Rapid Evidence Assessment of the Research ... - Rural Housing

Rapid Evidence Assessment of the Research Literature on the Purchase and Use of Second Homes
Definitions used in overseas literature
50. Gallent et al (2005, pp5-6) show that whilst some definitions used in Britain suggest that the owners of
second homes live at some distance from their second homes, “Elsewhere in Europe, there is no necessary
presumption that owners are distant outsiders” and that there is a “division between mainland Europe second
homes (close to first homes and used regularly) and British second homes (further from first homes and used
less regularly.”
51. More generally, there is no agreement worldwide, on what constitutes second homes. One international
study uses ‘second homes’ as an ‘umbrella’ for ‘recreational homes, vacation homes, summer homes,
cottages and weekend homes’ (Hall & Muller, 2004, p4).
Sources of data on second homes
52. For second homes in England there are broadly five sources of data. These sources use a variety of
definitions of second homes, as set out above. The sources are:
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1. Surveys undertaken by researchers;
2. Census data;
3. Survey of English Housing data;
4. Council Tax data as collated by ODPM/CLG; and
5. Occasional ONS Omnibus surveys.
Each of these is discussed below.
Surveys undertaken by researchers
53. Gallent et al (2005, p12) state that in the 1970s there were many local studies of second homes. These
were usually sponsored by local planning departments. Whilst there have been many more recent estimates, by
a variety of researchers, of the number of second homes these are usually based on official sources such as
the Census, the Survey of English Housing or Council Tax data.
54. Wallace et al (2005) point out that the majority of studies undertaken in the 1970s used rating registers
although they did not identify second home owners directly and simply noted which owners had an address
outside of the county. It was suggested that rating registers underestimated second homes by about ten per
cent (De Vane, 1975; Pyne, 1973; Tuck, 1973). Several studies used other sources to complement the rating
register. Research by Coleman (1982), Bennett (1979), Bollom (1978), De Vane (1975), the South West
Economic Planning Council (1975) and Tuck (1973) used additional knowledge from local residents to
supplement rating register information. As Wallace et al (2005; p29) state “Bollom (1978) and the South West
Economic Planning Council (1975) also used the electoral register as a method of identifying possible second
homes. Other studies used field surveys such as Davies and O’Farrell (1981) – an approach which may offer
the potential for additional accuracy, but which would be a costly method to reproduce in future research.”
Several of these studies were in Wales rather than England but the points about data and methodology apply
equally in both countries.
55. The Centre for Future Studies was commissioned by Direct Line Home Insurance to investigate the
growing second homes market in Britain and identify future trends and developments (Direct Line, 2005). This
report provided a long list of sources that are combined to provide data on second homes. These are listed in
Appendix A. There was no primary survey work undertaken and figures were estimated only for the UK, not
for England.