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WHAT DO WOMEN WANT?
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Well, maybe before we ask this question, we should ask why should we care? Why not ask what men want, or couples, singles or boomers? We need to ask what women want because women hold a great deal of power over most of the purchasing decisions made in this country! Marti Barletta with the Trendsight Group, says that women over 50 will fuel the consumer growth engine for EVERY big ticket item for the next two decades! This includes housing! Did you know that women control …
- 85% of all buying decisions
- 80% of all healthcare choices
- 65% of all new car purchases
- 50% of all airline flights And…
- 40% of all households with assets over $500,000 are headed by a woman.
This is a market to watch! How does this relate to homes? Show her that you understand her lifestyle and are listening! Here are six key areas in which you can show that you know what a home must have to work for her!
Connections…It is all about RELATIONSHIPS!
Women are relational! They care deeply about the happiness and well-being of everyone in their family! It usually makes sense to design the home around the needs and desires of the woman, because she is ALREADY thinking about the needs and desires of everyone else in her family.
Get Ready for the ‘MULTI-TASKING’ Marathon!
Women are amazing Multi-taskers! Because of this, a ‘command center’, or office alcove, works better for her than a separate home office. The command center is tucked away from the main living area of the home, but still allows for voice commands to the kids. It can be messy…It WILL be messy, with stacks of bills, letters and messages, but the mess is hidden!
The Common Thread…STRESS!
Take a look at the end result to the MULTI-TASKING marathon. Women today are STRESSED OUT! We may not be able to take away all of her stress in the design of a home, but we don’t have to ADD to it! Whatever you do, don’t make her walk through the laundry room as she enters her home from the garage! You might as well put her to-do list on a 2x4 and hit her in the head with it as she enters the home! A better solution is a mud room with a bench, cubbies,
coat-hooks, and a message center with a place to charge the cell phones.
Her LOVE/HATE relationship with TECHNOLOGY!
Technology is supposed to eliminate stress in her life, right? Often it just adds to her to-do list! Much of the technology we use today DOES make her life easier, but be careful! A woman wants to see REAL time savings, REAL function and REAL value, and she has an absolute contempt for unnecessary ‘whiz-bang’ features.
Give Her a place to UNPLUG!
We need to design homes that inspire her and make her feel that we understand all the demands in her life! Provide places where she can picture herself relaxing, even if reality means it rarely occurs. Create a master bath that feels like a spa, add a retreat to the master suite, or include a cozy window seat.
Let her EXPRESS HERSELF!
No one wants the exact same home as their neighbors’, and a woman’s brain is designed to notice all the details. Allow for some truly unique design options both inside and out! Help her to create a home that is hers alone. Details matter here. Inside, try some special lighting, a unique stair rail, or a beautiful niche to hold her favorite piece of art. Outside, cookie cutter elevations don’t cut it! There are about a million ways to make your elevations unique! It is the details that
will make you stand out as she compares your homes with your competitors!
If you pay attention to these key areas in the design of your homes, you are
well on your way to capturing the heart of your next homebuyer!
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