Come together! Or not? Homebuyers’ interest in sharing facilities with fellow residents

Abstract

Housing stands as a significant contributor to the adverse environmental impacts stemming from human activities. Reducing floor space emerges as a key strategy for advancing sustainable urban development since larger homes typically consume more electricity and heating. However, there is an undeniable link between dwelling size and residential satisfaction, making it challenging to design homes that are both functional and appealing within limited spatial constraints. A solution to mitigate spatial limitations involves the implementation of shared facilities within residential complexes. While individual households maintain exclusive access to their units, they also benefit from amenities usually found in larger dwellings. Despite its potential, the concept of shared facilities has received limited attention in the urban housing literature. This study contributes to the literature by investigating the applicability of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) in this unexplored context, involving an investment that carries considerable financial risk. Results demonstrate that our extended TPB model provides insights into homebuyers’ intentions to purchase dwellings with shared facilities. Out of the variables examined, attitudes emerge as the strongest predictor of intentions, indicating the need for collaborative efforts between developers and policymakers to bolster homebuyers’ interest in these unique housing solutions. The data reveals a tendency among homebuyers to compromise on dwelling size in favour of accessing amenities deemed essential for enhancing liveability. However, on the whole, homebuyers do not exhibit strong purchasing intentions, and attitudes towards the concept tend to be neutral.