The difference in the sexes are ever present when it comes to buying a home. Some things only women notice and care about, other things only men care about – and its only when all the boxes are ticked do you manage a successful sale. We’ve looked at some of the (subtle) yet funny differences in the sexes when they are buying a new home. Hopefully they’ll help you if you are trying to sell; or avoid a full scale domestic if you are looking to buy.

The Garage

Every man loves some nice garage space.  Whether that’s for tinkering with a restoration project, a place to potter around or just to gaze lovingly at their motoring pride and joy, a garage is quintessentially a man’s domain.  It’s just a manly thing. Always take the time to clear out your garage when showcasing your home to potential new buyers,  as you can pretty much guarantee that the guy will be sizing it up for his Harley Davidson or [insert other mid life crisis purchase here].

The Bathroom

There’s something about women and bathroom’s that has never made sense to me. Many’s a female friendship has been won and lost on the cleanliness of a stranger’s bathroom, with both layout and cleanliness being badges of honour for the fairer sex.  Women seem to have an inbuilt instinct that  enables them to zoom in on microscopic dirt with more precision than a toilet duck, so make sure your bathroom is sparkling when a potential buyer comes to visit. Men on the other hand only real care if there’s good plumbing in place or a power shower!

The Attic

An attic can add extra value to a home; mainly because every man is secretly thinking – “Now, we could just stick a skylight up here, and do a loft conversion”. Maybe its a throw back to youth where they were busy themselves climbing in tree houses, but there’s something about that unused space that every man finds criminal. Even if your attic space isn’t suitable for a living area (or a pool table / bar)  you will undoubtedly find buyers interested in having a look, just to see if there’s any unwanted wedding presents they can dump up there. Learn to satisfy your hoarders by showing them there’s loads of space to play with.

An Extra Bedroom

Never underestimate a woman’s ability to scout out an extra room. Whilst a guy is aimlessly checking that the skirting boards have been painted recently, a woman will be upstairs looking for an extra bedroom  for nesting. Not to freak you out too much guys, but when you are looking an extra room up and down sizing it for an X-box, Widescreen and fussball table, you can bet your bottom dollar your good lady wife or girlfriend is checking the dimensions of the room for a Nursery and some sproggs.

The Office

Most guys eyes will light up with the provision of an office in a home. You’ll hear buzzwords such as tele-working and online networking – which is really just a cover for what men really get up to in their offices. Online Poker, computer games and reading funny emails online. Don’t be fooled ladies. The home office can be a man’s paradise when he’s pretending to balance the family finances.  A good office will be well lit, with the window positioned to minimise computer screen glare. If you are selling your home, having an already setup impressive desktop machine sitting in the office can help to set the scene. If you don’t have one; see if you can’t borrow a laptop from a neighbour or friend.

Whilst this is a tad tongue in cheek – we are all a bit different when it comes to tastes and desires in the buying process, but keeping in the right mindset when viewing a home and indeed when showing it to potential buyers can make all the difference in getting a sale.