The majority of men (80%) questioned by the Little House Company as part of their grassroots survey of households across the UK said they think a home purchase is ultimately the woman’s decision. This is in comparison to 75% of women who answered the survey stating that they believe it is a joint decision.
What’s more, it seems women value the importance of emotional features such as the “wow-factor”, whereas men value the importance of practical and functional features, such as how much work the property needs doing to it.
Intangible factors such as the ‘feel’ of a property were important to 68% of female respondents, compared to only 15% of men who mentioned emotional factors as being important in the home-buying process.
On the other hand, 85% of male respondents mentioned practical concerns or features that influenced the home-buying process. Men were much more focused on the structure of the actual building, including respondent Robert Pringle who said he looks for “Interesting features on the building itself.”
“Men look for a property where they can have their own space. Like a ‘man-cave’ to keep their old vinyl in or work on a project…or to escape the wife and kids of course,” commented another respondent, Sylvia Day.
The majority of men surveyed also said that the condition of the property and the amount of work it would require were key concerns. Another recurring theme was the importance of security and safety in the home. Only 5% of female respondents mentioned safety and security as important factors.
Surprisingly, only 5% of respondents said that children played a role in the decision making process, and only 8% of respondents listed proximity to good schools as an important factor when choosing a home.
“Interestingly, emotions are playing a larger part in the decision process this is despite men being more practical, they end up siding with the female decision maker who has often made a decision on feelings,” said Co-Founder of The Little House Company, Nick Marr.