Roses are red, violets are blue I love this house – do you? When it comes to buying a house, men and women have different priorities. I recently went house hunting with my significant other. I loved the quiet street and close location to my friends and family, he loved the oversized garage and the quick access to IH-35. He would like the house to be a little closer to the subdivision entrance and was, in my opinion, overly concerned about the outward appearance. He thought my obsession with the huge his and her closets was ridiculous and when I made the comment I could really “fill this up” he walked, or more like ran to the front door. It made me think – are men and women really that different when it comes to buying a house? The answer according to the National Association of Realtors 2006 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers is yes (and no).
Like most aspects of life it is not easy to pinpoint or make concrete black and white statements that can apply to a whole group of people. However, after reading the 2006 NAR survey and the 2009 Coldwell Banker Home Buyer survey I have drawn the following conclusions.
Location
It’s no surprise that location plays a major role in house hunting and is one of the largest differences in what men and women like. Men prefer the urban city or the rural country and the proximity to work was ranked as one of the most important aspects of a homes location. Women prefer the suburbs and place a high value on living close to friends and family. However, both men and women ranked the area schools as one of the most important aspects of a home’s location. Statistically good schools are located in the suburbs, which means women often win in the battle of location.
Exterior
Men, going back to cave dwelling times I guess, like to show off. According to the 2006 NAR survey men prefer homes in the front of a subdivision with lots of landscaping and place a high value on curb appeal. Women on the other hand prefer quieter streets and cul-de-sac subdivision locations. Men place a higher priority on the issue of home maintenance and take the exterior maintenance into consideration more often than women.
Security
Both men and women consider the security of a home when house hunting. However, lack of security is much more likely to affect women than men. 64% of women surveyed reported they would not consider buying a home with security issues, whereas 51% of men said lack of security would dissuade them from purchasing a particular home.
Sixth Sense
One very interesting finding I discovered reading this survey was how men and women used intuition or “gut” feeling when it comes to buying a home. Almost 70% of women reported walking into a home for the first time and “feeling” it was the right home. Men, on the other hand, needed 2 or more visits before making up their minds.
Bottom Line
Men were more often interested in the financials of the home whereas women were more concerned with the interior layout of the home. 70% of couples said the responsibility of making major financial decisions – such as home buying – are shared equally. Women and men both listed finding a good home as a top life priority and reported sharing a desire to compromise when it comes to home buying, but when push comes to shove women more often than not make the final decision.
Happy Valentines Day!
-Christine Rhode
