Perhaps nothing can challenge your patience more in a relationship than house hunting. That’s when the true colors come out. What he wants from a home and what your want and invariably going to be different, you may even quibble right down to the type of knobs on the kitchen cabinets. Instead of going all Battle Royale in front of the real estate agent at an open house, here’s a couple of sticking points you and he should discuss before hand.

Location:

• What He Wants: Proximity to work.
• What You Want: You might be thinking ahead to children, so your concerns will be the quality of schools in the neighborhood or even being near family for the extra support.
• What to Do: Discuss your plans. Think realistically about how long you will be in this new house. Kids may not even come into it.

Personal Space:

• What He Wants: Depending on the size of the house, you may have limited area to devote to private space. If there is one extra bedroom, he may want to turn that into a workout room or a “den” if he owns a smoking jacket and brandy snifter.
• What You Want: More storage. You might treat an extra room like an extra closet. Or maybe you want it reserved as a guest room; something he’ll really grouse about once you make it into a preciously floral-scented room that he claims never gets used.
• What to Do: An office is a good compromise since it’s something you can both use. Throw a futon couch in there and you have a makeshift guest room as well. Also, if he’s a garage guy, you could argue that that is his domain, and the spare room should be yours.

Size Matters?

• What He Wants: Research has shown, when it comes to house buying, Men are concerned with quantifiable numbers like square footage, whereas women are more preoccupied with the “feel”. (Is it cozy? Warm?) Ultimately, he wants the most size for the money.
• What You Want: The size bargain he finds might look to you like a warehouse: big but cold.
• What to Do: Of course, compromise is key. If you want to sell him on the cuter, but not so big house, point out the feature of the house, like built-in bookcases and charming breakfast nook. Paint a picture for him of what your lives will be like in that space.