Do you have a new job? Want more space? Want to own your own home? Move
closer to relatives? Want a change of scene? How about - do you want to move
away from your relatives? Believe it or not, moving away from relatives
was the number three reason cited for moving according to a new Internet survey.
Clyde and Shari Steiner, authors of The
Complete How-to-Move Handbook, compiled a comprehensive survey targeting
people who pay for their own moves. The Steiners are self-styled moving experts
having been through 15 relocations themselves. They gathered the information
to use in their book, and it is available to read at their site, www.movedoc.com
"You would expect leaving friends and family would deter people from
moving, but 75 percent more in our nationwide survey said they wanted to escape
instead of moving closer," comment the authors.
The survey information was self-selective, and the results were calculated
on the collective data gained from a total of 432 moves. The top three reasons
for moving were to take a new job (8.18%,) get a better home (7.55%,) or to
move away from friends or relatives (7.55%.) Only 5.66% wanted to get closer to
family and friends.
The number one reason people gave for leaving their present home was too
little space (45.8%). Dangerous neighborhoods or noise prompted another 29.2%
to leave, and 29.2% others blamed a long work commute for their desire to
move.
The biggest advantage to moving, according to the survey results, is the
change of lifestyle, with the second biggest advantage cited - making new
friends.
Of the respondents, 45.8% owned their own home.
The Steiners admit that their results are far from scientific, yet the res
ults are still intriguing.
For example, 83.3% of respondents were women. According to the National
Association of REALTORS® (NAR,) over 18% of homebuyers are single women
compared to only 9% of men, a huge leap from a generation ago. Could the Intern
et and the housing industry be overlooking a potentially large demographic -
the Internet-surfing female nomad? Who knows? AR, over 18% of homebuyers are
single women compared to only 9% of men, a huge leap from a generation ago.
Could the Internet and the housing industry be overlooking a potentially large
demographic - the Internet-surfing female nomad? Who knows?
According to the bi-annual home buying and selling survey released by the
NAR, 42% of homebuyers came from rental situations, and 36% owned a
single-family home and another 6% owned a shared wall residence, closely
approximating the Steiner survey.
The NAR lists the number one reason buyers made a housing change is to own
a home of one's own (37%.) The majority of home buying appears to be voluntary.
Only 15% of home buyers chose their new home because they were relocated, and
no statistic exists which suggests that the move may have been forced by other
circumstances such as debt.
According to other results, 16% of home buyers wanted more space because of
marriage or a growing family, 8% wanted a larger home for investment, tax
deduction or a more upscale neighborhood. Only four percent wanted less space.
Five percent of buyers wanted to be closer to jobs/schools/relatives.
But do families buy homes to move away from their relatives? We don't know
- that question is missing from the NAR's survey.
What's your reason for moving?
Real Times Moving Advice Articles
Published: March 25, 1999
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