Whether you’re a crazy cat lady with a house full of felines or you prefer the company of just one kitty, if you watch closely you can learn a lot about successful house hunting.
Of course, you never want to rub up against a homeowner’s couch or destroy the roll of toilet paper in their bathroom, but there are three cat characteristics in particular that you might put to good use when searching for a Santa Cruz home.
1. Be a hunter
Cats are serious hunters. Even when the prey is a stuffed mouse, they practice their stealth and hunting prowess.
Watching a cat hunt is a lesson for home buyers. If a cat were house hunting instead of mouse hunting, she would stalk the latest MLS listings tenaciously, pouncing immediately on those that look tasty.
Don’t give up the hunt because it seems too challenging. Crouch, crawl, stare hard and then twist, curl and pounce when that perfect home is within striking distance.
Ok, so you don’t need to go through the physical gyrations that cats do when you’re on the hunt for the perfect house, but you do need to use that same laser-focus, remain flexible and be oh-so-tenacious.
Keep in mind that the absolute perfect home for any one person probably doesn’t exist, unless it’s custom-built. Decide what your priorities are and aim for fulfilling at least three of them.
Then, be flexible enough to compromise on the others if they conflict with your partner’s priorities.
2. Don’t be distracted by shiny objects
Staged homes are attractive, there’s no doubt about it. Especially if the staging was performed by a professional, it’s so easy to see yourself living there.
Homes with features you’ve been dreaming of (a fireplace in the master bedroom, that to-die for Wolf® range or the perfectly-perfect-for-entertaining backyard can blind you to other, perhaps undesirable aspects of the home.
Don’t be like your cat – easily distracted by shiny objects.
But do be like kitty in that you should be curious. Look beyond the sexy paint colors and amazing décor to the bare bones of the home. Don’t be distracted – be curious.
3. Remain aloof
Many cats are mysterious, somewhat aloof and can keep you guessing about why they even allow you in their presence.
Once you find a home that you’re excited about, don’t EVER show it — at least not around the homeowner or the homeowner’s agent (or the homeowner’s Nest Cam).
Maintain that cat-like aura of coolness, disinterest or, at the very least, neutrality.
The worst thing you can do is gush over the home, expressing your love for it and your overwhelming desire to own it – at any cost.
Nope, this is the time to be very cat-like and back off, as aloof as possible. When how you feel about the home is inscrutable to the homeowner, you’re in a stronger negotiating position.
Oh, one other thing your cat can teach you – when we win the battle for the home of your dreams you are allowed to purr in contentment
