NCJ Number
203412
Journal
Crime Prevention and Community Safety: An International Journal Volume: 5 Issue: 4 Dated: 2003 Pages: 15-25
Date Published
2003
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Given that home-builders in Great Britain have failed to implement principles of "security by design" (SBD) recommended by the Association of Chief Police Officers, due largely to the home-builders' belief that prospective home purchasers are not attracted by such home designs, this paper reports on a study of the factors, other than location, that influence home buyers to purchase a particular property.
Abstract
Many private housing developers have expressed the view, without supporting evidence, that they avoid building to SBD standards because the majority of house buyers regard a property with enhanced security as having reduced appeal. In order to test whether this belief has validity, two major national estate agencies distributed a questionnaire to individuals in England and Wales at the point of their purchase of a house. Among the features to be checked as important in the purchase decision was a "secure environment," which was not defined beyond the term itself. A total of 233 completed questionnaires were analyzed for the study. Overall, 37 percent of the respondents placed "secure environment" as their top priority, followed by "fitted carpets" (25 percent) and a "garage" (17 percent). Forty percent of first-time buyers and 35 percent of other buyers rated "secure environment" as the most important feature of a new home. Despite the less than exhaustive methodology of this study, the findings do indicate a demand by home buyers for a reasonable level of security, which extends beyond what can be currently found in private housing. This finding challenges the view that there is no demand for enhanced security and that homes advertised as such will be more difficult to sell. 4 tables, 1 figure, and 4 references