Are you stuck trying to make a housing decision? Small wonder.
Your housing decisions are about everything in your life, and
they involve your inner motivations and desires as well as
finances, design and logistics.
Consider this. Our relationship with our home is the most
personal nonhuman relationship we may ever have. Home is
something we “provide” for ourselves and our loved ones. It
offers control over our physical setting and our leisure. It
provides security and independence. In the best-case scenario,
home is our sanctuary. The psychology of housing decision-making
is rooted in our housing past. That history starts with
childhood dreams of a safe, secure, happy home, dreams that
persist long into adulthood. Identifying childhood relationships
to home will help give you insight into your current feelings,
and even what may be holding you hostage about your decision.
The goal, however, is a home that fully reflects your adult
values rather than needs mired in your childhood.
In addition, everyone has a “housing profile.” Discover yours
and you are on your way to making a smart decision, whether that
decision involves buying, selling, remodeling or investing in
another home.
Your unique housing profile consists of four areas:
* Personal factors that deal with your identity, desire for
autonomy, need for personal safety, security, and other aspects
of the “real you.” * Social factors that refer to your concerns
about others: your partner, family members, friends, neighbors,
and the people in your community. * Tangible factors include the
physical comforts that are important to you about where you
live. The home itself and its surroundings, convenience,
commuting time to your job or business, schools and other
aspects of your home's location. * Money factors are what you
think or believe about your financial affairs: how you handle
money, savings and investments. It really isn't about how much
you have.
If you can recall your housing past and prioritize your current
housing values, you can more easily make housing choices and
push through any decision barriers that may be stopping you from
having the home of your choice.
Fully understood, this system reveals competing values, needs,
wants and “shoulds.” Your housing value system is your best tool
for making good housing choices. It can help you stay focused
and maintain your objectivity, guiding you through all that
really matters to you. It can help you counter frustration and
anxiety so you can sort through your alternatives and make your
best decision. Most importantly, it can guide you to decisions
based on your true housing values and needs rather than on
subconscious wants or other people's “shoulds.”
|
