“Done” is never perfect

By Joel Persinger
YourRealEstateDude.com

Being a bit of a perfectionist about many things, I have missed many an opportunity simply because I was trying to get something done perfectly rather than simply getting it done. One day, a friend of mine was watching me working furiously at a project in an effort to make it “perfect”. He noted that I was also running very close to my deadline. At the moment of most frustration for me, he nudged his way in and said, “Let me give you a hand”. The next thing I new, he had slapped the thing together, made sure it worked and announced, “There; all done”.

I made my deadline because he interceded, but I wasn’t happy about it. We talked about it shortly after I delivered the “finished” project. Actually, I should say that I talked about it. I ranted and raved about the “proper” way to do things and that “sloppy” work is best not done at all. All during my little tirade, he just sat quietly and listened until I ran out of steam. When I could think of nothing else to say and was sitting there, red faced and huffing, he leaned over and quietly said, “Done is never perfect.” Then he got up and strolled out. I have never forgotten that lesson.

Decades later, I have clients who like things to be perfect just as much as I. The problem is that when they are trying to sell a property, the home never ends up on the market because the seller is constantly working to make it “perfect” prior to selling. Perfectionist buyers never buy a property, because they never find one that is “perfect.” Even if they ever do make an offer on a property, they drive the seller and both agents crazy complaining about every little detail to the point that the seller and buyer can’t stand each other. The end result is that many such escrows never close and the buyer still doesn’t end up owning a home.

So, here’s a little dose of reality for you if you’re a perfectionist like me. The world is not perfect and never will be. No home you buy will ever be perfect. If you’re selling, just accept the fact that your house is never going to be perfect. Stop working yourself to death, put it on the market and get it sold. Otherwise, you’re going to end up owning it much longer than you planned. Do the best job you can given the resources and time available and then move on. Oh, and by the way, about that little project I told you about at the beginning. Everybody loved it!