5 Things Women Look For In Property That Men Don’t Even Think About

The female role in house hunting is on the rise. In most first-world countries where the gender pay gap is narrowing, and many women run their households and play gatekeeper to the purse strings, gender roles in house hunting are fast evolving where the final decision maker tends to fall on the woman. Shopping for a new home with your spouse may be a highly enjoyable process where you both try to get a property that checks off your respective lists of needs and wants, but the criteria for men and women may differ.

While we try to steer clear of the Mars versus Venus debate to avoid making generalisations about either gender, we have to acknowledge that the priorities of each gender may differ vastly from the other. Today, we explore the priorities female house hunters may have from their male counterparts.

1. Women go micro, men go macro

The macro aspects that men consider usually include construction costs, financing, government policies like cooling measures, and availability of land. They factor these in their decision-making process, like whether the cooling measures will affect their preferred property’s profitability or whether they are able to comfortably finance the home.

Meanwhile, women focus more on the micro aspects like location and amenities, the “orientation” of the house, and its layout.

2. Internal spaces vs external factors

While many believe the three Ls of house hunting are “location, location, location”, we think women are more about “layout, lifestyle, low maintenance”.

While men focus on the macro aspects of a home like being close to cool amenities, perhaps a vibrant nightlife for throwing back a few with colleagues after work, or the potential returns of the property, women tend to focus more on the micro aspects like the layout within the house, whether it will suit the lifestyle needs of family members, and if it is built and designed in a way that will not require arduous upkeeping.

When it comes to location though, men tend to focus on what the area has to offer in terms of entertainment and resources while women will choose a home with safety in mind, or one that is close to good schools or in the vicinity of family and friends.

A woman’s mantra when choosing property: layout, lifestyle, low maintenance.

3. Emotional vs practical

For women, house hunting is an emotional experience. When a woman walks into a space, the “feeling” it gives her could make or break her decision to buy the home. To them, a house is an intimate space in which memories will be made and children may be raised.

On the other hand, men make data-driven decisions, and will ask practical questions about last transacted prices, the numbers of years left on the lease, when the last renovation was made, and other fact-based priorities.

For example, while everyone loves a great kitchen, which is arguably the “heart” of a home, women will be attracted to large, well-lit kitchens with good ventilation and large counters to work on, while men are impressed by the gadgets and devices within a kitchen.

For men, a gleaming kitchen with the latest appliances, a kitchen sink with an automatic cup washer, a smart fridge with a display screen you can tap your command; these are all the nifty technology, with manuals and product data they can fall back on for the assurance they indeed have a “cool” space.

4. Safety vs convenience

While women may shy away from living in unsavoury districts like Geylang, men won’t have the same qualms about living in the area. After all, aside from being a notorious red-light district, Geylang is perched on the city fringe and has some seriously amazing eateries.

While women prioritise safety and security, especially if they are raising a family, men will prefer convenience and accessibility.

Women generally choose homes with safety in mind; close to friends and family, and good schools.

5. What makes a good neighbour for women

Men and women also have different priorities when it comes to neighbours and the neighbourhood. Women are happier in homes surrounded by friendly neighbours and familiar faces to socialise with, especially those from similar demographics, like young parents, or fellow retirees. They take similar lifestyles to mean a more complementary co-existence.

Meanwhile, men don’t really care about who they are neighbours with, as long as there is no friction between households.

In summary: 5 differences in priorities between women and men

We do have to say, though, that despite the differences in priorities between women and men, a property purchase should still be a decision made together — by you and your partner.

And if you don’t know where to start, reading about the process always helps. We have ample resources and guides on our blog to help you get started. Subscribe to our newsletter on this page and join 200,000 fellow homies receiving content that may not even be featured in our blog.

You can also start by talking to a professional. Lucky for you, we have tried, tested, and trusted agents to help you out. Even if it’s for a chat to understand what your possible options are, contact us for a free consultation by Whatsapp or by filling in your contact details below. 8,000 families only have good things to say regarding the knowledge, experience, and professionalism of our licensed agents.