The House That Jill Built

Written by Shelly Paul

Women are playing a larger role in home-buying decisions than ever before, transforming the way the housing industry designs, builds and sells houses. Retailers have known for years that women usually have the final say when a household makes a ‘big-ticket purchase’. Now, the housing industry is getting the word. Women purchase 83 percent of the products and services in North America and are expected to control 60 percent of U.S. personal wealth by 2010, said Joan Smith, founder of market research firm Smith-Dahmer Associates in the U.S. She said women make 80 percent of the home-buying decisions for houses ranging from $180,000 to $500,000. Builders, architects, marketers, realtors and interior designers increasingly are tailoring products and services to appeal to women. They say women are less likely to settle for a house that doesn't meet all of their family’s requirements and will keep shopping until those requirements are met. After all, who can understand a family’s needs better than a wife and mother? Designing for efficiency and flexibility rather than fashion, some of the wants & needs of female consumers are: The kitchen really sells the house as it is the control centre of the household. It's close enough to the family room to watch television and has a spot for a dining table and chairs for family meals. Windows toward play areas help in keeping an eye on the children and to let the sunlight in. Installing food-preparation areas behind kitchens to keep the kitchen clean and organized along with pantry storage. Conveniences that save them time, such as a laundry room that is on the same floor as the master bedroom, functional entryways with a spot to store car keys, shoes and plug in cell phones Large master bedroom with a private master bathroom including dual vanities, stand up dual shower and a separate soaker tub Games room for the kids Large walk-in closets with organization systems to allow for additional storage Main floor bedroom and bathroom for the elderly and the disabled A bright sunny space for a home office A small quiet room/space for exercise, yoga, meditation Yard space for veggies & flowers Female Realtors and architects are respectively selling and designing homes in increasing in numbers. Female Realtors have now surpassed their Male counterparts in Canada making up 54% of the Realtor workforce according to a 2004 NAR survey. Female architects make up 18% of Canadian Architects according to Statistics Canada illustrating progress as the first Canadian woman to graduate from an architectural program was Ethel Hill in 1929. Women are now designing and building homes not only for the general public but also for specialty non-profit projects such as Habitat for Humanity and alternative environmentally conscious construction. Straw bale and Earth Home construction are a few of the alternative types of home construction that are appealing to women on a health and environmentally conscious level. Keeping the family healthy while respecting Mother Nature is a natural winning combination for women.

 

© 2012 Shelly Paul | Website Design & Development