Originally published in 1990, and re-issued in 2020 with an updated
Preface, this book shows how the UK has become a nation of home owners,
and the effect it has had on people's lives, the impact which it has had
on British society and the implications for those who have hitherto been
excluded. The book briefly charts the history of the growth of
owner-occupation in Britain and considers the evidence on the popularity
of owning as opposed to renting. The question of whether and how owner
occupiers accumulate wealth from their housing is discussed and the
evidence on the political implications of the growth of owner-occupation
examined. The influence of buying a house on the way that home is
experienced is analysed and the sociological implications in regard to
the analysis of social inequalities in Britain discussed. The research
for the book was based on in-depth interviews with home-owners and
tenants in Burnley, Derby and Slough.