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OMAHA, NE (October 10, 2007) - While the media is reporting
challenges with the housing market and home builders who can
no longer get rid of their inventory, some builders are not only
surviving the crunch but thriving. What's their secret? Building
homes that people actually want to live in - designed from a “woman-centric” perspective.
It is no secret that 91 percent of all new home purchases are
either made by women or primarily influenced by them (Smith-Dahmer,
2006 IBS), and nearly 85 percent of ALL consumer purchases are
either made by or primarily influenced by women (Business Week).
The brainchild of Design Basics of Omaha, NE, the largest home
plan design firm in America, Woman-Centric Matters(sm) is a unique,
innovative licensing and educational platform that teaches home
builders and businesses from other industries how to become remarkable
by transforming their businesses to consider “her” perspective.
Utilizing unique woman-centric floor plans, specialized customer
service training, evocative signage, website design and other
focused woman-centric techniques researched and developed by
Design Basics, nearly 70 homebuilders in 27 states have become
Woman-Centric Matters licensees since the program’s inception
in 2006. And as their competitors are feeling the effects of
the historic housing bust, Woman-Centric builders have success
stories to report.
Denny Lenth, a homebuilder in Cedar Falls, Iowa says, “Typically,
at this time of year, with winter approaching, we see things
slow down a bit. But, I am currently building several custom
homes and a couple of specs.” Lenth continues, “Our
market has been slow, so building a $600,000 spec home was a
big risk. It was also our first woman-centric home. It sold the
first day of the Parade of Homes at full asking price!”
Ted Schieler, General Manager of Schieler & Rassi Quality
Builders in Peoria, Illinois, reports, “We became a Woman
Centric Builder in the fall of 2006 and showcased 13 new Woman-Centric
floor plans and our very first Woman-Centric Model Home in the
2007 Peoria, IL, Spring Home Show. We had 20,000 visitors to
our model that 3-day weekend in February, and the response to
the Woman-Centric concept has been overwhelming.” Schieler
continues, “Prospective clients walk through our model
and at every turn say ‘WOW, this is what I want!’” When
asked about how his business has fared during the current housing
challenges, Schieler responded, “The down market that the
area has had in 2007 hasn’t affected us at all. In fact,
we have had the best year ever, by far. We owe it all to the
Woman-Centric concept; it really hits home what home buyers truly
want in a home. This whole approach to marketing and selling
new homes has given our business a tremendous edge and helped
us capture more buyers in a down market.”
H&S Covenant Homes, a custom home builder based in Kansas
City, proudly unveiled its first Woman-Centric concept home in
Overland Park, Kansas, in September of 2007. The opening of the
home occurred in conjunction with the Fall Parade of Homes sponsored
by the Kansas City Home Builders Association. John Menghini,
Jr., Vice President of Sales and Marketing at H&S Covenant
Homes, says, “Over the past year, H&S Covenant Homes,
like many builders around the country, has experienced a significant
slow-down in the sale of our homes. Rather than hoping and waiting
for a turnaround in the housing market, we decided to take a
more proactive approach and seek out opportunities to differentiate
ourselves from our competition. We concluded that even in a down
market there was business to be had.”
Menghini continues, “Our partnership with Design Basics
and our participation in the Woman-Centric initiative has not
only produced new interest in our homes, but it has given us
a renewed excitement about the home building business. We have
wonderful new home plans which the market is responding to in
an incredibly positive manner. In just three short weeks, we
have secured two new custom build-jobs from just one new Woman-Centric
home plan. We were pleasantly surprised by the traction generated
by Woman-Centric, but it is without a doubt directly related
to the thoughtful planning and sensitivity that goes into this
innovative approach to building new homes.”
Design Basics’ Woman-Centric home plans and successful
business strategy have even prompted new builders to enter the
market, in spite of the economic conditions. Reflection Homes
of Northeastern Ohio and Melder & Company of Western Pennsylvania
have both entered the homebuilding market this past year specifically
because they believe in the strength and viability of the Woman-Centric
approach. Bunny Dennison, Vice President of Reflection Homes,
says, “We definitely believe that our phone is ringing
because we have embraced the Woman-Centric concept. It’s
not just about the home design, it’s about the entire process.
Everyone we are coming in contact with is delighted with the
concept – our customers and suppliers, both male and female – they
all love it. From our sign design, billboards, brochures, web-site,
home plan designs, all the way to the way we treat each person
--even the beautiful yellow mums planted at each one of our signs,
people not only see the difference but feel it. It’s fresh,
and it’s a new level of sensitive attention that home buyers
have been seeking for so long.”
Woman-centric homes intuitively appeal to women, according to
Linda Reimer, President of Design Basics. “Because of the
livability of woman-centric homes, the homes are popular with
men, too. From both an economic and a design standpoint, builders
just can’t afford to continue offering the same old home
designs. You have to look at a design through the lens of ‘how
does the home live?’ because that’s the way women
view a home,” said Reimer. These days especially both men
and women are looking for real and lasting value in a home, a
place they can truly call home, a place that fits their unique
needs and lifestyle. That's what woman-centric homebuilders are
offering, and that's why they're succeeding. “
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Note to media professionals:
To easily obtain contact information for individual builders mentioned
in this media alert, please contact Melissa Arnold at Design Basics.
402-331-9223
About Design Basics:
Design Basics, the nation's largest home plan design service
to the building industry, designs and markets plans for single-family
homes through catalogs, newsstand magazines and home building
industry publications. http://www.designbasics.com
Divisions of Design Basics include:
Woman-Centric Matters: a unique licensing program and educational
platform that teaches businesses how to become remarkable by
transforming their attitudes and practices based on the woman’s
perspective. http://www.womancentricmatters.com
Quanta Basics: A proven leader in website design with a specialization
in woman-centric and Boomer-centric websites, Quanta Basics services
include complete website solutions, design, custom development,
web site promotion, and internet marketing. http://www.quantabasics.com
Her Home magazine: Published quarterly, Her Home magazine covers
the trends and issues that are shaping the world of homebuilding
and home improvement projects. Readers know that in every issue
they will find insightful writing, beautiful photography, solid
reporting and the magazine's knack for knowing what's around
the corner. http://www.herhome.com
Boomer-Centric Marketing: An extension of Woman-Centric Matters, Boomer
Centric Marketing recognizes that although there are vast differences
among these women, key similarities have guided the core principles of
Design Basics, as we have created home plans, think tanks and marketing
that works! http://www.boomercentric.com
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Note to media professionals:
Woman-Centric Matters is a division of Design Basics, Inc. Whether it
is a home plan, product or service, Woman-Centric Matters designs solutions
from a woman’s perspective. For more information, visit www.WomanCentricMatters.com or
contact Melissa Arnold, PR Coordinator, Melissa@womancentricmatters.com
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