Values as determinants of preferences for housing attributes

Preferences for housing attributes have beenstudied from different theoretical perspectivesand with a great variety of methodologicalapproaches. In explaining housing preferencesthe influence of both macro-level andmicro-level factors has been shownextensively. Relatively little attention hasbeen given, though, to motivational micro-levelfactors such as goals and values. In thisarticle micro-level motivational factors arestudied as determinants of stated preferencesfor housing attributes. The relationshipsbetween such motivational factors as values andgoals on the one hand and preferences forhousing attributes on the other are consideredfrom the perspective of means-end theory. Asemi-structured interviewing technique calledladdering is used for the measurement ofmeans-end chains. Some of the results of apilot project in which means-end theory wasapplied to preferences for housing attributeswill be discussed in the sequel.