A House is not a Home

A House is not a Home

“A house is not a home, I hate this song. Is a house really a home when your loved ones are gone?” — Dirty Money (Coming Home)

Being in the real estate business for sometime help me realize a concept that the house is not a home. It is a structure for shelter by definition. I have seen many people value it very much due to the versatility of it being a shelter, sometimes a home too, an investment, and a trophy to demonstrate success in a capitalistic world. Because of these factors married into the house it is not hard to see why it is often overvalued on the market.

I have recently read in the book of Scott Galloway that your first home only represents your possibility and hope of the future and your last home is what matters most at the end of the day. I was very touched by the story he shared on how he spent the last days with his mother when his mother was ill and dying. She was at the nursing home when he came to visit, and he was flabbergasted to both see the depressive environment along with the malodorous smell of fresh urine. He has realized that moment that he has failed in life. Despite the perceived success professionally and personally, all the fancy accolades, house, cars, all of a sudden didn’t mean much because even if he gave those to his mother, he wouldn’t be able to help her recover. What he did next was commendable. He spent two months with her in her house in Vegas. They shared meals and time walking together. At night he would weep and convey to her how hurt he is that she is sick. He brought his mom’s only friend at the time to accompany her and paid for any accommodation her mom’s friend may need. After his mom passed away, he would stay in touch with his mother’s friend for 6 months. Eventually, his mother’s friend pass away two years later. The mom’s friend put down Scott as her sole beneficiary after passing.

Sentimental value is the time you spend with your family in the house you live in. At the end of the day, the relationship that you build with your family and time you spent is what matters most. Without the history and events, a house is nothing but a shelter. For some it is easy to grasp this concept. For others, the sentimental value inherit a premium on to the house that others seldomly appreciate or if at all recognize.