This week’s Let’s Blog Off question is posed to us by the famous (or is that infamous) traveler Paul Anater, which in the last month has seen him in places like London, Vancouver, San Francisco and now in Pennsylvania. For someone who seemingly appears to be more home on the road, he states “this time was different. I woke up in a hotel room in San Francisco last Thursday and all I wanted was to be home. It was an odd thing. I missed my neighbors and I missed my passing hellos with the mail man and I missed being known.” So with that said, he goes on to ask what is or does “Home” mean to you?
As is our custom, we will be including a list of all the participating bloggers at the end of this article. I think this is going to be a pretty interesting mix of ideas & thoughts which I encourage you to check out, especially as some of them are very talented wordsmiths. With that said, I thought I would tackle this from a different viewpoint & that is as a home builder and remodeler.
A Look at the Terms:
A house is defined by BING as a building made for people to live in, especially one built for a single family of occupants, and Miriam Webster’s further defines it as a building that serves as living quarters for one or a few families. A home on the other side of the coin is described by Miriam Webster as ones place of residence; the social unit formed by a family living together; the focus of one’s domestic attention.
Personally, while I think the terms above are pretty dry, the way that most people use them isn’t. For example, I remember a couple that drove a semi for a living remarking that the road was primarily there home. They simply looked at their house as a place to relax when they came home to Alabama to see there family. Quiet simply, I believe one’s “home” is where one feels the most connected, comfortable, relaxed, &/or safe and as shown above it can be more than one location.
What’s in a Name?
When I worked for a few production builders, it seemed like they simply viewed the houses as a building to be put together as quickly & cheaply as possible. I remember when one builder came up with a slogan along the lines of “we build houses that you will be glad to call home.” Without changing their processes or anything else there punch-list items & call-backs dropped by at least 20% if memory serves me correctly – sorry it was about 20 years ago.
When I was discussing this item with a friend of mine in the company he remarked that primarily it was a combination of two factors that came into play. The first one was that the trade contractors seemed to be a little more conscientious as if they were working on their own home instead of just another house. The second one, but also the most surprising to them (which resulted in major cost casings) was that the homeowners were actually doing the recommended maintenance. Along the same lines, maybe it’s just me but I have noticed over the years that the ones that talk about their house as a home tend to also be better maintained &/or knowledgeable about them. Of course, some “houses” are well maintained & should never be considered home…
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So interesting from a marketing perspective….I can see how it would attract more homeshoppers, but didn’t realize the power it would have with the people building them and taking care of them. Great insight, Sean.
So interesting from a marketing perspective….I can see how it would attract more homeshoppers, but didn’t realize the power it would have with the people building them and taking care of them. Great insight, Sean.
Interesting take on the topic. I especially liked the thing on workmanship improving once people decided to “build houses you will be proud to call home.” I have a friend who is a general contractor and who has worked most of his life in tract home construction. He is very knowledgeable and conscientious, which is why he often works on my home! The one thing that seems constant in tract homes–at least those that I can afford–is very cheap kitchen cabinetry. When the real estate market was at its peak, my wife and I looked at a fill-in tract of seven or eight houses. The layout was fine, but that cabinetry! And this in houses they sold for $535,000! Which is about $240,000 more than they’re worth now!
Very interesting post and I like the angle from which you have looked at the question. I think it’s very important to feel “safe” in the place you call home.
I agree that the term used by Miriam Webster dictionary to define a home is quite dry and generic. On the other hand I tend to agree with the phrase “home is where the heart is” even though it might be considered a cliche. That said, I think that is home can only exist if its occupants live in peace and harmony brought about through love and compassion, whether it’s a mansion, a trailer park or a cardboard box on skid-row.
I’ve always find the phrase “Home is where the heart is” the perfect definition of home. I guess wherever you are comfortable, happy and content, it IS home.
The home is where we always come back to. And a house becomes a home when people we love are there. I’d say I have 2 homes. One is my first family where my children and the husband is. Another home is my parent’s house. Both places makes me happy when I’m there.
Very interesting post and I like the angle from which you have looked at the question. I think it’s very important to feel “safe” in the place you call home.
Interesting take on the topic. I especially liked the thing on workmanship improving once people decided to “build houses you will be proud to call home.” I have a friend who is a general contractor and who has worked most of his life in tract home construction. He is very knowledgeable and conscientious, which is why he often works on my home! The one thing that seems constant in tract homes–at least those that I can afford–is very cheap kitchen cabinetry. When the real estate market was at its peak, my wife and I looked at a fill-in tract of seven or eight houses. The layout was fine, but that cabinetry! And this in houses they sold for $535,000! Which is about $240,000 more than they’re worth now!
I agree that the term used by Miriam Webster dictionary to define a home is quite dry and generic. On the other hand I tend to agree with the phrase “home is where the heart is” even though it might be considered a cliche. That said, I think that is home can only exist if its occupants live in peace and harmony brought about through love and compassion, whether it’s a mansion, a trailer park or a cardboard box on skid-row.
I’ve always find the phrase “Home is where the heart is” the perfect definition of home. I guess wherever you are comfortable, happy and content, it IS home.
The home is where we always come back to. And a house becomes a home when people we love are there. I’d say I have 2 homes. One is my first family where my children and the husband is. Another home is my parent’s house. Both places makes me happy when I’m there.
So interesting from a marketing perspective….I can see how it would attract more homeshoppers, but didn’t realize the power it would have with the people building them and taking care of them. Great insight, Sean.
So interesting from a marketing perspective….I can see how it would attract more homeshoppers, but didn’t realize the power it would have with the people building them and taking care of them. Great insight, Sean.