Men V Women survey.
A recent survey carried out by Strutt & Parker highlights the differences between men’s and women’s housing priorities, by collating the answers of approx 2000 respondents across the country it gives a good insight into the desires and needs of the population.
The survey sample was a combination of Strutt & Parker registered buyers, sellers, tenants and lettings applicants from the past three years, and a balanced general UK population sample conducted by OnePoll.
When it came to dream home items, the survey revealed that 14% of men wanted a cinema/screening room and 12% wanted a wine cellar. In contrast, 24% of women rated an AGA oven as their top home accessory, while 18% wanted a kitchen island.
While both men and women agreed that ‘Traditional British’ was their favourite type of interior design, certain styles scored much more highly with women than men including ‘Warehouse Loft’, ‘Simplistic Scandinavian’, ‘Classical French’ and ‘Exotic Indian’, men preferred ‘1950s/60s/70s Retro’. When asked about feelings to describe character of the house for men it was ‘Stark’, ‘Grand/imposing’ and ‘Cool’, for women ‘Quirky/creative’ and ‘Calm/relaxing’ ambiences.
When it comes to outside space, men are far more interested in living on or near water than women, perhaps to enjoy pursuits such as sailing and fishing. Homes with sporting facilities such as gym, pool and tennis were also more popular with men, although more women were keen on equestrian amenities.
Environmental features appeared to be of more importance to men than they were to women. Code Level 5 ratings, renewable energy, living walls, grey/potable water and green roofs were all markedly more popular with male respondents.
Stephanie McMahon, Head of Research at Strutt & Parker, said: “Our overall analysis points towards elements such as broadband connectivity and access to amenities being very important for buyers. However, men and women appear to have a slightly different interpretation on what these might mean.”
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