Angi Survey Reveals How Gender Shapes Homeownership Attitudes

Women homeowners surveyed say they find home improvement expensive, are less confident in their knowledge of home projects, and prefer to share home project decision-making—but that might be changing

DENVER, March 29, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Angi, a leading and comprehensive solution for home improvement, today announced the results of a new survey of 1,000 U.S. homeowners, which highlights the differences in how women and men of different ages and generations approach homeownership in a post pandemic era.

While both men and women (68% and 52% respectively) tend to view themselves as the sole decision maker when it comes to home projects, more men (58%) say they prefer to control these decisions. Men also tend to say they find home improvement “rewarding,” and more frequently feel they are “very knowledgeable” about home maintenance and repair work (40%) as compared to women (29%).

“We know women—single or married—drive consumer purchase decisions in the home, but there’s more of a nuanced power dynamic between men and women when it comes to spending decisions on the home itself,” said Angie Hicks, Chief Customer Officer of Angi. “Men and women homeowners both see themselves as holding the power on these decisions, but women don’t demonstrate the same confidence men do. Women also prefer to collaborate on home project decisions, while men want to go it alone.”

The results differ, however, for younger homeowners. Women under the age of 34 are more likely to say they feel “very knowledgeable” about home improvement (36%) versus those over the age of 34 (26%). Younger women also prefer sole ownership (49%) of decisions versus those over the age of 34 (42%). The inverse is true for men: those under the age of 34 (44%) prefer shared responsibility more than those over 34 (39%).

Continued Ms. Hicks, “What’s interesting is how these dynamics may evolve in the future as we look at younger homeowners. Our research shows younger women are more likely to have purchased their first home while single, which could potentially influence their confidence and approach to decision-making. At the same time, younger men more frequently prefer to collaborate on home project decision-making as compared to their older counterparts.”

Key findings of the survey include:

• Who’s driving: Men (68%) say more frequently they are the primary decision maker when it comes to home improvement, but a significant portion of women homeowners surveyed (52%) also see themselves as holding sole power.
• Collaboration vs control: More women (56%) say they prefer shared responsibilities and decision making when it comes to home investment decisions while more men (51%) say they want total ownership.
• Confidence: Men (40%) more frequently selected that they feel very knowledgeable about home improvement, repairs, and maintenance compared to women (29%).
• Enjoyment: Men more often say (59%) home improvement and maintenance is rewarding while women more often say (61%) they find it expensive. While men and women said they find home ownership “enjoyable,” more men than women (63% vs 57%) seem to enjoy it.
• Cost: Budget was the primary consideration—for both men and women—when it came to project prioritization during COVID and the biggest source of disagreement when it came to completing projects.
  

A common denominator for all survey respondents was budget, with 55% of homeowners citing budget as a top consideration. Next top considerations were hiring a qualified professional (10%) and impact of the project on lifestyle (9.9%). Though budget was a key concern, homeowners surveyed said they have completed more projects in the last three years (2020-2023) than the three years prior (2016-2019). 42% of homeowners said they took on 1-2 more projects and 30% have taken on 3-4 more projects.

“All homeowners are focused on budget and also the need to take on a higher volume of projects given more of their lives revolve around the home,” said Ms. Hicks. “Pre-pandemic projects were about increasing home value and generating a return on investment. Today it’s about making sure your home best supports the way you are living in it.”

Methodology
This scientific random sample of 1,000 US adult homeowners are all currently working on home renovations or plan to start home renovations soon. The sample was surveyed on February 7th, 2023. No weighting has been applied. Angi conducted and analyzed this survey with a sample procured using the Pollfish survey delivery platform, which delivers online surveys globally through mobile apps and the mobile web along with the desktop web.

About Angi
Angi (NASDAQ: ANGI) is your home for everything home—a comprehensive solution for all your home needs. From repairs and renovations to products and financing, Angi is transforming every touch point in the customer journey. With over 25 years of experience and a network of over 200,000 pros, we have helped more than 150 million people with their home needs. Angi is your partner for every part of your home care journey.

Angi Corporate Communications
Mallory Micetich
(303) 963-8352