Wednesday, March 11, 2015

His Home, Her Home

There’s a popular saying that “men are from Mars” and “women are from Venus,” which is just a catchy way of saying that they’re different and that they like different things. It’s not surprising then that men and women tend to have different preferences when it comes to their homes.

Let’s Hear it for the Ladies

The average woman of today wears many hats. More often than not, she’s a mother, a wife, and a career woman, all rolled into one. With so much on her plate, it’s no surprise that the most commonly requested home feature among women is functionality. They want features in a home that are going to make it as simple and efficient as possible. They might want, for example, built in racks in their cabinets, a spacious laundry room, and other little touches that just make life easier.

Of course, a desire for functionality doesn’t mean that women don’t want their homes to still be lovely to look at. In fact, women tend to care a lot about aesthetics. Typically, they go for classic and sophisticated stylings that will still look good as the years wear on and the trends change.

Women also tend to go for roomy, open floor plans and “extra” spaces, such as big porches, that invite comfort and a feeling of welcome. They tend to especially prefer openness in the kitchen, a space they tend to be quite demanding about in general. Most say they want their kitchens to feature charging stations, easy-to-reach electrical outlets- and lots of them, storage space, and more. Obviously, women tend to value functionality, style, and a few homey touches to make their space inviting.  

What Matters to Men?

When it comes to what men want in a home, they tend to be just as practical as women, but in different ways. Most men, for example, care deeply about location, preferring a home that’s close to their workplaces and to other places they enjoy going.

They also care about having nice, comfortable rooms and relaxation spaces. The living room tends to be a particular point of concern for them. After all, let’s face it, men tend to like to put their feet up and relax after work.

Men are also likely to put in requests for specific rooms, rooms that are “just for them.” Regardless of profession, they tend to request offices, “man caves,” or even just garages. It seems to be very important to them to have a space that’s all their own.

Finding Compromise

Obviously, since men and women frequently have different wants in terms of their homes, it’s important for couples to sit down and talk about what they want and don’t want and what they’re willing to compromise on. It’s also important to understand that, though these generalizations tend to be true, they are still just generalizations. Males and females can vary greatly from what the “stereotypes” are, and, in the end, all that matters is finding a home that everyone can be happy with.



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