Women outnumber men in terms of home-ownership

Women have skipped past men in terms of home ownership, suggests ABS reports based on 2011 census data. Diane Leow in an article for the Property Observer shows how the percentage of women vying for home-ownership has clearly edged ahead of men. 61% of women are proud homeowners while only 58% of men have invested in properties. Among the singles, the trend is even more distinct with over 65% of women being homeowners as against 55% of men.

Vendors are actually cashing on this trend and investing in more frequent home staging. Display-worthy properties catch the fancy of female buyers a lot more. Women also accord a lot of importance to kitchens. It is their point of focus during home inspections. 59% of them feel that it is the most significant room. This figure is quite in contrast to 37% of men who give maximum importance to kitchen. Men have traditionally been more inclined towards the living room and 56% of them feel this is the most important area.

Buyers care less for pre-existing features and more for the ease with which they can revamp or renovate a home. If they see a lot of opportunities towards improving a home (according to their taste), they are automatically driven towards it.