Book taps into women's buying habits, needs

What women want and how they buy is significant: The book cites a 2006 Joint Center for Housing Studies Harvard University study, “Buying for Themselves: an Analysis of Unmarried Female Home Buyers,” which showed that women make or direct 91 percent of home buying decisions, to the tune of $2 trillion. They also make roughly 75 percent of decisions about new homes, initiate 80 percent of all home improvement purchasing decisions, represent 51 percent of consumers who typically hire professionals for home improvement projects and purchase 94 percent of home furnishings.

And there, according to Nelson, lies the true definition of “the power of the purse.”

Those are the “trillion-dollar women” Nelson writes of in her book, which is aimed at not only helping home builders understand the home-building process, but also at demystifying the building or remodeling process for women. Nelson maintains, however, that there are women in the marketplace who are missing out on the chance to be trillion-dollar contributors because they don’t understand the processes involved with building, buying or remodeling homes.

Included in the book is a list of online resources for potential million-dollar women, along with information on everything from deciding to buy an existing home or build a new one to getting in on green trends to choosing contractors wisely.

While many of the examples and facts that she notes are geared toward women – which, obviously, resonates with me – I found that much of the advice in this book, which contains checklists and exercises, applies to both genders.

For instance, early in the book, when addressing the pros and cons of existing homes versus new construction, Nelson says factors to consider include available builder warranties and energy-efficient features, which could be appealing to men and women alike.

One element of the book that I appreciated was the definitions of different construction industry terms. I knew most of them, but even so, she shared some insights and different information. For anyone who wanted to learn more of the home-building lingo, this book could be a good read.

The book is published by BuilderBooks, an offshoot of the National Association of Home Builders, but Nelson makes it clear that the book is about making information available and not selling products mentioned in the book – or anything else.

Also useful in the book are workbook-style activities, such as making a ranked values list for what elements are important in a home and creating a life-plan timeline.

There also are questionnaire segments, covering master bathrooms, common areas, exterior aspects and other issues. These activities are designed to make the reader think, and they work. But the answers are aimed at helping the reader – aka the homebuyer – get what they really want in a home.

Something that I really like about this book is its open presentation. It’s easy to see, at a glance, if an activity or a chapter is appealing. I admit, I gave the “Condo Can-Do” chapter a very cursory read, because there was enough other stuff in the book that actually pertained to me.

I don’t have an overwhelming amount of experience with building-project books. Most that I have seen have been do-it-yourself guides near the checkout lane at a local home improvement store. I flipped through them impatiently as I waited for my husband to get what he needed and meet me at the door. This book, available at www.builderbooks.com was surprising in its readability, and there is plenty of good information within, for women or men – and the builders who want to reach them.

Maria Hoover is features editor for Springfield Business Journal. She may be contacted at mhoover@sbj.net.