More single female buyers are embarking on building a home, according to data from two of Australia's builders.
In a field often dominated by family buyers, there are clear signs that solo women are a growing segment. Australia’s largest residential builder, Metricon says that the number of women building homes on their own has nearly doubled in recent years, increasing from between 2% and 3% of customer enquires to 5%.
“We’ve seen this shift accelerate over the past two years, particularly among first-home buyers,” said Metricon’s regional sales manager, Rebecca Oakley-Warren.
“Single women and single mothers are entering the market with confidence and making very deliberate, future-focused decisions about the homes they want to live in.
“This is no longer a niche trend, more women are choosing to build independently and take control of their financial future through property.”
More and more, solo female buyers are turning to building to find a home that suits their life and budget. Image: Getty
On the other side of the country, WA builder Summit Homes Group has seen a similar shift with 33% more female buyers signing up to build a new home than the year before.
The majority of female clients were choosing to build single-storey homes in 2025, accounting for 81% of all builds, while 19% opted for double-storey designs.
“This reflects a preference for practical, low-maintenance homes that suit a range of lifestyles – from first-home buyers through to downsizers and those building for long-term flexibility,” Summit Homes Group general manager Cameron Slade said.
The developer has seen this trend ramp up exponentially in recent years. Purchases by single women grew by 8% from 2023 to 2024, followed by a whopping 30% from 2024 to 2025.
“When women build or own homes, they’re not just creating a place to live – they’re securing a long-term asset and gaining economic stability,” Mr Slade said.
Maddison Flannigan realised her dream to build a home of very own when she made the move from Chirnside Park, in Melbourne’s north-east to the Echuca-Moama region, in country Victoria.
At the age of 29, she said she had been single for some time and after researching the established property market, she realised for the same price, she could build instead.
“I was like, ‘Why not? I have nothing to lose. I would rather have something in my own name instead of paying rent’, which is pretty much the same price these days,” she said.
She has now been living in her four-bedroom home for a year, the design of which she modified to her taste, by making upgrades like a large walk-in shower and relocating a toilet to a separate powder room.
Madison, centre, surrounded by the Metricon team that helped walk her through the build journey. Image: Metricon.
Building solo was an experience where Ms Flannigan said she felt supported and empowered.
“At first I was like ‘This is kind of sad’ because all these ideas I had, I didn’t have a partner (to show) so I was showing it to Mum and Dad,” she said.
“It would have been nice to have someone with me but I was also like, ‘Well, it's what I want’ so I didn’t want anyone else telling me not to do it.”
The only part she admitted she struggled with was her high standards and the pressure she placed on herself to get the design perfect.
Her advice for anyone contemplating building solo: “It's actually really empowering at the end, when you've got the key and you're like, ‘I've done this myself,” she said.
“I was told years ago … by let's say an ex-partner: ‘You're not going to be able to get anywhere unless you've got a partner with you’.
“So for a long time I thought, ‘Well, I need someone to do it’, but then, in reality, you can actually do it by yourself.”
Summit Homes finds that women and predominantly drawn to their single-story designs that are both practical and low-maintenance. Image: realestate.com.au
Ensuring women are supported to build
Summit Homes Group has introduced Women in Property, a dedicated initiative designed to help women take control of their property and wealth-building journey.
The program offers education, access to industry insights and practical guidance, to help build women’s’ confidence to make informed property decisions.
“In addition, we have a strong network of dedicated female sales consultants across all Summit Home Group brands, who help create a supportive and approachable environment for clients who may be navigating the process independently,” Mr Slade said.
“A 33% increase in women purchasing and building homes isn’t just a market statistic – it’s a powerful signal of financial independence and long-term wealth creation which reshapes the future of our housing market.”
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