Dwelling conditions and preferences in a multilocational way of life for job reasons

Job-induced commuting between two residences has attracted interest from both academia and the public in recent years. However, housing issues in a multilocational way of life are barely addressed in research to date. In this paper commuters’ dwelling experiences, dwelling and residential environment preferences and non-preferences at both residences are investigated from the perspective of the individual. The data presented in this paper are based on quantitative and qualitative methods. Particular dwelling profiles of commuters at their secondary residence are derived from multivariate analyses. Concerning objective dwelling conditions and subjective dwelling preferences at the secondary residence a distinction between five types of dwelling of commuters becomes apparent: a first group who can realise their preferences for higher amenity values, (2) commuters with very small and simple dwellings and overall low dwelling needs, (3) commuters with sizeable, high standard secondary dwellings and overall high dwelling preferences, (4) commuters who cannot fulfil their dwelling preferences at the secondary residence, and (5) commuters with dwelling preferences lower than the actual dwelling conditions offer. Corresponding to the wide range of dwelling arrangements, the meanings that commuters attach to their secondary dwelling differ remarkably. The secondary dwelling is perceived by some as a working base, for others it is a place of well-being and intimacy or a second home. Dwelling conditions and preferences at the job-used secondary residence are influenced by commuting arrangement, household/family lifecycle, employment conditions, and lifestyle