The added value of lifestyle variables: The search continues

The added value of lifestyle variables: The search continues

Jansen, S.J.T.

OTB Research Institute for the Built Environment

2011-12-31

People’s residential preferences are generally predicted on the basis of socio-demographic characteristics. Recently, however, it is argued that these variables no longer suffice and that they should be supplemented with lifestyle variables. The cur-rent study explores this assumption for a number of residential preferences. A life-style typology was developed that divides people into those that are more individualistic orientated with regard to housing and those that are more collectivistic orientated on the basis of 29 values (e.g., privacy). The lifestyle groups differ statistically significantly with regard to the current housing situation and residential preferences. However, after correction for socio-demographic variables many of these differences disappear, indicating that they are not due to underlying value orientations. In conclusion, values may have some additional worth for explaining and predicting housing preferences, especially in cases where socio-demographic variables alone fall short. However, their impact on housing preferences seems to be rather limited.

lifestyle
residential preferences
housing

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:4e083439-1ec1-4567-ba74-4853f67c4b14

Delft University of Technology, OTB Research Institute for the Built Environment

Working paper 2011-01

Institutional Repository

report

(c) 2013 Jansen, S.J.T.