Since the beginning of 2003, our ongoing mission has been to evolve our knowledge, understanding of, and appreciation for women’s preferences in the home. Recently we stumbled upon the realization that homes talk to women; specifically, homes talk to women more so than men – what they say differs, and the “lenses” women filter their thinking through is much more complex and detailed than their male counterpart. This four-part series highlights how ‘Homes Talk to Women’ and the different ways home buyers look at a home’s layout, design, and livability. We’ll explore this more with our hypothetical couple, Jacob and Aimee.
Research suggests men typically think about a new home in terms of financial aspects (cost, monthly expense, investment), facts and figures (square footage, number of bedrooms), and where they’ll live – right down to the address itself.
Those same issues are on Aimee’s mind, too, but she’s seeing the home more in terms of where life will happen, where experiences become cherished memories, or where the kids will grow up. She’s also looking at the home in terms of her household’s needs, wants, and desires, and importantly, dreams about what else needs to or can be done to make the home perfect.
Jacob listens to Aimee’s dreams, but what he hears is ‘expense’ and ‘hassle’. What will it cost to finish off the basement? How much of the work am I going to have to do myself? This is one tremendous advantage for new homes as compared to resales – consider a $300,000 resale home with $50,000+ in updates and remodeling versus a new $400,000 home with everything already in place. What would you do?
Continue with the series by clicking the links below:
For more resources on thoughtful design:
- Visit our blog
- Browse our Her Home™ Magazine
- Thoughtful Design Concepts
Photo Credit: <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/people”>People photo created by freepik – www.freepik.com</a>