A lesson in marketing
Being a homeowner is never cheap.
I bought my house in St. Paul in the summer of 2022. The minute I saw the listing, I knew it was the place I wanted to settle down. From the canted Victorian bay windows on both floors, to the coffee shop situated at the end of the block, it touched on all the things I wanted out of a home, from design to location.
My relocation plan from Arizona to Minnesota always involved an owner-occupied duplex. There are plenty of “house hacking” thought-pieces or slick video shorts that describe the process. From my one-bedroom apartment in Scottsdale, I watched one TikTok after another describing the process of renovating a multi-family property. I was entranced watching scrappy Millennials tear up old carpet, replace trim, paint walls, and created a space for themselves at an attainable price.
I’m here to say — the rumors are true. Owning a multi-family home has worked wonderfully for me. Each unit has its own private entrance with separate utilities. My tenant has a dog that gets along wonderfully with my little corgi. I pay roughly the same that I did for that small apartment in Scottsdale, except this time, I’m building equity.
What’s the catch?
If you have in mind that “house hacking” is a walk in the park, I’m sorry to inform you this is untrue. I’ve come across a lot of deferred maintenance and lazy repairs in my house. The first year of ownership, I had to put in new gutters, as the old ones had fallen off years ago and never been replaced. There is spray foam in the strangest of places, and I’ve spent plenty of time patching old holes and fixing lazy repairs.
The biggest challenge so far has been the dual boiler replacement I faced late last year.
Boilers are expensive.
To make a long story short, my utility company red-tagged the heater for both units in the home. They were at the end of their life-cycle and couldn’t function safely anymore.
When you become a landlord, repairs that you might delay or shop around for weeks on end become much more urgent. The impending Minnesota winter only heightened the need for immediate action.
I called vendor after vendor to come out and assess the damage. I found them on Google after scouring reviews for any red flags. They came out to my home, crowding into the basement to survey the situation. The empathetic sales reps left me glossy marketing materials and beautifully branded business cards. The quotes left me with heartburn and anxiety. One financing option was interest free payments for the first year in a half, then $1,000+ a month payments.
To put it mildly, I was in a panic.
A co-worker recommend I look at government programs and opportunities. I was able to discover the Center for Energy and Environment (which I can’t recommend enough.) I was able to secure an affordable, fee-simple loan to pay off over 10 years. Best of all, through the process, I discovered the right vendor for the replacement.
The technician that arrived in my home didn’t have slick pamphlets. He took hand-written notes on pencil and carbon paper as he made the estimate. He explained why replacement options from other vendors weren’t the best for my situation. He walked me through the various boilers I could choose from and recommended the best option for my Victorian home, built circa 1890.
As we chatted in the foyer before he departed, he informed me he was the second generation of a family-owned company that now employs grandchildren of the original founders. He explained that they hadn’t done any advertising in many years, and did the vast majority of their work within a mile of their offices on Selby Ave.
Yes, their quote was the cheapest of all the vendors who gave me quotes, by far. My decision to choose their services was based on more than that. It was in the care and consideration their staff showed me throughout the entire process. It was in the wisdom and knowledge the rep showed when walking me through my options.
Making a sale is more than aesthetics.
As a marketer myself, I’m always fond of well-designed collateral. I appreciate a cohesive brand and on-point messaging. Sometimes, it’s good to be reminded that there’s more to selling a product than the visuals. Sometimes, it’s not about your SEO. Sometimes, it’s word-of-mouth and solid values that help make the sale.
As I sit, cozy and comfortable in my home office, I see the thermometer that reads 8°F. It’s a relief to know I made the right decision. A little life lesson along the way is just the cherry on the top.
(p.s. If you need a good, reliable, and trustworthy heating and air vendor, I have a recommendation to send you!)
