11 Things In A House That Instantly Reveal Someone’s True Financial Situation
Money isn't the only sign of affluence, or a lack of it, that you can find in someone's house.
Leszek Glasner / Shutterstock People’s houses aren’t only a reflection of their self-expression and personal identity, but the items within them can also be signs of a person's financial health and social connectedness. Of course, many aspects of a person’s home, from the size to the cleanliness and even the people within it, can also play a huge role in actually changing and influencing a person’s health and well-being.
So, even if it’s “just a house” or “just an apartment,” it’s more telling and influential than you believe. There are many things in a house that instantly reveal someone’s true financial situation, for better or for worse.
Here are 11 things in a house that instantly reveal someone’s true financial situation
1. The fridge
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When you open someone's fridge, it’s pretty easy to make assumptions about their true financial situation, or at the very least, how much free-time they have — another signal of affluence — in their lives to make food, grocery shop, and feed themselves. Alongside the amount of food someone has in their fridge, an increasingly unsettling struggle for many low-income people, the kinds of food they have is telling.
According to a study from the Journal of Marketing Research, wealthy people often invest in individually packaged snacks and unsustainable grocery options simply because of their higher price tag. They also have the money to buy produce, brand-name items, and other nutritional options that are also more expensive whenever they’d like.
This is part of the reason why life expectancy and health are intrinsically tied to income, because the people who have the privilege of leveraging nutritious options, working out, and preventative healthcare in their lives are also the ones with the most time and money.
2. The bed
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The quality of a mattress, the thread count of sheets, and even the size of their bed are all things in a house that instantly reveal someone’s true financial situation. Of course, mattresses and linens are not cheap to afford, but wealthy people have the disposable income to invest in huge purchases up front, paying for longevity, comfort, and quality that often saves them money in the long run.
Their health is a top priority, because they don't have to worry about things like affording bills or planning financially for the future of our survival, so if that means spending $20K for good sleep, so be it.
3. The people
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The people living or working inside someone’s living space are some of the things in a house that instantly reveal someone’s true financial situation. For example, if you go over to someone’s house and they have a nanny watching the kids, a landscaper working on the lawn, or a housekeeper doing the laundry, you’re probably going to make assumptions about their finances.
Even the mere presence of both parents at home during the week is enough to suggest that they have the affluence of time and money. They don’t have to sacrifice their leisure time hobbies or relaxation for the sake of getting another job, cleaning their house, or driving their kids around. They can outsource all of that to focus on what truly matters to them.
That’s why wealthy people tend to be happier. Not because they have all of the money to buy material possessions, although that does play a role, but because they can spend money to protect their time on a daily basis.
4. Noise
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The noise in someone’s home is one of the things in a house that instantly reveals someone’s true financial situation. As a study from the Environmental Health Perspectives journal argues, noise pollution is unevenly distributed across cities and communities, with low-income people often facing disproportionately high consequences compared to the wealthy.
So, if you walk into someone’s home and it’s unsettlingly loud from the sound of neighbors, the city, or even kids running around the house without a nanny to entertain them, chances are that tells you more about a person’s financial situation than you’d believe.
5. The flooring
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Many people still consider things like hardwood flooring to be “the gold standard” in their homes, not only increasing home value, but making living spaces more sleek and modern. Compared to carpet, that tends to show signs of life and wear-and-tear to a higher degree, hardwood flooring is the new renovation dream of the people who can afford it.
That’s why flooring is one of the things in a house that instantly reveals someone’s true financial situation. People with money will almost always opt for hardwood floors, but others are dealing with their carpet, unable to afford renovations to take it out or routine maintenance to keep it looking fresh.
6. Artwork
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Even if it’s one of the things that’s regularly overlooked by the average person visiting a friend or family member, the influence of art on a property’s value and homeowner’s wealth is more profound than it seems. When a person’s art collection is intentional, curated, and clearly eccentric, it can sometimes tell you a lot about a person’s true financial situation, even if they like to pretend like they don’t actually have wealth.
On the other hand, cheaper artwork that lacks expression, originality, and uniqueness, otherwise known as trending art or a consumerist good, is a sign of finances in the other direction. These people may be purchasing cheap alternatives and trendy artwork for a sense of belonging — the same kind of community that’s generally missing from their lives because of financial accessibility and time.
7. The garage
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According to a Consumer Reports study, many car brands and models are incredibly popular for low-income individuals and families living in working-class situations, so sometimes a person’s garage truly is one of the things in a house that instantly reveal someone’s true financial situation. Even the number of cars is telling. If two working parents are sharing a single car or don’t have the money to afford one at all, that’s equally insightful to financial situations.
On the other hand, wealthy people may invest in brand-new cars and many of them, despite knowing their value depreciates significantly in just the first month. They’re not worried about getting their money back or making a “small" investment on a car, because they have the freedom to spend their money however they want, usually without consequence.
8. The bookshelf
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A person’s bookshelf is one of the things in a house that instantly reveals someone’s true financial situation. Not only is the physical amount of paper copy books a good indicator, considering they’re expensive and only rising in cost, the kinds of genres in a home are also telling.
Tom Corley, the author of “Change Your Habits, Change Your Life,” argues that over 80% of financially successful or wealthy people read for at least 30 minutes a day, spending most of their time with books and novels in the self-education, self-help, and self-improvement space, rather than reading for entertainment alone. While many low-income people don’t cut the practice of reading out of their lives entirely, as psychotherapist Joyce Marter suggests, many just find cost-effective alternatives to acquire books and materials, whether it’s investing in lower cost novels from secondhand stores, going to the library, or using free online libraries.
9. Cleanliness
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If a person has the free-time to consistently stay up to date on deep cleaning their home or even the money to hire someone else to do it for them, the cleanliness of their living space will be one of the first things you notice. Everything has a place, clutter is managed, and even the less noticeable things, like floorboards and ceiling fans, that not everyone has time to manage, are perfectly clean.
Wealthy people don’t have to worry about working for their income, sacrificing their personal lives and free-time for money, or even giving up time for hobbies for the sake of doing their chores. They can outsource labor that makes their home look more clean and put together, so when they have time off, they can just enjoy it without stress.
10. A home office
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According to a survey from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as educational attainment rises, so too does a person’s chance of having the opportunity to work from home. Of course, this is also intrinsically tied to income. People who pursue higher education and get more demanding and well-paying jobs are offered these luxuries, compared to those in low-income situations working in the service industry or stuck in entry-level positions.
It’s a privilege of the rich, which is why a home office or desk are some of the things in a house that instantly reveal someone’s true financial situation, which is sad and unsettling, considering the opportunity to work from home would give a lot of people struggling to afford childcare, transportation, or even free-time a ton of grace and support.
11. The mood
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From the mood of the people living in the home to the general vibes you feel upon walking in, these are some of the things in a house that instantly reveal someone’s true financial situation. Of course, there’s many stereotypes low-income families are held to, from “laziness” to "entitlement," that place a lot of shame and blame on them for suffering, which can easily prove consequential to their mood and happiness.
A study from The Lancet also argues that lower-income people generally experience worse mental health outcomes than their wealthy counterparts. The reasons behind this conclusion are endless and nuanced, from lacking mental health care, support, and resources, to constant financial stress and anxiety, to literal safety concerns in low-income neighborhoods and communities.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
