Home ownership biographies – A first approach through interviews
The money stays in the house, in the bedroom to be precise. Late at night, however, the bank comes round to collect the interest on the mortgage, Illustration: Moriz Oberberger, 2023
The sub-project takes the concept of the homeownership biography as a starting point to explore the genesis and realization of desires for homeownership.
For decades, housing policy decisions have been centered around the promotion of living in one's own home and homeownership. As theoretically discussed in the previous article, 'The single-family home in the light of the housing and land ownership issue', ownership is particularly controversial in the area of housing and requires reflection from a policy perspective. However, when observing the demand side, norms such as freedom are often cited. This implies that political control on the one hand and social expectations of home ownership on the other are distinct. Against this backdrop, our study aims to explore the enduring impact of homeownership-specific freedom narratives, as they are commonly presented in the justification of homeownership. Specifically, the study examines how homeowners construct and reflect upon their homeownership histories. The analysis highlights the ambivalences and contradictions inherent in these narratives. Therefore, the focus will be more on the narrative aspects rather than material issues like wealth and income distribution, urban development, or policies related to interest rates, building, and land. Instead, we examine how people talk about their property and investigate the contemporary relevance of homeownership.
We conducted four narrative interviews in the Weimar area utilizing personal contacts and placing written requests in mailboxes. Our primary focus was on owners of single-family homes. All interviews were held with couples of various ages. Among these, three out of four have constructed new homes. Two younger couples reside with their children, while the children of the two older couples have moved out.
"Please think back to the time before you built/purchased your home. Why did you decide to buy your own home? Looking back, have your expectations of home ownership been fulfilled?" 1
The questions focused on the decision-making process enable us to discover and understand the values and motivations for purchasing a single-family home. This includes aspects of financing, the choice of residence, the individual’s housing socialization, and the owners' relationship to their own home. Below, we will illustrate how homeownership is individually justified and rationalized through the identification of three key trends.
The idea of the Freedom of Design
Remodelling and moving in are in full swing, but not without hurdles and very energy-sapping, Illustration: Moriz Oberberger, 2023
Gestaltungsfreiheit, or the Freedom of Design, equates to the feeling of being free to maintain and modify your home. This concept of freedom in both acquiring and utilizing a residential property is deeply rooted in the notion of Gestaltungsfreiheit – a complex term to translate, implying the liberty to alter your home as desired (Note from the translator). The urge to independently decide on the layout and use of the home is intrinsically connected to the need for control and upkeep. Consequently, this desire for freedom of design often translates into an ethos of 'do it yourself.
"We can do whatever we want. If we want to drill 100 holes in the wall here, we can do it and don't have to think about what the landlord says. Or where you want a wall, you don't have to coordinate. But of course, you also have to coordinate here, when it comes to the fencing of the property, we theoretically don't have to consult, but of course we do anyway." 2
This 'Gestaltungsfreiheit' in interior and exterior areas is not only restricted by building regulations. The interviewees also articulated difficulties in realizing their own design wishes. In one of the single-family house areas surveyed, for example, the owners were able to choose between different types of houses. Depending on requirements, there were, for example, townhouses for young families with children and study rooms or single-storey bungalows for couples. These house types can only be individualized to a limited extent and ultimately make a false promise regarding the apparent freedom to design your own home. However, structural changes often require specialist knowledge, time and additional financial resources. This quote makes it clear that the homeowners not only wanted to be involved in the construction of their home, but that personal contribution ultimately became a prerequisite for the fulfillment of their own housing wishes.
"We were also able to intervene during the construction phase, with the walls and pipes, maybe had to pay extra, but it was the way we wanted it. I was here every day and here on the building site. That went with my work. My office is 2 km away, I was here every day to prevent anything being done differently. You can only do that when you're here. The others come here in the evening and then start talking on the phone, the baby has already fallen into the well. Even with simple things like the pipes and washbasins. But when you're 30, you don't yet have the eye for it, the experience and the view of what's bothering you. Now you know how you want it, you have experience that you can use. No, you say, this is going somewhere else now."3
The money stays in the house, in the bedroom to be precise. Late at night, however, the bank comes round to collect the interest on the mortgage, Illustration: Moriz Oberberger, 2023
"So the decision against a condominium was made relatively quickly. Um, because the prices were almost as high as a home if you live in a certain square meter. So we had 120 square meters. And we also liked the old building and the central location. But the size and the relation to what it costs and the disadvantages that you still have direct neighbors that you can't choose. Well, you can't do that here either, but you don't have to worry about who's going to clean the stairwell. So it was a bit of independence."4
The aspiration to increase a home's value is often a secondary motivation for purchasing a home. Instead, the desire for financial independence and freedom from landlords is a more significant driver. Conversely, new dependencies arise, such as reliance on lending financial institutions and the ability to maintain loan repayments.
In one interview, purchasing a detached house was characterized as a (financially) irrational choice. At first glance, owning a house seemed more economical than renting, based on the common belief that the money would be an investment in their own property rather than paid to a landlord. However, this perspective often overlooks necessary expenses like window replacements and reserves for heating and roofing 5
.
Yet, the obligation of loan repayment over an extended period (ranging from 15 to 30 years in our interviews) is seen as a necessary, albeit sometimes burdensome, aspect of home buying. One couple expressed relief in anticipation of their loan term ending. They described this moment in the following way:
"Being finished. Yes. I've had this feeling before (when buying a house in the past, editor's note) and it was very liberating. If we stay healthy, we have a goal and that's four years. The most important thing is to stay healthy and keep the job. And then we can do it." 6
Concerns about potential job loss or an inability to work often accompany homeowners during the loan repayment period. During this phase, new dependencies can also emerge within couples. For instance, the wife from a younger couple expressed that the house purchase significantly heightened her sense of dependency on the marriage."Everything works when you function well as a couple [...] If you live together and have a rented apartment and go your separate ways, then everyone takes their own stuff. Here it's a different ball game." 7
The house will be adapted to the needs of older people and wheelchair users, Illustration: Moriz Oberberger, 2023
Ideas of autonomous and self-determined living are closely linked to home ownership. One aspect of autonomy, for example, concerns life in old age. Homeowners nearing retirement emphasized that their recent home construction included planning for their senior years, involving preliminary structural adaptations for this phase. Here, independence signifies the ability to remain in their home during old age, even when requiring mobility aids like wheelchairs or walkers.
"We'll see what life brings. Everything is designed so that it all works out. We have wide doors everywhere, no steps. Even if someone is no longer able to use a wheelchair or walker. Then it should work. You can still get into the bathroom. In old age, you tend to live on one floor and if you don't have a bedroom at ground level, you have to live downstairs in the living room."8
Despite a desire to remain living in the house in old age, the priority of passing it on to future generations is not as pronounced.
A
"My parents also have a house and they want their child to move in with them. But nowadays you no longer build for the children, where it is passed down from generation to generation. I had to take that out of my parents too. If you're honest, it will end in a sale. (Our) children won't come (here). You can wish that someone would come and cherish the house."
B
"Who doesn't just live here. A house wants to be cherished and cared for."9
In this context, it's evident that living in a detached house is predominantly focused on the couple's relationship in their later years and less on intergenerational cohabitation. However, there is also a hope that the house will be inhabited by others in the future, fostering a similar emotional connection.
Another dimension of self-determined living is the availability of ample space. This aspect should be primarily interpreted through the lens of socialization and housing experiences. For instance, one couple, who spent part of their lives in a large housing estate, acknowledged the benefits of modern and comfortable living there. Yet, an improvement in their living conditions was closely tied to an increase in the size of their living space.
A
"I've always lived in rented apartments, it didn't bother me so much. Of course the size, but the rented apartments have also gotten bigger. It was different from Lobeda, in GDR times it was great, but after that it wasn't what you wanted anymore. After that, people wanted to improve and expand."
"This freedom with a house and land. We lived in an apartment before that, it wasn't big [...]"
B
"What exactly do you mean by freedom?"
A
"It's like being able to take a deep breath. I can live in my own house, I don't have to ask anyone, I don't have to be considerate of the neighbors. I can do whatever I want. Sure, you're restricted outside. But it's just this attitude to life. I have, yes, space, or rather I was able to choose the size of the house and build it accordingly."10
Contemporary homeownership is still shaped by certain ideals of freedom, regardless of their actual realization. The narrative interviews enabled us to identify these concepts within individuals' housing biographies and to comprehend the underlying motivations for choosing homeownership. The emphasis was more on identifying motives linked to notions of freedom rather than achieving a comprehensive list of all motivations.
To build upon these initial findings, the limited scope of only four interviews could be broadened in the future, incorporating diverse household structures. Notably absent are households that acquired ownership through inheritance or chose homeownership in existing apartments.
The objective here is not to endorse ownership but to underscore the potential contradictions and challenges associated with it. Subsequently, we can explore how specific motives for private homeownership might be satisfied in alternative ownership models, such as communal arrangements.
In Germany, there are 16 million single-family homes, each with one or two apartments (Destatis, 2022, p.16). To grasp the vast scale of these existing buildings, consider this illustrative calculation: If each house accommodated five individuals, the 83 million residents of Germany could theoretically all have a roof over their heads. This scenario highlights a significant potential for transformation within the realm of urban planning. However, such a transformation can only be achieved in collaboration with the residents.
