5.3 Type of House and Garden Wanted

5.3 1 A series of questions similar to those asked of the husband and the wife were asked of all unmarried adults over the age of 18. They were designed to find out the type of home that they wanted and where they would like it to be.

5.3 2 Unmarried adults were asked the following question: “What sort of house do you want when you set up house”? The type most preferred was the single storey self-contained house or bungalow, preferred by 38%, the next most important choice was the two-storey self-contained house preferred by 23%, followed by the flatted type preferred by 15%. There were some small differences between the sexes, the most important being that a very large proportion (24%) of the men were unable to express an opinion.

The single storey self-contained house was most preferred by those living in large cities and medium towns; 39% and 44% respectively compared with 26% in small towns whereas the flatted type was most preferred by dwellers in small towns, 30% compared with 12% in medium towns and 13% in large towns.

There was also a small difference between the dwellers in the three zones of large cities, a larger proportion living in the outer zones preferred the bungalow than those living in the other two zones.

The bungalow was preferred more by the 18 year old group (44%) than by the 19 to 35 group (40%) or the 36 and over group (33%) as was also the two storey self-contained house.

The proportions who were unable to express an opinion in answer to this question were different at various ages; 13% of the 18 year olds, 9% of the 19 to 35 group and 25% of those of 36 and over.

5.3 3 Gardens

Unmarried adults were asked a further question about the type of garden that they would like in their future home. 77% said that they wanted a private garden, 9% a communal garden and 4% wanted both. As in the previous question there was a large proportion of the male sample who were unable to express an opinion; 18% compared with only 7% the female sample.

96% of those who would like a garden wanted a private garden near to their home, 1% preferred an allotment garden at some distance from their home and 1% wanted both. 2% did not express a preference.

5.4 Location of the New Dwelling

5.4 1 The unmarried adults wore then asked “Where, they would prefer to live when they set up their future home”? 50% of them wished to live in a large city 26%, in a small burgh, 11% in the country, 11% by the sea and 2% were unable to say.

Of the 50% who wished to live in large cities, 28% wanted to live in the outer zone of large cities, 14% in the middle zone and only 8% in the inner zone.

There were no important differences between the preferences of men and women except that once again a large proportion (19 %) of the men were unable to express an opinion.

One of the main factors influencing the choice of the future community was that in which the individual was already living; for example, 76% of those living in large cities wished to continue living in them, 49% of those living in medium towns wished to continue living there and 52% of those living in small burghs wished to continue living in small burghs.

Within the zones of the large towns, there were some differences; for example, 37% of those living in the inner zones of large cities preferred the outer zone, as did 38% of those living in the inner zone and 50% of those living in the outer zone wished to continue living there. This may be regarded again as an index of satisfaction with this zone.

A detailed analysis of where the unmarried adults wished to live in relation to the present dwelling place is given below:-

The main difference between the age groups was the very large proportion of the oldest group who were unable to answer the question.

5.4 2 Reasons for Preferring Certain Locations for the Future Dwelling

Four main answers dominated the replies to the question “Why would you prefer to live in the place that you have chosen”? They were ‘To be near work’ which accounted for 12% of the answers, ‘Fresh air or healthy’ which accounted for 14%, ‘Always lived there’ 16% and 10% who said the place of their choice had the advantages of both town and country.

The most important reasons for choosing a large city were ‘To be near work’ 16% and Fresh air or healthy’ 13% (these answers were all given by those who prefer the middle or outer zones of large cities). 10% wished to remain in the large city because they had always lived there. Of those who wished to live in a small burgh, 34% gave the reason that they had ‘Always lived there’ and 17% said that the small burgh had the ‘Advantages of both town and country’.

The most important reason for wishing to live in the country was ‘fresh air or healthy given by 38% of those who had this choice.

Within the large cities the most important reason for wishing to live in the inner zone was ‘To be near work’ which was given by a third of those who preferred to live there.

In the middle zone ‘To be near work’, ‘Better social amenities’ and ‘Always lived here’ were of equal importance. In the outer zone the most important reason was ‘Fresh air and healthy’, followed by ‘advantages of town and country’. Details are given below:-

5.5 Convenience - The Relation of the Home to Interests

1 The importance of different interests to the whole sample of unmarried adults has been further broken down to compare the importance to the two sexes.

To have the home convenient to the place of work was considered very important by two-fifths of all unmarried adults and within this by rather more men than women. The only leisure activity which was considered by any considerable proportion as of importance to have near home was the cinema of which 37% said that it was very important. There was no difference between men women on this point.

The Sport Ground was of more importance to men then to women and the club of more importance to women then to men. There were no other significant differences.

It will be seen that quite a large proportion of those who go to work and of those who go to the cinema considered that it was not important to have these places near their home.

5.2 2 Analysis of the time and distance taken to visit the place of work has been further broken down by whether or not the unmarried adults considered that their homes were conveniently situated to their place of work. In the cases of both men and women distances up to 1¼ miles seemed to be regarded as convenient and distances over this were regarded as inconvenient by a large proportion of both sexes. See below:

A comparison of time taken shows that journeys up to 12 minutes were regarded as convenient by both sexes, journeys of between 13 to 22 minutes were considered as not convenient by 15% of men and 22% of women and journeys of over 23 minutes were thought to be not convenient by over half of all unmarried adults. The differences in the views of the two sexes given below are not important.

5.5 3 The Zones in which the Unmarried Adults Live and Work

An analysis has been made to show where the unmarried adults living in the three zones of large cities worked.

40% of all unmarried adults worked in the inner zone, 23% in the middle zone and 18% in the outer zone. No information was available for 19%. Of those living in the inner zone 52% worked there, 17% in the middle zone and 9% in the outer zone. Of those living in the middle zone 36% worked there, 39% in the inner zone and 12% in the outer zone and of those who lived in the outer zone 35% worked there, 13% went to the middle zone and 29% to the inner zone. This pattern is similar to that of the husband.

Looked at in another way it can be said that of all those who worked in the inner zone 41% lived there, 37% lived in the middle zone and 22% in the outer zone. Of all those who worked in the middle zone 58% lived there, 24% lived in the inner zone and 18% in the outer zone and of all those who worked in the outer zone 59% lived there, 25% lived in the middle zone and 16% in the inner zone.