水戸市中心部におけるマンション購入世帯の現住地選択に関する意思決定過程

This research explores households' decision-making processes on residential choices by current residents of owner-occupant condominiums in the central area of Mito city. Questionnaire and interview surveys were conducted to collect data from condominium residents in the research area. The questionnaires were sent to 591 households, of which 139 households responded. Among those responses, 121 from households who owned their condominiums were used for this analysis. Thirty-nine households cooperated in answering additional interviews.<br>Residents were classified into three types by household size and life stage. The first type is the “family type, ” including married couples and parenting couples. Most of the husbands are working in neighboring areas. The second type is the “single type.” Single-headed households are included in this type. The third type is the “middle-aged and elderly couple type, ” comprising married couples whose children have already left home and retired people.<br>The reasons for moving in differed among the three types. The family type evaluated their family members' preferences for housing and place to live, access to husbands' work places, conveniences of the central area, and the image of their residential areas. They also considered the educational system for their children. The single type had a strong desire for home-ownership. They also evaluated the convenience of residential areas, because of their accessibility to shopping areas and efficient transportation systems. Most of the middle-aged and elderly couple type had owned houses in the past and experienced the difficulties of maintaining houses. Therefore, they preferred ease of maintenance in addition to the security and convenience of condominiums. They were anxious about maintaining independent lives because of aging. Therefore, they tend to live in condominiums close to hospitals and shopping centers. Access to public transportation systems is also important.<br>Based on this research, the dominant reasons for moving into the present residence can be summarized as follows. First, the preference for the residential form affects the decision-making process. Condominiums satisfy their residents because of excellent location, affordability, security, and flexibility compared with other housing submarkets in Mito city. As a result, condominiums accept various types of households.<br>Second, the attraction of the central area is an important reason for the determination of the housing search area. The preference for condominiums is closely related to the attractions of the central area. Mito attracts many people working in various industries in neighborhood areas. They judge Mito as the most attractive and convenient city in Ibaraki prefecture. For people who grew up in Ibaraki, Mito is regarded as an enchanting place. Therefore, the central area of Mito is selected as a residential area. The central area of Mito has convenience, attractive urban functions, and a high cultural level. The most important considerations in residential choice were the values of condominiums as a residential form and the attractions of the central area.<br>It is characteristic of condominium residents' decision-making process that the decision on the residential form is the key in the entire process. If households start searching for a condominium as a new residence, the location of the condominiums limits the search area. The reasons determining the residential form also reflect economic status, household structure, and the relationship with their families of each household.