There have been numerous studies done into who buys new homes, what they want and why they buy. One thing was discovered, when builders make their homes more appealing to women, their sales skyrocket. Women are the sole or primary decision makers, in 93% of all new home purchases. So connecting with women should be our primary objective. We need to make sure we appeal to their needs. Builders need to be aware what certain amenities in their homes that would get the women to say “Wow, I can’t even imagine building my home without having that.” That is our philosophy at Homestead Oak we cater to what women want. We have geared our interior design specifically with women in mind. After all you are coming to buy your dream home, let us turn that dream into a reality.
As part of the research which focused on the female homebuyer, there are a few items within the study that come to the forefront in importance to you:
Front Entrance
When we look at designs, one of the first things that we look at is the fact that the entrance into the home from the garage has become our primary entrance into the home. We no longer use the front door unless we are entertaining.
Rear Foyer
The rear foyer has become a very important part of the home. Some of the things this room needs to have is a place for keys, a place to sort mail, a place to recharge all of our electronics…we call it a drop zone. It has become a very important feature as opposed to the traditional coat closet.
Moms prefer lockers because the kids know how to use them and if the kids are going to go out in the morning on their way to school, their last stop is by their locker. This is where their jacket, their books and their backpacks are; everything they need for school that day.
Garages
Women do not prefer side entrances to the garages. The practicality of a front-load garage, pulling the car straight in, backing the car straight out is definitely preferable to having to make that tight turn to get the car into the garage and then having the tight radius backing out of the garage.
Kitchens
The kitchen is often the primary socializing space. Women want a kitchen that is very accommodating, very easy to have it look presentable. Having bigger and bigger pantries or even a food-prep pantry that might have its own sink and dishwasher so that messes can be closed off from the rest of the kitchen.
The kitchens need to be open to the living space, the primary entertaining area. Many of today’s buyers have realized the practicality of doing away with a formal dining room and just having one larger eating space.
Size & Space
Adding these larger spaces does not have to mean that consumers have to build a larger home. Usually it’s a trade off. You are not going to gain some of the amenities, such as a nicer foyer entrance into the home, without having traded the space off from somewhere else. Consumers like flex space that could be a den/study/home office or a dining room or even it could be a guest bedroom. We never designed a home that had too much storage space. So, it’s got to be good, usable storage and it’s got to be where she needs it.
Women look at the flexibility of design and whether or not the design is going to meet not only their needs today, but their needs three, five or seven years into the future.
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