Home plus home: understanding Chinese second-home owners’ motivations and satisfaction through the role of ‘face’

AbstractThe surge in second-home ownership, particularly in China, has garnered significant interest. This study delves into the motivations and satisfaction levels of Chinese second-home owners, with a focus on Confucian cultural influences and ‘face’ consciousness. Surveying 327 s-home owners in Wentang Town, China, we employ a Structural Equation Model to unravel the intricate relationships. Our findings spotlight the importance of nostalgia in fostering place attachment, influencing both individual and family ‘face.’ Place attachment, in turn, positively impacts satisfaction, primarily mediated through family ‘face,’ underscoring the cultural significance of filial piety. Additionally, we identify a moderating effect of the distance between primary and second homes, emphasizing the role of Confucianism in shaping family-centric decisions. This study offers insights into the motivations and satisfaction of Chinese second-home owners, illuminating cultural nuances. It also provides practical recommendations for policymakers and the real estate industry, advocating for family-centric second-home experiences and improved transportation accessibility.Keywords: Second homemotivationsatisfactionfacefilial pietyWentang TownChina Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1 Only those Chinese elites and merchants knowledgeable on Confucianism and having outstanding political, social, and cultural contributions could join elite circles and be allowed to participate in seasonal tourist activities. Merchants not knowledgeable on Confucianism, no matter how rich and successful, were not accepted by these elite circles (Du & Chen, Citation2007; Salazar & Zhang, Citation2013).2 Culture can be classified into two types: individualist (such as Western cultures) and collectivist (such as Asian cultures) (Triandis, Citation1998).3 Benson and O’reillys’ (2009) review the existing studies and explain the concepts of lifestyle mobility including inter alia, retirement mobility, leisure mobility, (international) counter urbanisation, second-home ownership, amenity-seeking and seasonal mobility.Additional informationFundingThis study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 42161047).Notes on contributorsJia-Huey YehJia-Huey Yeh is an assistant professor in the Department of Uban Planning and Development Management at the Chinese Culture University in Taiwan. Her research focuses on housing inequality, affordable housing, and urban economics.Yucheng ZouYucheng Zou is a PhD student in the Department of Land Resources Management at Zhejiang University, China. His research focuses on regional economics and housing inequality.Guoliang XuGuoliang Xu is an assistant professor in the School of Finance and Public Administration, Jiangxi University of Finance & Economics. His research focuses on human geography, and land use management.