Satisfaction with Homeownership: An Evolutionary Process

Abstract

Using in-depth interviews and the autodriving photoelicitation technique, this longitudinal study examines satisfaction with the purchase of a new home and demonstrates that homeowner satisfaction is a dynamic concept. As the homeowners change their homes physically and symbolically by divestment and possession rituals, fantasizing, and the acquisition of possessions, their satisfaction with the home changes. This study concludes that satisfaction is a process directly linked to the evolutionary nature of the home, rather than an end state.