Time to read [4 minutes]
- Homeowners are developing rituals to celebrate, like ordering pizza
- The drive from the closing to the house with the keys is pretty special
- You’ll never forget closing on that first house, and wonder how you got there
Labor Day is nearly upon us, and so is pizza, so let’s keep it short and festive. When we closed on our first house, the agent took our picture in front of the For Sale sign. My kids had similar experiences when they each closed on their houses. We didn’t do that for all subsequent house purchases, so it hasn’t been an established Miller tradition. But this week’s front page New York Times story The Ideal Moving Day Meal, Updated for the Online Era [gift link] caught my attention. The pizza moment I had long associated with home ownership was established by my friend in Chicago, who owned a handful of starter homes that he rented out. When a tenant left, he invited a bunch of friends over and ordered a bunch of large cheese pizzas and beer. He switched on a boombox and some Van Halen. He then handed us rollers and buckets of white paint, and we went to town. We were terrible at it, but it was fun, and our labor was cheap. As we were in our early twenties, pre-kids, what better way to spend a Friday night?
Celebrating A Milestone With Pizza
For most, moving into a new home means that most of your kitchenware is still packed, and such an occasion demands spontaneity. Ordering pizza is a pragmatic and straightforward tradition to start. When we moved into our first Manhattan apartment, we bought a bunch of sandwiches from the local deli on the next block (admittedly, we didn’t think of pizza). Those sandwiches tasted so good, I’ll never forget that moment. We were planning and plotting our apartment layout and all the activities we could do immediately in the Big Apple. Wow.
Final Thoughts
Back in college, I had to order pizza from my dorm room with the most horrible combinations to fend off my roommates and hall neighbors. I found that green olives and anchovies was the perfect combination to allowed me to enjoy the whole pie. But on our first home closing, I came full circle. The anticipation of arriving at our new home for the first time as owners, and that exciting drive from the closing with the keys, was very memorable. I now believe that pizza can only make life events even better.
The Actual Final Thought – Pizza can taste like victory, and so can JSBX’s Bellbottoms.
HGAR’s IMPACT: The Member Experience
I’m excited to speak at IMPACT: The HGAR Member Experience on September 29. I’ll be joining real estate professionals from across the region to explore what’s next in the housing market, economic opportunities and building community. Join me and be part of the conversation that’s shaping what’s next. Learn more and register.
[Podcast] What It Means With Jonathan Miller
The Sort Of Live From Hurricane Erin episode is just a click away. The podcast feeds can be found here:
Apple (Douglas Elliman feed) Soundcloud Youtube
Did you miss the previous Housing Notes?
Housing Notes Reads
- The Ideal Moving Day Meal, Updated for the Online Era [NY Times]
- Combine and Conquer: Your Place and Mine [NY Times, 2011]
![[Podcast] Episode 4: What It Means With Jonathan Miller](https://millersamuel.com/files/2025/04/WhatItMeans.jpeg)