When it comes to buying a new home, men and women often look for totally different things. However, the differences between what a man and woman want in a new home aren't as pronounced as they used to be. Even still, there are still certain things that appeal to women more so than men.

Women

For example, women want features that are very appealing and functional, yet very low maintenance. They don't want anything that requires a great deal of upkeep. They also look at value more so than cost. For a woman it’s all about living in a safe neighborhood that has great community amenities.

Men

Men on the other hand consider cost almost more than anything else. They also look at factors such as how close they are to places they go to most often. Things such as being close to work, their favorite restaurant and space for a TV are important to men. Men always want a comfortable place where they can watch the game.

The funny thing is men and women can look at the same space completely different. For example, a woman would view the extra space in the garage as a great place to store big items. A man on the other hand would see it as a great place to put a big screen TV.

The one thing men and women tend to agree on is the need for office space. Office space is by far the most gender neutral area of any home.

These days more and more women are taking the lead when it comes to this type of decision making. As a result, builders are paying more attention to what they want.

As far as the home building process goes, there is no way for a truce to be engineered between the genders. Even though women are driving builder’s decisions, builders also have to understand what's important to men. Otherwise they won't make a lot of home sales.