Why are Real Estate Classifieds most often practical to the point of being bland and indistinguishable from others when choosing a home is as much if not more a decision of the heart than reason.
Akiko Busch shares her findings on the topic in Desperately seeking domestic bliss (via FT Week-end).
Her piece led me to Sex and Real Estate (Anchor Books) by Harvard University professor Marjorie Garber.
The outline of the book is that "Real estate has become a form of “yuppie pornography.” Hopes of summer romance have given way to hopes of summer homes, and fantasies of Romeo have been replaced by fantasies of remodeling. Even real estate ads are flirtatious in their offers of bedrooms that are sensuous and sinks that are seductive. Thus the house you live in, like the partner you choose, can be everything from your beloved to your dream to a status symbol trophy."
All this sounds quite current except for the fact that the book was actually published of all times in September 2001.
Akiko Busch demonstrates that poetic ads make sense by quoting the following :“Nourishing as a hot tart on a cold night this Georgian cottage sits there above the Somerset levels and gently steams” or “Delicious as a small bun sprinkled with sugar on top, this place glistens with delight. It’s smooth and silky with a contemporary twist but still holds fast to an ancient value.” by UK Realtor Ralph Bending.
We might have gotten too wrapped up in the idea of house as a trophy or worse an investment vehicle rather than a home with soul.
Real and Magical Estate pieces: In and around Seattle, with Redfin and A Vertical Garden
Recent Comments