Case in point: the swanky country club. I ain’t gonna lie, there was something really cool about living within a country club community and that something was both good and bad. The good was the necessities were right within walking distance which was great because the community was a little isolated. The bad was, if you weren’t careful, it was easy to overlook other issues like poor craftsmanship and a lack of amenities within the home. Although it wasn’t behind door #1 or #2, I couldn’t drop it from consideration.
It didn’t have a pool BUT there were two at the country club.
It didn’t have a big yard BUT you could have them tear down the brick wall in the back so I’d have an unobstructed view of the green area.
The closet was small BUT it had a feature which allowed for ventilation.
Nice windows.
Plenty of light.
But, the fully dressed (cabinetry) kitchen was cheap, the backsplash wasn’t cut evenly and the hood vent was of poor quality.
Oh, and it was more expensive and smaller than the others.
The country club!
I had to ask myself if it was worth the price? Would it grow in value? Could I sacrifice space for a country club? A country club, mind you, for which I had to pay a separate membership fee.
Eh, I had to drop it from my list. And then there really were two.
When I sat down to talk to the realtor, I walked her through my thought process. I gave her a list of questions to ask each developer, things I wouldn’t have to ask in the United States. For example, “Does this place come with a heater (boiler)?” If not, that was an added expense. “Are the kitchen and bedroom closets dressed?” If not, it was an added expense. Those numbers added up really quickly.
My goal was to make not only the best choice, but the wisest investment. If I bought today, what would have the most value tomorrow?
So, it was Sunday and I was waiting for answers to my questions before making a decision. I knew what I wanted, but I had to figure out what was best.
Stay tuned…
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