ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is to provide a broader historical context for the various issues examined in later parts of this book: our focus here is on changing patterns of second home ownership – that is, the profile and motivations of second home purchasers – and on the nature of demand (the types of properties that are sought and in which types of locations). In order to provide a broad base for later analysis, we briefly examine:
. The early origins of second home ownership and use;
. The factors and reasons behind second home ownership;
. The types of property that are frequently used as second homes in rural areas;
. The distribution of ownership and demand, illustrated using an overview of the current market in England; and finally
. The factors which shape demand distribution, and that might be used to predict the future geographical spread of this market.
