The point is that most houses are what realtors call used resale homes–the operative word being used.Case in point: the 🐱cat hotel pictured. It keeps Keillor on the left and Orbison–who likes her half in the middle–nice and dry. ☔️

Plus the darling red tiles and stylish gambrel roof make for much much adorableness. Yes? As realtors say it: 🏡 it has curb appeal and is move-in ready.Yet there are issues: a floor board on the lower level needs nails 🔨and there’s a wobbly upper platform 🔩 these meows have lived with for ages.

So the question is, do the wonky deck and floor board tarnish the cat hotel’s charm to the point at which it’s a poor investment? Because a home purchase is just that: an investment. 💵
Or do smart buyers (like Kristina and Grant who I’m currently helping) take heed from their ethical realtor (who focuses on matching clients with homes that will stand 🕰 the test of time)–and then ⚖️ simply factor in potential upgrades when they consider their offer.

Yes?

In short, it’s true that freshly painted homes and cleaned up gardens 🌲 put a spring in our collective step–and be a great purchase. That said, 👩‍🦳 🧑🏽‍🦳 our grandmothers would have us look carefully beyond curb appeal to the underbelly of the beast 🐲 and insure that over time the larger package will make good sense.