I am not, nor have ever been, a Latin scholar. I discovered the above phrase reading a rubbish astrology book belonging to my mother when I was very young and it has always stayed with me. It translates to “There is no accounting for taste”. I have always applied this saying to matters of the heart, when I could not comprehend having feelings for a person or why a person did or did not have feelings for me. This could be most simply explained by taste, an inclination for or against someone or something. It is a particular penchant, possibly inherited or learned over time, but one that the brain has no direct control over.
Taste is frequently polarising, such as an opinion on an oyster – it is either loved or loathed. Similarly, a property can be considered abhorrent or irresistible, dependent upon the person considering it. It is the subjective element which is never right or wrong, but that which every Agent and Property Addict has to address at different times. This is especially the case when two or more people are looking to commit to a property, often with their own individual tastes coming into conflict.
Never has this been more apparent than when Mr Addict and I have been on our own property searches over the years. There were more times than I care to count where after a taste dispute, Mr Addict nearly did not become Mr Addict, or (post-nuptials) where divorce from Addict-dom was very much on the cards. This is due to our different tastes: Mr Addict has no imagination, likes things to be very plain, practical and updated, whereas I have a vivid imagination, love a renovation challenge, devise creative solutions to the impractical and quite like the quirky. Given these differences, it seemed quite amazing that we could be in a relationship at all, much less co-habitate.
Flashback to our first home purchase, which was preceded by an extensive search. We were looking for a two bedroom unit or small house with an outdoor area to accommodate a dog. I was particularly enamoured with the perfect property; a semi style unit at Bondi Beach offering an unusual floor plan, a side courtyard and close proximity to the beach. Mr Addict did not like many features of the property, namely the unusual floor plan, side courtyard and close proximity to the beach. It simply was not to his taste. My reaction was the very adult Uber-Tantrum, after which a purchase deadline ensued. If we had not bought by Christmas, he could buy what he wanted and I what I wanted. Separately.
We are not alone – these people feature on pay TV constantly on the relocation type shows which populate the Lifestyle channels. These shows tend to follow a formula:
- Couple gives list of criteria to Host.
- Host finds “dream home” for Couple.
- Despite the property being “perfect on paper”, one person within Couple turns up their nose at the property for no particular reason.
- Host does piece to camera on how “unrealistic” said person is and how they need to have a chat on “managing their expectations”.
If you are anything like me, at this point you begin shouting at the telly about how stupid the Couple is, how they are wasting the Host’s time, and why are you watching this shit anyway? You then recall that you (or your partner) are that person, always finding one tiny reason not to commit. You keep the show on in the hope that the Host will talk some sense into the Couple, giving you faith that you will be able to develop some compromise in your own taste standoff, or at the very least obtain some good ammunition for your next distasteful encounter with your housing partner.
Agents know instinctively when the taste debate is on. They can sense the tension between Couples and will generally attempt to diffuse the situation, mostly for their own benefit. Agents do not want the Negative Partner raising their voice, particularly when verbalising their hatred of the property in front of other Addicts. Agents are also trained to find the positives in any property, and will hunt out the Positive Partner to extol the virtues of said property to placate the situation, just out of earshot of the Negative Partner. This will serve as a band-aid to the ongoing debate, and will normally relocate the war zone from the property to the car, just as the Agent intended.
There is a time when tastes meet, the moment when you find your oyster. The desert of discarded options makes way for the oasis; the one you agree upon. The quibbling stops. And if the negotiations are successful, you secure your pearl.
Incidentally, Mr Addict and I did buy our first place before the purchase deadline – more precisely on the 22nd of December. That oyster tasted very sweet indeed!
