Around 41% of women say when they are buying a house, they make the final decision. In contrast, only 29% of men say the same. And whereas 28% of women say that no one – not even their partner – influences their decision, only one fifth of men give a similar answer.
Most tellingly, 51% of men think they make a joint decision with their partners whereas only 47% of women say the same thing.
Gareth Samples, managing director of Your Move commented: “It’s clear that when buying a home, wives and girlfriends wear the trousers. The men in the relationship may well have input into financial decisions, but it is the women who often have the final say.
“From the difference in the number of men who think it’s an joint decision and the number of women who say the same thing, it seems clear that men don’t realise they aren’t in control of the proceedings. That’s very telling.”
Although both men and women prioritise price and the surrounding area above all else when buying a home, their priorities soon diverge. For instance, men are much more conscious of energy efficiency, with 11% listing it as one of their top three priorities – compared to just 5% of women. And while 7% of women list local schools as one of their top priorities, only 3% of men say the same.
Gareth Samples continued: “When buying a home, everyone has their own clincher – the feature that will influence their decision the most. These don’t always conform to gender stereotypes. Although the 48% of women buyers prioritise the garden, compared to just 26% of men, first impressions of the neighbours are far more important to men. Only 3% of women say this is a priority, compared to more than 6% of men.”
On average women who make the final decision on which house to buy, think they have made about 125% on their home, whereas men who have made the choice themselves are more conservative - assuming that their property has increased in value by 115%. In fact, both have, on average, made substantially more than that, with purchases made after a woman has had the final say gaining 166% in value and men’s only 163%. This contrasts sharply with couples who decide on the outcome together. They assume their property has increased just 96% and although the results are better than they assume – their properties only increase by 107% on average.
