Women The Real Decision Makers When Buying A Home

For most people, buying a home is the biggest purchase they will ever make - and buying a home with a significant other makes it even more challenging.

According to research, when a couple makes the decision to look for a home to purchase, all decisions, apart from the final one - whether or not to actually buy the property - are made together. The woman, however, is the one who ultimately says ‘yay’ or ‘nay’.

US estate agency group Your Move found that more than two out of every five women surveyed said that they made the final decision, while only 29% of men said they did the same.

Robyn Farrell, managing director of 1st for Women Insurance says: “It appears that men have less specific demands from a potential home than women do. That is why women are ultimately responsible for the purchasing decision.”

A separate study by International Communications Research found that although women are likely to give the final go-ahead in the majority of situations, there are still a number of ‘deal breakers’ on which couples agree when making the massive decision to purchase a home, including the following:

• Security or lack of security. A secure home is extremely important to both men and women when selecting a house or flat.
• Spare rooms. Both men and women agree that an additional bedroom, office/study or family room is very important.

Where the sexes differ, however, is around the following issues:

• How, precisely, a spare room will be used. One survey found that most male respondents would prefer the spare room to be used as a ‘man cave’ for their own recreation.
• The majority of women make up their minds on the day they view the property for the first time – different from men, who need two to three visits to decide.
• Men tend to focus on garage space, ensuring that there is enough space to park a car, store things and enough room between cars so they will not hit each other when car doors are open.
• Women prefer living closer to their extended family as opposed to being near work. Men prefer basing their choice on a shorter commute to work.

“Women and men were found to prioritise different aspects of a property, with almost half of female respondents prioritising the garden, compared to just 26% of men. First impressions of neighbours are also far more important to men - 6% found this aspect to be a priority, while only 3% of women said the same,” says Farrell.

Farrell notes that both women and men are aware of the latest trends, the best locations and even the best building materials. However, it is evident that the property-buying process includes both emotional and rational impulses.

“The best decisions are made when both individuals agree that their ‘non-negotiables’ are met by the property, and they can envision a long and happy life making it a home,” Farrell concludes.