Synopsis

This research story opens with an exploration of different characterisations of the resident owner; each attempt to distil a diverse group of people into a single identity that is easily imaged and ‘handled’ as a touchstone would be. It also reflects the positions of resident owners met in the field. Groups of respondents contributed to an understanding of ‘home identities’ and ‘motives for moving’, as well as providing candid feedback on the retirement-living lifestyle and product in which they are invested. Contextual interviews – conducted with informants inside their homes, walking and talking through their interiors – reveal tacit knowledge, including an array of domestic ‘niggles’ and ‘snags’. Furthermore, the story presents narrative accounts of three case study characters – Patrick, Gladys and Paula – that both affirm and contest assumed consumer profiles, while casting doubt on aspects of the developer’s image of its customer.

Methods

A wide variety of settings were visited, and informants met, during fieldwork undertaken between September 2014 and December 2016. Four specific villas are referenced within this chapter and are listed here in alphabetical order by pseudonyms that are locationally determined:

• • Avon Villa: an urban scheme on the outskirts of Bristol city centre, comprising 65 apartments, built in 2012.

• • Beachwalk Villa: a near seaside scheme in central Worthing, West Sussex, comprising 29 apartments, built in 2014.

• • Downland Villa: a suburban scheme in a dormitory area of north Worthing, comprising 39 apartments, built in 2012.

• • Wealden Villa: an edge of town scheme in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, comprising 38 apartments, built in 2007.

The aforementioned settings represent distinct types of ‘destination’ for moving retirees, ranging from a traditional coastline and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) through to an attractive city outside London. Each is in southern England as this was the primary business area for Pink & Knight at the time. The sample is also representative of Pink & Knight developments in terms of size, ranging from ‘small’ (29 units) through to ‘large’ (65 units).

Mixed methods were used across the four settings to inform a ‘multi-sited ethnography’ (Marcus, 2011) of the resident owners’ situations and cultures. The research involved short residencies at villas; staying overnight in the guest suite and engaging in the social life of the shared lounge, as well as conducting show-and-tell home visits.