Consumer choice in house buying: The beginnings of a house buyer revolt

The house-building industry in the UK is tiny and production is falling. Less than 10 per cent of house-buyers buy a newly built property and at current rates of replacement, existing houses will have to last over 500 years. How did this situation arise?

These essays describe an industrial culture which has paid scant attention to consumer opinion, leaving house builders with problems of public image, customer perception and customer satisfaction. They aim to identify what characteristics would attract consumers to new houses. They also offer positive suggestions about how the gap between housing providers and consumers can be closed. The common thread in these essays is that housing providers can no longer regard consumer choice as an optional extra or a regrettable inconvenience.