The Impact of Real Estate Maintenance Costs on the Potential Resettlement of Elderly People: The Case of Slovenia

Abstract

The article focuses on the question how maintenance costs
impact the potential resettlement of elderly people into
suitable accommodation units. In Slovenia, more than 80
percent of households own their own homes, and among
these more than 60 percent of owners are over 65 years of
age. The main instrument used to measure their opinions
was a questionnaire which 471 participants over 65 years of
age were asked to complete. The main conclusion is that
despite high maintenance costs, Slovenian participants would
not sell their property under any circumstances, not even in
return for a better-quality living environment. Their
attachment to the environment in which they live is extremely
high. They prefer to solve problems related to maintaining
rather than moving to a more suitable home or environment.
We explain this to be due to their strong social affiliation to
the micro-environment, strong intergenerational attachment,
and the reluctance of Slovenians to migrate.