October is one of our favourite times of the year.  Crisp autumn air, vibrant shades of changing leaves, scrumptious flavours from seasonal harvest, a fresh beginning as routines fall into place after the summer months, and an intentional opportunity to give thanks for the many great things in life. The list goes on – October is simply the BEST (we think!) – and for it, we are grateful.

When it comes to real estate, it doesn’t take much to realize we have PLENTY to be thankful for… We’ve had another great year and have surpassed many of our goals.  These achievements are important to note, but our thankfulness extends beyond a business mind-set.  When we take a step back to consider ‘housing and real estate in London,’ we often overlook some pretty primitive characteristics that we really shouldn’t ignore.  Let’s elaborate a little:

• We’re thankful for indoor plumbing.
• We’re thankful for clean water accessed so easily.
• We’re thankful for a secure roof over our heads.
• We’re thankful for screens in our windows that protect us from infectious insects.
• We’re thankful for electricity, heating, lighting, and all the comforts afforded to us within our homes.
• We’re thankful for a community, a city, and a country free of war and unrest – a place where we feel safe to raise our families.

This list is certainly not exhaustive, but offers a small glimpse at many aspects of the living standards we so often take for granted – conditions that are anything but the norm in many other parts of the world.

Back to real estate – at least real estate in London.  It’s easy to get caught up in our dreams when it comes to pondering that perfect next place… of course, these wish-lists have their place, and enable our clients to hone in on the priorities they see in a prospective property.  And don’t get us wrong: We love granite, stainless steel appliances, luxury ensuites, oversized garages, spectacular pools and gardens, and marble floors too.  We admire gorgeous built-in’s, exotic wood finishes, cutting-edge technology, and extravagant amenities.  We are blessed to enjoy these treats within our homes, but can’t help but acknowledge that they fall well into the category of ‘want’ rather than ‘need’.

When considering the reality of housing standards around the world, some of our ‘must-have’s’ quickly become trivial.  Compassion International cites some eye-opening statistics worth reflecting upon:

• Among the poor living on less than $1.25 per day (22% of the global population), just under half have electricity.
• More than one third of the global population – some 2.5 billion people — do not use an improved sanitation facility.
• At least 10 percent of the world’s population is thought to consume food irrigated by waste water.

In the spirit of thankfulness, we’d like to challenge you to shift your perspective beyond what might be designated as a need (as the rhetoric often goes), and to qualify instead what we’d like, with mindfulness that we are among the world’s richest – with even the most modest of housing, structures, and systems.  An ensuite is nice.  But our survival is not dependent upon it.  A double garage is a bonus, though perhaps not a necessity.  May we approach real estate – and everything else in life too – not with an attitude of entitlement insisting upon the minimum standard we require, but with gratitude for the infrastructure available to us, the resources we have at our fingertips, and the freedom we have to fight not for our survival, but for our preferences.

We are thankful for the basic necessities afforded to us, and for many luxuries so readily available.  We are thankful for the wealth we enjoy in a nation like Canada, as well as the responsibility that the government takes to care for those with ‘the least’.  We are thankful for peaceful politics, economic health, and a beautiful landscape to call home.  We’re thankful for amazing clients who make our roles so rewarding, and for the value we can bring to consumers as they navigate their way through the process of purchasing and selling real property.

There is so much to be thankful for.  We hope you think so too.