Do’s & Don’ts For Real Estate Buyers: Tip 2
Hanover, Lyme, Lebanon, Norwich, Thetford Buyer’s Guide: Don’t Overshoot
Insufficient Amenities ?
At least four times per year we get a telephone call or a visit from one peculiar client segment. It always starts the same way…”I never thought I would be speaking to an agent so soon but…” and although the dialogue will continue for several minutes we know precisely what comes next!
Here is the classic OVERSHOOTER’s Story: Two years ago I moved here from (BLANK) because I had experienced many wonderful times recharging my soul in the area. I thought that what I really needed was to be here full-time. Don’t get me wrong - I did need it and I have never been happier BUT I bought in (Area A) and now I find myself spending all my time in (Area B). I truly love my house and I hate the thought of leaving it but I spend so much time driving back & forth that I rarely stay at functions as long as I would if I lived closer to (Area B).”
Ahhh, having your feet in two canoes rarely works well!
So what is the answer? How is one to know what the OVERSHOOT looks like without actually living it? You can start with understanding what those who have gone before you did wrong.
Area B - the “missed target” is very easy to foretell. Urban Refugees tend to get INVOLVED more than they had expected. This can be in the governance of a charity, library, school, coop or place of worship. It can be in the pursuit of another degree, a newfound passion for a sport or discipline of art. I can also be sitting at a buzzing coffee shop or book store and taking advantage of the underpublicized lectures and events that you hear about while soaking up the free WIFI. In a nutshell, the INVOLVEMENT is a perfect accompaniment to the peace that the Refugee has carved out.
Area A - the “overshot” is a bit tougher to pin down but we see three common varieties. First is the too rural overshoot. A couple of years with few neighbors in a location that makes it hard for friends/colleagues to visit will drive the heartiest Refugee into town! The second is substandard amenities probably a result of the fact that so many Urban Refugees left communities that offered a dearth of quality restaurants, grocery stores, gyms, coffee shops and boutiques such that the shops that populate the overshot are insufficient for their long term needs. The third is the seasonal community effect and it is hard to imagine BUT if the population a place swells in winter, summer and/or fall then you are very likely to feel that your beautiful village is a place to be avoided, not embraced!
So again I ask, what is the answer? Therein lies the art and the reason why the top 5% of agents get as many referrals as the other 95% combined! Your agent’s skillset must absolutely include the ability to graphically simulate a range of lifestyles (not just houses) that you can compare to the key aspects of your current lifestyle. Our clients use this method to stay within their comfort zone EVEN IF they are coming from an entirely different environment. Or put another way: You may live in Melbourne and I live an entirely different life in Hanover but when you move here won’t we buy our milk in much the same way?