Home owners, home renovation and residential mobility

Abstract

Contemporary studies into residential mobility focus on mover households, but pay little attention to households that do not move. Conceptually, it is assumed that households make a voluntary decision to move when their current residence no longer meets their needs. This argument does not however account for households who, in the face of residential dissatisfaction, renovate or undertake alterations to better satisfy their needs. This paper presents data for Adelaide, South Australia to look at the extent to which owners renovate their homes. The analysis identifies two groups of renovators-non-mover renovators and mover renovators. Using data from the Housing and Location Preference Survey, an analysis is presented which discusses the factors which may influence renovation activity of these two groups.