Britain’s real-life SATC home owners
Find a Property. comThese days single women are quicker and savvier than men when getting on the property ladder, research shows. Cheryl Markosky went to find out more about these Sex and the City home buyersSassy, successful and savvy. This certainly applies to Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall (pictured left) and co in Sex and the City 2, the new chick-flick released this weekend.
But it also describes those smart single women beating bachelor boys in the race to buy homes. The number of singleton gals is now double that of single guys, with female homebuyers contributing £40 billion more than their ‘weaker-sex’ predecessors 20 years ago.
House-finder Jo Eccles from Sourcing Property has a high proportion of attractive single career women in their 20s and 30s on her books.
“It’s a growing trend. Women are getting good jobs and don’t want to wait for the right man before they get onto the property ladder.”
Café society
Eccles says sisters are “doing it for themselves and having their say”. They’re demanding more entertaining space, large wardrobes, nearby cafés and green spaces, she adds.
And Becky Munday at south east London agent Wooster & Stock says young independent professional women prefer classic Victorian or Edwardian homes period homes with character.
Munday adds that “being close to excellent transport links, restaurants and bars is crucial too”.
Added value
Single women purchasers are canny when it comes to choosing property in spots that grow in value.
“At our Lett Road scheme in Stratford, east London, where prices start at £199,950 for a one-bed apartment (picture, right), we’ve had extensive interest from female buyers,” says Bernadette Cunningham from the Thornsett Group.
“They’re coming in with a chunk of savings they want to put into their first home and living alone at first – then perhaps inviting a boyfriend to co-habit later on.”
And it is not only techno-nerd chaps who get all excited about audio visual systems and lighting layouts. Cunningham says women are keen on such state-of-the-art toys now as well.
“But whereas men ask about power showers and the size of the bedroom, women always look at the spec’ of the kitchen.”
Safe as houses
And security is all-important to women on their own, according to Mark Faulker at agent Andrew Granger in Market Harborough.
He believes single women are attracted to BMB Property’s new Welland Quarter development (pictured, left) mainly because of great security. “There’s good underground parking, alarms on all the apartments, 24/7 CCTV cameras and private balconies where residents can sit outside safely.”
Jenna Ward, a logistics manager in her early 30s, bought a large one-bed flat on the third floor of Welland Quarter for £138,500.
“I really like the apartment that feels safe and secure,” she says. “The scheme is very central, right near the train station with fast trains to St Pancras, cutting my journey time by half.”
Case study: Go east young woman
Savoir-faire babes are venturing to the east of the country for to live in strong communities for a fair price.
Civil servant Louise Cocker (pictured, right) wanted to buy somewhere she could get to know her neighbours – and get good value. She opted for an apartment at Crest Nicholson’s Vista scheme in Ipswich.
The price tag of Louise’s new home has kept her bank manager happy – prices start at £119,500 for a two-bed apartment – and she likes the atmosphere.
“It feels like a little village living here and an added bonus is I’m close enough to walk to work in the summer.