When is enough?.
A conversation with a past client got me thinking about a question I keep circling back to, in property and in life. When is enough, enough?
Yesterday I spoke with a past client about the market and the potential sale of his property.
He works in construction, so I asked him how business was going. I've been getting mixed feedback from builders lately. Some can't keep up with the work, while others are finding it much harder to make projects stack up now that construction costs are higher, interest rates have risen and property prices have cooled.
His response was simple.
It reminded me of the value of long term relationships, experience and tenure, particularly when markets get tougher.
But something else he said stuck with me even more.
I asked whether he still wanted to buy and sell more property.
I have enough.
I thought about that a lot afterwards.
I often battle with the idea of wanting or chasing more. I suspect plenty of men and dads in their 40s do the same. You want more for yourself, more for your family, more security, more success and more options.
But at what point do you decide you have enough?
And I realised the same question comes up constantly in property.
The difficult part is that there is rarely a moment when the market, your finances or life taps you on the shoulder and says, "That's enough."
You have to decide.
One thing I've recognised about myself is that I often make that decision only when I reach boiling point. I decide, "I've had enough of this," and then make the change.
The problem with waiting until boiling point is that the decision often comes with unnecessary anxiety and emotion.
Maybe the better approach is deciding what "enough" looks like before you get there.
Enough debt. Enough growth. Enough work.
In a world that constantly encourages us to want more, I think knowing when you have enough is a pretty admirable ability.
My client seems to have figured it out.
