Market Research

3rd

Year Group Project Market Research 2008-09

1

BBS Degree

in

Marketing and Management

Limerick Institute of Technology

Spring 2009

Year 3: MARKET RESEARCH

“Evaluate emerging student trends

for rented accommodation”

Lecturer: Eoghan Sadlier

Students:

James J. Keane, K00002935

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Contents

Executive Summary .................................................................................................................. 4 Problem Definition .................................................................................................................... 6 Research Methods ..................................................................................................................... 9

Exploratory research ............................................................................................................................ 9 Descriptive research ........................................................................................................................... 10

Secondary Research ................................................................................................................ 11 The Accommodation‟s Office at the University of Limerick ............................................................. 11 Associated banks in Ireland i.e. Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank ..................................................... 12 Higher Education Authority in Ireland ............................................................................................... 13

Research Tools ........................................................................................................................ 15 Sample size determination ................................................................................................................. 15 Interview ............................................................................................................................................ 16 Focus groups ...................................................................................................................................... 16 Questionnaire ..................................................................................................................................... 17 Computer applications ....................................................................................................................... 17 Tabulation of survey results ............................................................................................................... 17 Mathematical Tools ............................................................................................................................ 18 Graphical representation of data......................................................................................................... 18 Presentation of findings ...................................................................................................................... 19

Research Findings ................................................................................................................... 20 Profile of the respondents? ................................................................................................................. 20 Features that categorize accommodation as standard or luxury according to students ...................... 23 Rent students pay and will pay for different types of accommodation .............................................. 24 Students opt for luxury accommodation ............................................................................................ 28 Students‟ personal preferences in beds and central heating ............................................................... 31 Correlation between students‟ expectations of accommodation and their family home .................... 32 Conclusions ........................................................................................................................................ 32

Recommendations ................................................................................................................... 34 Limitations of the Research Findings ...................................................................................... 35 Appendix A ............................................................................................................................. 37 Appendix B.............................................................................................................................. 38 Appendix C.............................................................................................................................. 40 Appendix D ............................................................................................................................. 41 Appendix E .............................................................................................................................. 42 Appendix F .............................................................................................................................. 45 Appendix G ............................................................................................................................. 46 Appendix H ............................................................................................................................. 48 Appendix I ............................................................................................................................... 49 Appendix J ............................................................................................................................... 53 Appendix K ............................................................................................................................. 54 Appendix L .............................................................................................................................. 55

Question 1 .......................................................................................................................................... 55 Question 2 .......................................................................................................................................... 55 Questions 4 & 5 .................................................................................................................................. 64 Question 6 .......................................................................................................................................... 66 Question 7 .......................................................................................................................................... 66 Question 8 .......................................................................................................................................... 69 Question 9 .......................................................................................................................................... 69 Question 10 ........................................................................................................................................ 70 Question 11 ........................................................................................................................................ 70

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Question 12 ........................................................................................................................................ 74 Question 13 ........................................................................................................................................ 75 Question 14 ........................................................................................................................................ 76 Question 15 ........................................................................................................................................ 76 Question 16 ........................................................................................................................................ 77 Question 17 ........................................................................................................................................ 77 Question 18 ........................................................................................................................................ 77 Question 19 ........................................................................................................................................ 78 Question 20 ........................................................................................................................................ 78 Question 21 ........................................................................................................................................ 79 Question 22 ........................................................................................................................................ 79 Question 23 ........................................................................................................................................ 79 Question 24 ........................................................................................................................................ 80 Question 25 ........................................................................................................................................ 80 Question 26 ........................................................................................................................................ 80 Item L10 ............................................................................................................................................. 81 Item L11 ............................................................................................................................................. 83 Item L3 ............................................................................................................................................... 85 Item L4 ............................................................................................................................................... 85 Item L5 ............................................................................................................................................... 86

Appendix M ............................................................................................................................. 88 Appendix N ............................................................................................................................. 89 Appendix O ............................................................................................................................. 92 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................ 94

5,812 words

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Executive Summary

The impetus for this study was the competitive market for student accommodation in

the environs of the University of Limerick. The client sought information in making a

decision to adopt a new marketing strategy by providing standard accommodation

with luxury features to students.

The researchers used both exploratory and descriptive research in resolving after

highlighting objectives for the study. They began by conducting in-depth interviews

with experts in the domain of student accommodation. This was followed by using a

focus group to unearth more qualitative information. This was coupled with

information from a number of quality secondary research reports. From this basis a

probing questionnaire was devised and circulated to 109 subjects for completion after

a pre-test was conducted.

The findings showed that 62% of students are living away from home and

accommodation is their biggest expenditure. 65% of students would choose luxury

accommodation over standard. 67% have a part-time job which is their main source of

finance. They also rely on family, government grants and personal savings to finance

their life style.

The study states the Sky TV, broadband, 42” plasma TV, double bed, dishwasher, and

tumble dryer are the defining features of luxury student accommodation. Students are

prepared to pay extra money for the luxury features which would comfortably finance

the investment; that amounts to €9 per week per student. This would yield a healthy

profit for the client as well as make his task of filling his bed spaces easier. In total

students are prepared to pay a maximum of €75 to €80 per week for this class of

accommodation.

The study highlights one principle caveat. As there is a recession, this will impact on

the supply of accommodation, the number of students attending college, introduction

of fees, and the ability of students to secure part-time work to finance their

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accommodation. While that maybe so secondary research has shown that children of

professional people are very happy with their finances without the need to work.

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Problem Definition

There is an oversupply of accommodation being provided in the Castletroy area for

the students attending the University of Limerick (UL). Our client, Mr. Ryan

sometimes has difficulties filling his rental accommodation with students for the

entire college year. He has observed that UL campus accommodation and some of his

fellow landlords are invariably successful in achieving complete tenancy occupancy.

He has also noted that a growing and huge percentage of students own their own cars

and consume large amounts of alcohol in his accommodation. 80% of his student

tenants own cars. Because of this he believes that they have a high disposable income.

He concludes that they demand and are prepared to pay for a higher quality of life, not

just for cars and alcohol but also for their accommodation.

In this very competitive environment he finds it challenging to fill all his bed spaces

even though his rental charges are comparative with other landlords. Since other

landlords seem likely to lower their rents our client wishes to embark on a different

strategy. He wishes to increase the likelihood of success by identifying and meeting

potential students‟ needs. Since all accommodation is rather homogonous he wishes to

differentiate his accommodation from that of others. By being different and offering

increased value for a little higher rent he believes that his business will grow, prosper,

and thrive.

After further discussion with Mr. Ryan the research group clarified that he did not

want the group to identify why other providers were more successful than he was.

Neither did he want them to identify features external to the house that students

valued e.g. distance from the college, reputation of the location. The fundamental

problem he wished the group to identify was threefold:

1. What are the features of private rented accommodation that single Irish students

class as standard and class as luxury?

2. How much will these students pay for standard and luxury accommodation?

3. How much do they value each of the luxury features?

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The students sign the tenancy agreement on the basis of their 15 to 20 minute

assessment of the rental accommodation. Each assessment is contrasted with other

assessments of accommodation. What they view as providing the greatest value in

that brief assessment will be the winning accommodation.

Customer value “is dependent on how the customer perceives the benefits of an

offering and the sacrifice that is associated with its purchase” (Jobber and Fahy, 2006,

p. 6). Once the features of luxury accommodation are identified they will need to be

valued individually. By identifying what students‟ value and how much they value it

Mr. Ryan will be able to cost those different features against the value students place

on them. Where the cost is less than the net present value of the total future return

from students and future possible loss of revenue without the presence of these

features then he will include those features in the accommodation.

Coupled with the three objectives above, Mr. Ryan wants to know:

4. Have the students the willingness and ability to pay for the extra luxury features?

5. What is the size of the group that will actually pay for these luxury features?

6. The reasons students opt for the most popular type of accommodation.

7. Is there a correlation between the student‟s home and the choice of

accommodation they are choosing?

8. What personal preferences do students have in their choice of bed and central

heating?

This will require identifying factors that indicate whether they have the ability to pay

for a particular quality accommodation. The percentage of students that can afford

this will impact greatly on whether our client will introduce these new luxury features.

In clarifying the above problem experts in the area of student accommodation were

consulted e.g. accommodation officer in UL, Limerick Institute of Technology, Estate

Agent, Landlady, and a Student tenant. Their contributions are available in both the

Primary and Secondary Research below. The client was met a number of times

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before, during and after these interviews until the group ensured that the eight

objectives above were sufficient to provide the information he needed in making his

particular marketing decisions.

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Research Methods

This research profited greatly from the use of both exploratory and descriptive

research. Even though all the group researchers had some familiarity with the issue of

student accommodation they felt they needed a broader perspective on the problem of

evaluating student preferences. For that reason exploratory research was embarked on.

Exploratory research

It explored the issue of student accommodation and gave the group some new insights

and a basic understanding of it. It was an essential foundation on which to prepare for

descriptive research.

The exploratory research was conducted by the use of in-depth interviews with

experts and stakeholders in the problem area. A focus group with students was used.

Relevant literature was also reviewed.

The informality of these methods was very valuable. The face to face encounters were

semi-structured which facilitated the exploring of issues that the group had not

contemplated. It gave the researchers the freedom to explore different avenues of

interest and change the direction of the enquiry.

In the words of Domegan and Fleming (2003, p. 63) “exploratory research is about

establishing trends, patterns and ranges of behaviour.” This research threw light on

students‟ perceptions, experience and knowledge of rented accommodation. Hearing

first hand from students and service providers helped in identifying a broader range of

variables on which to conduct further research.

Appendices B, C, D, E, F, G, H and the bibliography give fuller details, especially

procedure details, of the exploratory research that was conducted.

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Descriptive research

Once the exploratory stage was completed the researchers were enabled to embark on

descriptive research. Descriptive research relies on prior knowledge and background

information being available. The group took the known variables and prepared a

questionnaire on which to quantify them. This research was also based on taking

pricing data from relevant sources for computational purposes in the later analysis

stage.

The researchers pursued cross-sectional data. It displays the who, what, where, when

and how of the relevant variables at a particular point in time. It measures the number

and amount of a variables present. For example, it quantifies the number of people

who expect broadband in their accommodation or the amount a particular group of

students will pay for luxury accommodation.

The researchers needed to evaluate and assess the various aspects of the

accommodation, and its price. What are students looking for in accommodation?

What do they value and how much do they value it?

From this information the client, Mr. Ryan, would be able to identify a unique selling

point and be able to cost it. He also wanted to be able to segment the market and

quantify the size of the market who would be interested in his unique selling point. He

needed to know how much they would be able to pay for it. The size of the market

would be quantified as a percentage of the target market.

Analysis would be carried out on these findings. An interpretation can be drawn by

correlating the different pieces of data into a cohesive mosaic. This will then facilitate

recommendations being made to the client.

Appendices I and J give procedural details of the descriptive research that was

conducted.

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Secondary Research

In order to reach their findings the research group conducted desk research to gather

secondary data. They endeavoured to ensure that it was as relevant to the project

objectives. Before this data was included in the project the quality of the original data

and its comparability with the current project were assessed; the data was not too

dated for inclusion in this project (Domegan et al., 2003, 78-9).

If data offered background to the current study it would also be included. The data

was externally sourced from the following bodies. Since it comes from multiple and

reputable sources increased validity is added to it when there is compatibility. The

secondary research was used to collaborate the findings of the primary research. It

was also used to highlight internal weaknesses and strengths, and external

opportunities and threats enjoyed by this client. The following are the findings from

the three sources of secondary research.

The Accommodation’s Office at the University of Limerick

A listing of accommodation in UL environs that is registered with the

Accommodation Office was availed of. It specifies where the property is located, the

landlord‟s contact details, and a basic description of the dwelling and the cost of

rental.

The following information was elicited from the rental charges:

Minimum €40.00

Maximum €90.00

Average €64.55

Median €65.00

Mode €65.00

Standard deviation €7.95

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Rose supplied a member of the research group with a brochure detailing „On Campus

Accommodation‟ at UL. The associated prices were downloaded from the website,

www.ul.ie/campuslife/fees.htm. The accommodation varies from an eight bed house

to a two bed apartment. Rents do include the following features free of charge:

1. Maintenance

2. Security

3. Internet connection

4. Cable TV including TV license

5. Refuse collection

6. Refuse sacks

7. Light bulbs

8. A cost for limited usage of energy

The weekly rental charges are:

Minimum €94.61

Maximum €138.11

Average €118.61

Median €125.17

Mode €125.17

Standard deviation €16.18

The fuller details can be seen in Appendix M.

Associated banks in Ireland i.e. Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank

In summary research from the banks highlight

1. The majority of students have a part-time job and are living away from home.

2. There is a move away from parents and towards the job to be their main

source of finance.

3. Rented accommodation is their highest monthly expenditure costing on

average €251 per month.

4. Students are thrifty and have savings accounts. Savings are a big source of

finance for holidays at 88% with parents at 40%

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According to the Ulster Bank in 2005, four out of every five students receive money

from their parents, while an estimated 63% work part-time to support living costs

(http://www.rte.ie/news/2005/0809/survey.html, 2005).

In 2006, the Bank of Ireland commissioned research which shows that having fun is

the number one priority for today's students who are spending an average of €121

each month on socialising and going out. The findings also demonstrated that parents

do no foot the bill for student socialising. 41% of the students stated that they receive

most of their income from part-time employment. Only 32% now cite their parents as

their main source of funding during college. The research further highlights that 43%

of those in part-time jobs are working between 10 and 20 hours per week and most

earning more than €300 per month. With 62% of students now living away from

home, the research shows that accommodation is the highest monthly student

expenditure - costing an average of €251. (Bank of Ireland, 2006).

Bank of Ireland found that students are cautious when it comes to their finances,

according to research in 2007. Just one in five of its student customers have a credit

card. Even more impressively, only one in eight have a loan and three-quarters of

them clear their credit card bill every month or operate a credit balance.

(http://www.bankofireland.com/press_room/latest_releases/2007/press_releases_news

_111927_13.html, 2007)

From research in 2008, the Bank of Ireland stated that 88% of third level students

used savings as their source of funding, while 40% funded their trips with gifts from

family and friends.

(http://www.bankofireland.com/press_room/latest_releases/2008/General_Content_10

00308.html, 2008)

Higher Education Authority in Ireland

A „typical‟ full-time student is studying a primary degree (67%), single (88%), and it

on average 22 years of age.

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In 2003/04, the average monthly accommodation in Limerick costs €341. Students

were generally satisfied with their accommodation: 48% were „very satisfied‟, 33%

were „satisfied‟, 15% considered their accommodation „acceptable‟, 3% were

„dissatisfied‟ and 1% „very dissatisfied‟ with their living conditions.

Students under 20 years of age pursuing a primary degree are more likely to live with

their parents/ relatives or in designated student accommodation than older students.

Students living in student accommodation spend more on average on their

accommodation compared to other groups. Students living with their parents or

relatives expressed the highest level of satisfaction with their accommodation while

satisfaction levels were lowest among those living in student accommodation. Overall

the average distance of students‟ accommodation from college was 2.5 miles.

Employment is the main source of income. Over half of students receive some income

from their family while 40 per cent receive some support from the State (in the form

of grants, social welfare payments or State scholarships). 54% of students also receive

indirect support from their family in the form of a subsidy towards accommodation or

other expenses. The proportion of students receiving such subsidies is higher among

the younger age group. The highest proportion of a student‟s money goes on

accommodation and food. Students spend an average €611 per month on various

items.

Female students were more likely to report being in regular paid employment than

their male counterparts (47% compared with 39%) However, students whose parents

have third-level qualifications are less likely to hold regular jobs than whose parents

have lower educational levels. The largest single group of students in employment

work 6 to 10 hours per week with just 7 per cent working more than twenty hours per

week. In general, students‟ term-time jobs in Ireland are not related to their main field

of study.

In general, third-level students participating in the survey tend to describe their

current financial situation as „fair‟ or „good‟. Students from the professional classes

are more likely to report being „very satisfied‟ with their material well-being

compared to those from working-class backgrounds. (Darmody, et al., 2005).

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Research Tools

„Market research is the systematic and objective identification, collection, analysis,

dissemination and use of information for the purpose of improving decision making..‟

according to the American Marketing Association (Malhotra, 2004, 7). A research

tool is any entity that facilitates the more effective execution of that process. In this

study numerous tools were used from interview to mathematical models to using

Microsoft PowerPoint to present the findings. These are outlined below.

Sample size determination

Sampling is about taking a small proportion of the entire population in order to elicit

responses for certain questions. The challenge is to ensure that the sample is

representative of the population. The population for this study was about 6,200

students from UL that were living in rented accommodation. After consultation with

Mr. Eoghan Sadlier, an expert in research, it was agreed that 100 students from

different years in the Limerick Institute of Technology would be representative.

109 students responded to the questionnaires of which 28 were from UL. Their

responses are the primary source of information for the study‟s findings and

recommendations. One small focus group meeting was held at the beginning. There

were also in-depth interviews with experts in the field of student accommodation

held. These were used to give direction to where the descriptive research should go.

Non-probability sampling method was used in this study of which there are four

types: purpose, judgement, quota, and convenience sampling. The latter two types of

sampling were used to varying degrees. Quota sampling was the type that was most

widely used by the researchers. It attempts to replicate the population without using

random selection. Year of study was the predetermined control that was used in

choosing the sample. The group used this one-dimensional control believing that it

would allow the sample to be representative of the population.

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Since it wasn‟t easy to gain access to classes convenience sampling was also used. It

is attractive because questionnaires can be filled much quicker. The danger is that it

may not be representative of the population. (Domegan et al., 2003, 370-3).

Interview

In-depth interviews are an unstructured and direct way of obtaining information. The

researchers used it to explore the area of student accommodation. They approached

some pertinent stakeholders such as a landlord, auctioneer, college accommodations

office personnel, UL students, LIT students. These subjects were classed as “experts

in the field” because of both their personal and professional experience on a daily

basis. It was highly beneficial to the study because it uncovered information that the

researchers wouldn‟t have sought. It also allowed the interviewees to reveal attitudes

and motives that would be unbecoming in other research channels. (Domegan et al.,

2003, 153-7). The practicalities and fruits of these interviews can be seen in

appendices B, C, D, G, and H.

Focus groups

The five subjects in the focus group were students living in rented accommodation.

They were randomly chosen. The moderator, a member of the research team, had both

theoretical and practical experience of counselling. When the group dynamic is alive

in a focus group then it can lend to a huge outflow of ideas and feelings. Ideas from

one person can trigger a chain reaction of ideas from others. (Domegan et al., 2003,

143-153). It funded the research group with ideas that contributed very positively to

the structuring of their questionnaire. The practicalities and fruits of this focus group

can be seen in text and DVD in appendices E, and F.

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Questionnaire

The questionnaire had a total of 70 variables so the researchers endeavoured to make

it easy for the respondents to fill out. Ten minutes was viewed as the maximum

allowable time to fill out a questionnaire. The final questionnaire required all that

time. Except for three open ended questions most of the others were dichotomous or

multiple-choice questions.

The questionnaire opened with a welcoming salutation and promise of confidentiality

and concluded with a word of gratitude. The first question was a filtering question

with the personal questions left to the end. The opening questions were the easiest to

answer. Effort was put into the layout of the questionnaire with lots of white space

throughout the four pages.

The questionnaire was pretested on a random sample of five from the population and

administered by those who were eventually going to have that task. A sample

questionnaire is available in Appendix I and a brief description of its implementation

in Appendix J. (Malhotra, 2004, 276-309; Domegan et al., 2003, 272-311).

Computer applications

Most of the data produced in this project was by SPSS. Its main program is

frequencies. Its main cross-tabulation is Crosstabs. Both of these were used to great

effect in this project and produced almost all the data that was used in analysis.

(Malhotra, 2004, 461)

Tabulation of survey results

Once all the survey results are stored in SPSS they then need to be tabulated. The

most basic form of tabulation is the one-way frequency table. One variable is

considered at a time. The objective is to count the number of responses associated

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with different values of a variable. The frequency of different values of a variable is

expressed as a percentage or a number. (McDaniel, C., Gates, R., 1993, 537)

Crosstabulation is the next analytical tool that was used in this study. Even though it

is a powerful analytical tool it is simple to understand. “Many marketing research

studies, possibly most, go no further than crosstabulations in terms of analysis”

(McDaniel et al., 1993, 540). It examines the responses of one variable in response to

one or more variables. The output can be represented as numbers or percentages in

tables or graphs. This can be easily understood by those who are not statically

orientated.

The chi-square statistic is used to measure the strength of association between two

variables (Malhotra, 2004, 444).

Microsoft Excel offers many analytical tools e.g. correlations, minimum, maximum,

average, median, mode, standard deviation. Correlations can be determined by using

the CORREL function. It can only be used when a correlation coefficient of two cell

ranges is needed. It could be used to find a correlation coefficient between the year a

student is in and the amount of weekly rent they are prepared to pay. The CHITEST

function assesses the correlation between actual results and expected results.

Mathematical Tools

The internal rate of return was used to calculate the net present value of investing

money in luxury items when compared to the extra money that students were prepared

to pay for them.

Graphical representation of data

Even though software applications are invariably defaulted to output survey results in

tabular format they can also be configured to present them in graphical format.

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Microsoft Excel would be amongst the most powerful tools for graphical

representations. It offers column, line, pie, bar and area charts.

In this study the results were initially outputted in tabular structures which were

collated in the Appendices. From there most of them were copied to Excel where they

were represented in pie, line or bar charts.

Presentation of findings

The popular Microsoft PowerPoint will be used in the display of the final results to

the client and his audience by the research team.

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Research Findings

Through the use of SPSS and Microsoft Excel this section will take the answers from

the questionnaires and present them in graphical format with commentary. It will

begin by examining the profile of the sample. It will then show the findings for the

eight objectives under the following headings.

1. Features that categorise accommodation as standard or luxury according to

students.

2. Rent students pay and will pay for different types of accommodation.

3. Students opt for luxury accommodation.

4. Students‟ personal preferences in beds and central heating.

5. Correlation between students‟ expectations of accommodation and their family

home.

Profile of the respondents?

109 questionnaires were completed for this project. They were unmarried Irish third

level students living in rented accommodation (Appendix L, Question 1). This is the

primary source of this report‟s findings. It is also substantiated by secondary research,

four interviews with various stakeholders and one focus group with students.

The following 4 graphs give a profile of the 109 student respondents to the

questionnaire.

(Appendix L, Question 19)

First18%

Second24%

Third20%

Fourth18%

Post-Grad20%

College Year of Participating Students

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Males52%

Females48%

Gender Size

Urban48%Rural

52%

Home Residence

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79% of the respondents varied in age from 18 to 23 years of age, with 21 year olds

occupying the largest portion of that group (Appendix L, Question 20).

70% of the respondents made from 2 to 5 accommodation inspections before choosing

one (Appendix L, Question 10).

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

28

29

31

33

Percentage

Age

Age profile of Respondents

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

0

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

10

11

13

20

25

29

Percentage of students who visited

Nu

mb

er

of

acco

mm

od

atio

n u

nit

s vi

site

d

Percentage of students who make a particular number of accommodation examinations before chooing one

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Features that categorize accommodation as standard or luxury according to

students

This is the first objective that the client needed answered (Appendix L, Question 2).

What follows is a listing and ranking of these features:

Item Standard Luxury

Cleanliness inside 97% Cooker 96% Fridge/Freezer small 96% Microwave 95% Bed Type: single 93% Suite of Furniture 93% Aerial to receive the 4 Irish channels 92% Insulated house 92% Window Coverings 91% Windows (single glaze) 89% Electric shower 87% 22 inch TV 84% House well maintained 83% Insulated hot tank 82% Washing machine 82% Fridge/Freezer medium 73% Windows (double glaze) 69% Wall decorations 63% Cut lawns 60% Free Refuse service 52%

Cable television

50%

Tumble Dryer

51%

Broadband installed

53%

Bed Type: double

56%

DVD player

56%

Dishwasher

61%

Shed

68%

Fridge/Freezer large

71%

Free Electricity

73%

32 inch plasma TV

73%

En-suites in each bedroom

73%

Free Heating

74%

Sky television

93%

42 inch plasma TV

97%

50 inch plasma TV

99%

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Rent students pay and will pay for different types of accommodation

What is the highest rent student respondents are willing to pay for a single room in

house accommodation?

67% of students will pay a maximum of €60 to €80 per week for a single room in

house accommodation. 47% of students will pay a maximum of €70 to €80 per week

for a single room in house accommodation. 39% of students will pay a maximum of

€70 to €75 per week for a single room in house accommodation. There are only 8% of

respondents who will pay €80 per week. There is a total of 21% who will pay above

€80 per week. €70 to €75 per week is the pertinent figures to take from these statistics

(Appendix L, Question 14).

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

€10

€25

€40

€45

€50

€55

€60

€65

€66

€70

€72

€75

€80

€83

€85

€90

€99

€100

€110

€120

Percentage

We

ekl

y re

nt

Maximum weekly rent student are willing to pay for a single room in house accommodation

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74% of students would pay from €50 to €70 per week for standard accommodation.

The highest concentration of 30% would pay €60 per week. 17% would pay more

than €70 per week with 9% paying less than €50 per week (Appendix L, Question

4&5).

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

63

65

70

72

75

80

83

85

100

Percentage

We

ekl

y re

nt

Maximum weekly rent would respondents pay for standard accommodation

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49% of students would pay a maximum of €70 to €80 per week for standard

accommodation with all the luxury features. If the range is increased from €65 to €90

per week then 70% of students will pay that amount. The highest concentration is

33% of students prepared to pay between €75 and €80 per week (Appendix L,

Question 4&5).

0% 5% 10% 15% 20%

€40

€45

€48

€50

€55

€60

€65

€66

€70

€73

€75

€80

€83

€85

€90

€95

€99

€100

€120

€135

Percentage of people who would pay a particular weekly rent

Wee

kly

ren

t

Weekly rent respondents would pay for standard accommodation with all the luxury features

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64% of respondents actually pay from €60 to €75 per week. 25% will pay varying

amounts above that range while 11% will pay below that range (Appendix L,

Question 12).

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

0

35

36

40

50

55

60

64

65

70

72

75

80

82

83

84

85

88

90

99

100

110

Percentage of people who pay a particular amount

We

ekl

y re

nt

Weekly rent respondents actually pay for accommodation

3rd


28

Students opt for luxury accommodation

Which accommodation would respondents actually choose?

Almost 2 to 1 of the respondents would actually choose Standard accommodation

with all the luxury features as described above in preference to standard

accommodation.

It is worth noting that 69% of students who choose standard accommodation did so

because of price (Appendix L, Question 7).

Standard35%

Luxury65%

Choice of accommodation

Comfort36%

Ease Living36%

Other28%

Reason why Students choose Luxury Accommodation

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Figure 1A

The landline and DVD player are being dropped from the offering since 56% and

57% respectively would give nothing for them. Chorus television is also being

dropped since it would be only costing 4 cent per week per student extra than the

highly popular Sky Television.

Weekly rent per week per student

42'' Plasma TV €1.00

Double Bed €0.56

Dishwasher €0.27

Tumble Dryer €0.25

€2.08

Weekly per week per student

Sky TV €1.37

Broadband €2.66

€4.03


The above tables show that products are much cheaper to supply than services. These

are the amounts that need to be recouped when products are supplied using an internal

57%

19% 15%5% 3% 1%

56%

19%11%

6% 6% 3%

35%

30%

18%

12%3% 3%

34%

31%

17%

11%

4%3%

29%

34%

18%

11%

5%3%

28%

21%

18%

21%

7%6%

20%

18%

28%

16%

6% 12%

13%

27%

25%

15%

8% 10%

7%

19%

32%

17%

11% 14%

0 cent 1-99 cent €1.00– €1.99 €2.00–€2.99 €3.00– €3.99 €4.00–€4.99

Percentage of students who are willing to pay different prices for each of the luxury features

Sky TV

Broadband

42 inch Plasma TV

Double bed

Dishwasher

Tumble dryer

Chorus TV

Landline

DVD player

3rd


30

rate of return of 0%. This would give the breakeven point if the cost of capital was

free. If the cost of capital was 4% then the weekly rental charge per student would rise

to €2.33. That means that the cost of supplying both services and products would

amount of a total rental increase of €6.36.

Figure 1A above shows that on average 60% of students are prepared to pay from 1

cent to €2.99 per week for the six features that would be included in luxury

accommodation as outlined above. If an average figure of €1.50 was used the return

would be €9 per week income. This would more than compensate for the total

investment in these luxury features.

Students have shown an appetite for luxury accommodation and are willing to pay in

the region of €75 to €80 per week as shown in Table 1B below. This is the market

segment that our client felt was not being met and wanted to enter.

Type of accommodation situations € to €

Weekly rent respondents would pay for standard accommodation 60 65 Week rent respondents actually pay for accommodation 65 70 Highest rent student respondents are willing to pay for a single room

in house accommodation 70 75

Weekly rent respondents would pay for standard accommodation with

all the luxury features 75 80

Table 1B

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31

Students’ personal preferences in beds and central heating

The client sought information that is represented in the following which is an

addendum to the main focus of this study.



Soft55%

Hard45%

Type of Bed Preference

Oil46%

Gas54%

Type of Central Heating

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Correlation between students’ expectations of accommodation and their

family home

The client wanted to know if the student‟s expectations for accommodation were

dependent on what they had at home. If this dependency existed then improvements in

household amenities should be similarly matched in student rented accommodation. It

was examined under two variables: broadband and dishwashers.

Broadband

Having broadband at home has a reasonable impact on whether students class it as a

standard or luxury item in their rented accommodation. 71% of students who do not

have broadband at home class it as a luxury. Only 52% of those who do have

broadband at home class it as a luxury (Appendix L, Item 4).

The value of .115 from the Cramer‟s V test indicates that the relationship is not

strong. A value of zero indicates that there is no relationship, while a value of one

indicates a perfect relationship. (Janssens et al., 60-65, 2008).

Dishwasher

Having a dishwasher at home has also a reasonable impact on whether students class

it as a standard or luxury item in their rented accommodation. 71% of students who do

not have a dishwasher at home class it as a luxury. Only 51% of those who do have

dishwasher at home class it as a luxury (Appendix L, Item 5). The value of .116 from

the Cramer‟s V test indicates that the relationship is not strong.

Both findings were very similar and show that the amenities in a family home do not

impact greatly on students expectations from their rented accommodation.

Conclusions

The students come from the different year groups, equally divided between males and

females, urban and rural, with their ages varying from 18 to 23 years. They inspect

3rd


33

between 2 and 5 accommodations before choosing one. A list of 35 items details what

is standard and luxury. Students are willing to pay from €60 to €85 per week for

accommodation. 65% of students would choose luxury accommodation if offered it.

Comfort and ease of living are the two main reasons for their choice. They are

prepared to pay €9 extra per week for six of the top luxury features.

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Recommendations

The findings from this study put forward a number of recommendations with regard

to student accommodation. They are:

1. There is a market for standard accommodation with luxury features.

2. Sky TV, broadband, 42” plasma TV, double bed, dishwasher, and tumble

dryer are defining features of luxury student accommodation and should be

provided.

3. The market can bear a weekly rental from €75 to €80 per week.

4. The group that should be targeted come from all year groups especially post-

graduate students. They tend to be female, rural students with part-time jobs.

5. „Comfort‟ and „ease of living‟ should be highlighted in promoting this type of

accommodation.

6. Soft beds should be installed since they are slightly more popular.

7. Gas central heating is preferred over oil.

8. Since there isn‟t a strong correlation between family home amenities and

student expectations of their accommodation, then the improvements to family

homes is a weak guide as to what students class as luxury accommodation.

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Limitations of the Research Findings

1. The research group had no experience of research in the accommodation

sector.

2. Due to time constraints there was only 109 questionnaires used.

3. The absence of funding limited the extent of the study. With additional

financial resources the scope of the study could have been enlarged resulting

in a more representative study.

4. The impact of the possible downturn in the economy due to the current

recession needs to be included in decisions that the client will be making.

5. It would be interesting to know how UL can command premium rates.

6. The study examined only the internal factors that affect the student‟s decision

when choosing their accommodation. External factors like distance from

college, external environs, type of desirable neighbourhood were not

examined.

7. The non-increase in the number of accommodation places, and the possible

introduction of college fees need to be considered when the client is making

future decisions. Rising unemployment will possibly increase the numbers of

post-graduate students. With co-operative jobs becoming more difficult to get

there is a likelihood of an increased demand for accommodation places. These

are factors that will affect the students‟ decisions in choosing accommodation

that could become scarce. It should also impact on the offerings that Mr. Ryan

will be making to his tenant students.

8. Ideally this should be carried out when students have just examined a house.

This wasn‟t possible or practical especially considering the time constraints

imposed on the group.

9. Another possible research topic could examine what students actually view

and don‟t view when examining a residence. What kind of information,

persuasion, and reassurance they need? This survey will emphasise the items

that need to be highlighted to order to differentiate the client‟s residence from

others. The handing out of a flyer when leaving the residence could be another

means of keeping the strong differentiating features to the fore of their minds.

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36

10. Another possible research topic could examine what students actually view

and don‟t view when examining a residence. What kind of information,

persuasion, and reassurance they need? This suggested survey could discover

the items that need to be highlighted to order to best differentiate one

residence from others.

11. All student rental accommodation is not homogenous. Therefore the rental

payments that students quote need to be understood in the context.

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Appendix A

All four members of the Group attended the following meetings. There were other

occasions where there were informal meetings of some or all of the members to

facilitate a particular task that a member was doing.

Date Location Purpose

January 19 Lecture room Choosing the research topic.

February 27 Library Meeting Room Planning the project. Allotting work.

March 3 Room 4A01 Review of Focus Group Meeting.

March 6 Eoghan Sadlier‟s Office Review of the group‟s work to date.

March 11 Lecture room Planning the actual filling in of the 100

questionnaires.

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Appendix B

J. J. Keane interviewed Rose Merrigan, University of Limerick Accommodation

Office (061-202331, [email protected]) on Friday February 27th

2009, at her

office.

Rose Merrigan identified the most important items as being

Distance from the college

Fridge/freezer size and

Availability of a microwave in the kitchen

The next most important items were:

Cost of the rent

Security

Cooker

Washing machine

The next ranking was

Cleanliness of the house

Bed type

Heating system

Cable TV

Double glazed windows

Presence of a tumble dryer

The next grouping was:

Student friendly neighbourhood

Dishwasher

DVD player

Window coverings

En-suite bathrooms

Insulated house with an insulated hot tank

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39

The next ranking was:

Distance from Kilmurry Lodge Hotel

Grocery shops

Availability of Broadband

Type of suite of furniture

The items Rose felt that students ranked least when inspecting a house were:

Cut lawns

Garden shed

Wall decorations

Paint colour

Distance from a bus stop

Rose Merrigan stated that students expect a standard of accommodation that is a little

below the accommodation they are used to at home. Cable television is important to

them for watching matches. For that reason she believed that the availability of

Setanta is important to sports fans.

Rose supplied J. J. Keane with a brochure detailing On Campus Accommodation at

the University of Limerick. The associated prices were downloaded from the website,

www.ul.ie/campuslife/fees.htm.

She also supplied him with a listing of accommodation in the UL environs that is

registered with the Accommodation Office. It specifies where the property is located,

the landlord‟s contact details, and a basic description of the dwelling and the cost of

rental.

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Appendix C

J. J. Keane conducted a telephone interview with Aoife from the University of

Limerick Student Academic Affairs (061-202700) on Friday, February 27th

2009.

Aoife confirmed that approximately 25 percent of UL students were on maintenance

grants. That amounted to 3,000 out of 12,000 students. They received between €1,140

and €2,000 in three payments throughout the academic year.

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Appendix D

J. J. Keane interviewed Richard de Courcy, of de Courcy Estate Agents,

Glentworth Street, Limerick (061-415188) on Saturday, February 28th

2009 at his

office.

The items that he highlighted as important to tenants were:

1. Clean both inside and outside the house.

2. Bright house by good choice of paint, papering, or furnishings.

3. Comfortable house.

4. Warm house.

5. Thoughtful and planned layout of items in the house.

6. House and furniture must not be dated or tacky.

7. Television receiving more than the basic Irish channels. Accommodation

would need to have either Sky TV or Chorus Multi-channel or something

similar.

8. Broadband need not be supplied if there is a landline or a connection to

Chorus Multi-channel.

A list of rental accommodation and their associated prices were furnished to J. J.

Keane by Richard de Courcy for further analysis.

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Appendix E

Focus Group met in Room 4A01, LIT on Tuesday, March 3rd

at 3:00 p.m. The

moderator was J. J. Keane. The other team members had roles at it. Vicki Ryan acted

as camera person. Kieran Curtin took minutes of the meeting. Lucas was one of the

participants in the focus group. The participants were students from LIT: Conor,

Claire, Anne-Marie, Lucas, and Cathy. These were 3rd

year students. The meeting

lasted for 18 minutes. The DVD can be located in Appendix F.

The following questions were asked:

1. What words would you use to describe the accommodation that you would

like to choose? This concerned matters both internal and external.

2. Which of these internal items are viewed as standard or luxury?

3. What weekly rent do students pay for accommodation?

4. What words would you use to describe accommodation that you dislike?

5. How long would you spend examining potential accommodation before

signing up?

6. In choosing accommodation what features would you look for? What criteria

do you use when choosing accommodation?

7. How much would plasma TV appeal to you?

8. Does the character of the landlord impact on you?

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9. What extra features would your dream accommodation contain, over and

above standard accommodation?

10. Where do you do your washing?

11. Do you prefer gas or oil central heating?

12. Is a landline necessary in student accommodation?

13. Is a microwave standard in houses?

14. Where do you eat your main meal each day?

15. How do students finance their accommodation?

Answers from the respondents:

Students could spend up to of 2 days visiting 5 dwellings and spending 30 minutes in

each visit. These would tend to be the maximum figures.

They choose accommodation on the basis of:

1. Vicinity to the college or gym

2. Electric shower

3. Television

4. People who they would be sharing with

5. Broadband present

6. Cost to the accommodation: value for money

7. Clean and fresh.

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Students disliked:

1. Noise from parties and loud music

2. Cold or damp house

3. Storage heaters not good for student with asthma

Luxury items would be classed at

1. Presence of channel television was important for some respondents who had

moved from home. It kept them out of the pub and trouble. This was also a

financial saving.

2. Bigger room

3. House well insulated

4. More storage space

5. Privacy

6. Double bed

7. Bigger fridge freezer

8. Dishwasher as it lessens fights about who does the wash-up.

9. Tumble dryer, but it is very expensive

Students generally finance their accommodation by a combination of many sources

e.g. family, job, maintenance grant, and savings. They have their main meal in their

accommodation. Microwaves are classed as standard in accommodation. A landline is

not necessary since students have mobile phones. Students generally do their washing

in their family home but occasionally they will need to do it in their accommodation.

Accommodation could cost as high as €85 per week for a room with a double bed and

en-suite.

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Appendix F

DVD from the Focus Group meeting in Room 4A01, LIT on Tuesday, March 3rd

at

3:00 p.m. which is detailed in Appendix E.

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46

Appendix G

J. J. Keane conducted a 22 minute phone interview with Cathy Crawford, a

Landlady (087-1253018), who manages a number of student residences in Castletroy,

Limerick, on Monday, March 9th

2009.

She stated that students would inspect 3 to 5 houses before choosing one. They would

spend about 10 minutes in each dwelling. Rents vary from €50 to €55 for a box room,

€65 for a standard room, with a room containing an en-suite fetching €70 to €75 per

week. As students move up through the college their expectations increase. First and

second years would settle for standard accommodation, while third, fourth, and post-

graduates would expect more. Many students have jobs to finance their life style.

First and second years tend to take their laundry to their family home while the senior

students tend to do it in their accommodation.

Cathy outlined many features that she believed students valued:

1. Closeness to the college

2. Warm house.

3. Double glazing

4. Clean house

5. Reasonable rent, about €65 per week for a room

6. Large upstairs room

7. All the appliances are in working order

8. Large fridge freezer

9. Microwave

10. Cooker where the hob and oven are separate

11. Preference for gas central heating over oil

12. Who they would be sharing with. Fourth years do not want to live with first

years.

13. The less students residing in the accommodation the more preferable

14. Having the landlord close by so he can carry out maintenance and repairs

promptly

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15. Students prefer to pay their refuse, heating and electricity bills themselves

16. Senior students would be expecting Chorus or Sky television.

Cathy Crawford believed that students would class the following items as luxuries:

1. DVD player

2. Landline

3. Broadband

4. Tumble dryer

5. Dishwasher

6. Larger television

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Appendix H

Kieran Curtin interviewed Wayne Dalton the Accommodation Officer in the

Limerick Institute of Technology on Thursday 19th March 2009, from 12.15pm -

12.30pm at LIT Student‟s Union.

During the course of the interview Wayne stated that LIT accommodation office

generally works as a referral service i.e. they give students a potential list of

properties which fits the student‟s accommodation criteria. The LIT accommodation

does not get involved in the actual tenancy agreement as that is between the students

and the landlord but does try to negotiate the lowest price for the students.

In general first and second year students tend to rent rooms in Cratloe and Thomand

villages, while third and fourth years stay in private residential accommodation. In

most cases LIT students pay €65 to €80 per week for their student accommodation.

In his opinion features like 42inch plasma televisions, Chorus and Sky television and

electric showers would be luxuries that student may not be willing to pay for. Features

such broadband, cleanliness, parking facilities and well maintained accommodation

would be high on the list of priorities and essential when students are choosing their

accommodation.

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Appendix I

Student Questionnaire

Thanks for volunteering to complete this questionnaire. All information supplied will be treated

with the strictest confidentiality and will only be used for this current class project.

1. Are you an unmarried Irish third level student living in rented accommodation? (please tick)

yes

no

2. Mark in the appropriate column whether in your opinion a feature is Standard or Luxury in student rented accommodation.

Features considered when inspecting a house for Rental

Standard Luxury

1. Cleanliness inside

2. Broadband installed

3. Tumble Dryer

4. Dishwasher

5. Washing machine

6. Fridge/Freezer small

7. Fridge/Freezer medium

8. Fridge/Freezer large

9. Cooker

10. Microwave

11. Bed Type: single

12. Bed Type: double

13. 22 inch TV

14. 32 inch plasma TV



17. Aerial to receive the 4 Irish channels

18. Cable television

19. Sky television

20. DVD player

21. Suite of Furniture

22. Wall decorations

23. Window Coverings

24. Electric shower

25. En-suites in each bedroom

26. Windows (single glaze)

27. Windows (double glaze)

28. Insulated house

29. Insulated hot tank

30. Shed

31. Cut lawns

32. House well maintained

33. Free Refuse service

34. Free Electricity

35. Free Heating

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3. Please outline below extra features that you would like in your accommodation and rate them as either Standard or Luxury.

Extra Features

Standard Luxury

36.

37.

38.

39.

40. 4. What weekly rent would you actually pay for a single room in standard accommodation as outlined above in question 2 and 3 by you? €___________ per week 5. What weekly rent would you actually pay for a single room in standard accommodation with all the luxury features as outlined above in question 2 and 3 by you? €___________ per week 6. Which accommodation would you actually choose? (please tick)

standard accommodation

standard accommodation with all the luxury features

7. Outline reasons for your choice:

(i) ________________________________________________________________

(ii) ________________________________________________________________

8. What type of Bed do you prefer? (please tick)

firm

soft

9. What type of Central Heating do you prefer? (please tick)

gas

oil

10. When looking for accommodation how many different accommodation units do you

examine on average before choosing one? ________ units

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11. If the items listed below were present in your accommodation, how much extra would you actually pay per week for each of them?

Features 0 cent 1-99 cent

€1.00– €1.99

€2.00–€2.99

€3.00– €3.99

€4.00–€4.99

1. 42 inch Plasma

TV

2. Double bed 3. Dishwasher 4. Tumble dryer 5. Chorus TV 6. Sky TV

7. Broadband

8. Landline 9. DVD player

Other items

10. 11.

12.

13. 12. How much a week do you pay for accommodation? €___________ per week

13. Please tick if your rent includes any of the following:

ESB heat refuse

14. What is the highest rent that you are willing to pay for a single room in house accommodation? €___________ per week

15. Where is your laundry done? (please tick)

accommodation

elsewhere

16. Do you have a dishwasher at your family home? (please tick)

yes

no

17. Do you have broadband at your family home? (please tick)

yes

no

18. What is the largest size TV you have in your family home? _________ inch

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52

19. What year are you in college? (please tick whichever applies)

1. first

2. second

3. third

4. fourth

5. post-graduate

20. Age: ________________ (in years)

21. Sex: male (please tick whichever applies)

female

22. Home residence? (please tick)

urban residence

rural residence

23. Do you receive a maintenance grant? (please tick)

yes

no

24. How do you finance your accommodation? (please tick whichever applies)

1. family

2. grant

3. job

4. savings

5. other

25. Do you have a part-time job? (please tick)

yes

no

26. How much on average is your take home pay per week from you part-time job? (please

tick)

less than €50

€50 to €99

€100 to €149

€150 to €199

€200 to €249

€250 to €299

greater than €299

Thanks for your time and effort in filling out this questionnaire. Have a good day!

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Appendix J

Vicki Ryan conducted the distribution, completion, and return of one hundred and

nine questionnaires to LIT and UL students during lecture periods with the consent of

the relevant authorities during the week beginning Wednesday, 11th

March 2009. She

was ably assisted by Kieran Curtin.

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54

Appendix K

Rose Merrigan, University of Limerick Accommodation Office (061-202331,

[email protected]) supplied J. J. Keane on Friday February 27th

2009 with the

following written documentation for descriptive research:

1. A brochure detailing On Campus Accommodation at the University of

Limerick. The associated prices were downloaded from the website,

www.ul.ie/campuslife/fees.htm.

2. A listing of accommodation in the UL environs that is registered with the UL

Accommodation Office. It specifies where the property is located, the

landlord‟s contact details, and a basic description of the dwelling and the cost

of rental.

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Appendix L

Question 1

Are you an unmarried Irish third level student living in rented accommodation?

Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative

Percent

Valid Yes 98 89.9 89.9 89.9

No 11 10.1 10.1 100.0

Total 109 100.0 100.0

Missing Missing 0 0

Total 109 100.0

Question 2

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: Cleanliness inside


Percent

Valid Standard 106 97.2 97.2 97.2

Luxury 3 2.8 2.8 100.0

Total 109 100.0 100.0

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: Broadband installed


Percent

Valid Standard 51 46.8 47.2 47.2

Luxury 57 52.3 52.8 100.0

Total 108 99.1 100.0

Missing missing 1 .9

Total 109 100.0

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: Tumble dryer


Percent


Luxury 56 51.4 51.4 100.0

Total 109 100.0 100.0

3rd


56

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: Dishwasher


Percent


Luxury 67 61.5 61.5 100.0

Total 109 100.0 100.0

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: Washing machine


Percent


Luxury 20 18.3 18.3 100.0

Total 109 100.0 100.0

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: Fridge/Freezer small


Percent

Valid Standard 103 94.5 96.3 96.3

Luxury 4 3.7 3.7 100.0

Total 107 98.2 100.0

Missing missing 2 1.8

Total 109 100.0

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: Fridge/Freezer medium


Percent


Luxury 28 25.7 26.7 100.0

Total 105 96.3 100.0


Total 109 100.0

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: Fridge/Freezer large


Percent


Luxury 75 68.8 71.4 100.0

Total 105 96.3 100.0


Total 109 100.0

3rd


57

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: Cooker


Percent

Valid Standard 105 96.3 96.3 96.3

Luxury 4 3.7 3.7 100.0

Total 109 100.0 100.0

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: Microwave


Percent

Valid Standard 104 95.4 95.4 95.4

Luxury 5 4.6 4.6 100.0

Total 109 100.0 100.0

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: Bed Type single


Percent

Valid Standard 101 92.7 92.7 92.7

Luxury 8 7.3 7.3 100.0

Total 109 100.0 100.0

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: Bed Type double


Percent


Luxury 60 55.0 56.1 100.0

Total 107 98.2 100.0


Total 109 100.0

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: 22 inch TV


Percent


Luxury 17 15.6 15.6 100.0

Total 109 100.0 100.0

3rd


58

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: 32 inch Plasma TV


Percent


Luxury 78 71.6 72.9 100.0

Total 107 98.2 100.0


Total 109 100.0



Percent


Luxury 104 95.4 97.2 100.0

Total 107 98.2 100.0


Total 109 100.0



Percent

Valid Standard 1 .9 .9 .9

Luxury 106 97.2 99.1 100.0

Total 107 98.2 100.0


Total 109 100.0

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: Aerial to receive the 4 Irish channels


Percent

Valid Standard 100 91.7 91.7 91.7

Luxury 9 8.3 8.3 100.0

Total 109 100.0 100.0

3rd


59

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: Cable Television


Percent


Luxury 55 50.5 50.5 100.0

Total 109 100.0 100.0

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: Sky Television


Percent


Luxury 99 90.8 92.5 100.0

Total 107 98.2 100.0


Total 109 100.0

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: DVD player


Percent


Luxury 61 56.0 56.5 100.0

Total 108 99.1 100.0


Total 109 100.0

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: Suite of Furniture


Percent

Valid Standard 100 91.7 92.6 92.6

Luxury 8 7.3 7.4 100.0

Total 108 99.1 100.0


Total 109 100.0

3rd


60

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: Wall decoration


Percent


Luxury 40 36.7 37.4 100.0

Total 107 98.2 100.0


Total 109 100.0

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: Window Coverings


Percent


Luxury 10 9.2 9.4 100.0

Total 106 97.2 100.0


Total 109 100.0

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: Electric shower


Percent


Luxury 14 12.8 13.0 100.0

Total 108 99.1 100.0


Total 109 100.0

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: En-suites in each bedroom


Percent


Luxury 79 72.5 73.1 100.0

Total 108 99.1 100.0


Total 109 100.0

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61

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: Windows (singles glaze)


Percent


Luxury 12 11.0 11.1 100.0

Total 108 99.1 100.0


Total 109 100.0

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: Windows (double glaze)


Percent


Luxury 33 30.3 30.8 100.0

Total 107 98.2 100.0


Total 109 100.0

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: Insulated house


Percent


Luxury 9 8.3 8.3 100.0

Total 108 99.1 100.0


Total 109 100.0

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: Insulated hot tank


Percent


Luxury 19 17.4 17.8 100.0

Total 107 98.2 100.0


Total 109 100.0

3rd


62

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: Shed


Percent


Luxury 72 66.1 67.9 100.0

Total 106 97.2 100.0


Total 109 100.0

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: Cut lawns


Percent


Luxury 42 38.5 39.6 100.0

Total 106 97.2 100.0


Total 109 100.0

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: House well maintained


Percent


Luxury 18 16.5 16.8 100.0

Total 107 98.2 100.0


Total 109 100.0

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: Free refuse service


Percent


Luxury 51 46.8 48.1 100.0

Total 106 97.2 100.0


Total 109 100.0

3rd


63

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: Free Electricity


Percent


Luxury 77 70.6 72.6 100.0

Total 106 97.2 100.0


Total 109 100.0

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental: Free heating


Percent


Luxury 78 71.6 73.6 100.0

Total 106 97.2 100.0


Total 109 100.0

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64

Questions 4 & 5

Statistics

Weekly rent for standard

accommodation

Weekly rent for standard

accommodation with all the luxury

features

N Valid 108 106

Missing 1 3

Mean 68.08 87.79

Median 60.00 80.00

Mode 60 80

Weekly rent for standard accommodation


Percent

Valid 25 1 .9 .9 .9

30 1 .9 .9 1.9

35 1 .9 .9 2.8

40 5 4.6 4.6 7.4

45 2 1.8 1.9 9.3

50 13 11.9 12.0 21.3

55 5 4.6 4.6 25.9

60 32 29.4 29.6 55.6

63 1 .9 .9 56.5

65 12 11.0 11.1 67.6

70 17 15.6 15.7 83.3

72 1 .9 .9 84.3

75 3 2.8 2.8 87.0

80 8 7.3 7.4 94.4

83 1 .9 .9 95.4

85 1 .9 .9 96.3

100 3 2.8 2.8 99.1

690 1 .9 .9 100.0

Total 108 99.1 100.0

Missing 9999 1 .9

Total 109 100.0

3rd


65

Weekly rent for standard accommodation with all the luxury features


Percent

Valid 40 1 .9 .9 .9

45 2 1.8 1.9 2.8

48 1 .9 .9 3.8

50 3 2.8 2.8 6.6

55 1 .9 .9 7.5

60 5 4.6 4.7 12.3

65 8 7.3 7.5 19.8

66 1 .9 .9 20.8

70 12 11.0 11.3 32.1

73 1 .9 .9 33.0

75 16 14.7 15.1 48.1

80 19 17.4 17.9 66.0

83 1 .9 .9 67.0

85 9 8.3 8.5 75.5

90 7 6.4 6.6 82.1

95 2 1.8 1.9 84.0

99 2 1.8 1.9 85.8

100 7 6.4 6.6 92.5

120 5 4.6 4.7 97.2

135 1 .9 .9 98.1

401 1 .9 .9 99.1

702 1 .9 .9 100.0

Total 106 97.2 100.0

Missing 9999 3 2.8

Total 109 100.0

3rd


66

Question 6

Which accommodation would you actually choose?


Percent

Valid Standard accommodation 38 34.9 35.2 35.2

Standard accommodation with all the luxury features 70 64.2 64.8 100.0

Total 108 99.1 100.0

Missing Missing 1 .9

Total 109 100.0

Question 7

Case Processing Summary

Cases

Valid Missing Total

N Percent N Percent N Percent

Outlines (I) reasons for your choice * Which accommodation would you actually choose?

84 77.1% 25 22.9% 109 100.0%

Outlines (II) reasons for your choice * Which accommodation would you actually choose?

35 32.1% 74 67.9% 109 100.0%

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Outlines reasons for your choice * Which accommodation would you actually choose?

Crosstabulation

Which accommodation would you

actually choose? Total

Standard accommodatio

n

Standard accommodation with all the

luxury features

Outlines(I) reasons for your choice

Price Count 20 2 22

% within Which accommodation would you actually choose?

69.0% 3.6% 26.2%

Comfort Count 0 20 20


.0% 36.4% 23.8%

Easier to live Count 1 20 21


3.4% 36.4% 25.0%

Useless for student Count 4 1 5


13.8% 1.8% 6.0%

Risk damaged Count 1 0 1


3.4% .0% 1.2%

Other Count 3 12 15


10.3% 21.8% 17.9%

Total Count 29 55 84


100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

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Outlines reasons for your choice * Which accommodation would you actually choose? Crosstabulation

Which accommodation would you

actually choose? Total


n


luxury features


n

Outlines(II) reasons for your choice

Price Count 3 1 4


25.0% 4.3% 11.4%

Comfort Count 1 6 7


8.3% 26.1% 20.0%

Easier to live Count 0 7 7


.0% 30.4% 20.0%

Useless for student Count 3 0 3


25.0% .0% 8.6%

Risk damaged Count 2 0 2


16.7% .0% 5.7%

Other Count 3 4 7


25.0% 17.4% 20.0%

Make college easier Count 0 4 4


.0% 17.4% 11.4%

9 Count 0 1 1


.0% 4.3% 2.9%



100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

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Question 8

What type of Bed do you prefer?


Percent

Valid Firm 48 44.0 44.9 44.9

Soft 58 53.2 54.2 99.1

3 1 .9 .9 100.0

Total 107 98.2 100.0

Missing Missing 2 1.8

Total 109 100.0

Question 9

What type of Central heating do you prefer?


Percent

Valid Gas 57 52.3 54.3 54.3

Oil 48 44.0 45.7 100.0

Total 105 96.3 100.0


Total 109 100.0

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70

Question 10

How many different accommodation units do you examine before choosing one?


Percent

Valid 0 4 3.7 3.8 3.8

2 16 14.7 15.4 19.2

3 23 21.1 22.1 41.3

4 15 13.8 14.4 55.8

5 19 17.4 18.3 74.0

6 7 6.4 6.7 80.8

7 7 6.4 6.7 87.5

8 3 2.8 2.9 90.4

10 4 3.7 3.8 94.2

11 1 .9 1.0 95.2

13 1 .9 1.0 96.2

20 1 .9 1.0 97.1

25 1 .9 1.0 98.1

29 1 .9 1.0 99.0

99 1 .9 1.0 100.0

Total 104 95.4 100.0

Missing 999 5 4.6

Total 109 100.0

Question 11

How much extra would you actually pay per week for 42 inch Plasma TV?


Percent

Valid 0 cent 21 19.3 20.4 20.4

1-99 cents 19 17.4 18.4 38.8

€1.00-€1.99 29 26.6 28.2 67.0

€2.00-€2.99 16 14.7 15.5 82.5

€3.00-€3.99 6 5.5 5.8 88.3

€4.00-€4.99 12 11.0 11.7 100.0

Total 103 94.5 100.0


Total 109 100.0

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71

How much extra would you actually pay per week for Double Bed?


Percent

Valid 0 cent 29 26.6 27.6 27.6

1-99 cents 22 20.2 21.0 48.6

€1.00-€1.99 19 17.4 18.1 66.7

€2.00-€2.99 22 20.2 21.0 87.6

€3.00-€3.99 7 6.4 6.7 94.3

€4.00-€4.99 6 5.5 5.7 100.0

Total 105 96.3 100.0


Total 109 100.0

How much extra would you actually pay per week for Dishwasher?


Percent

Valid 0 cent 30 27.5 29.4 29.4

1-99 cents 35 32.1 34.3 63.7

€1.00-€1.99 18 16.5 17.6 81.4

€2.00-€2.99 11 10.1 10.8 92.2

€3.00-€3.99 5 4.6 4.9 97.1

€4.00-€4.99 3 2.8 2.9 100.0

Total 102 93.6 100.0


Total 109 100.0

How much extra would you actually pay per week for Tumble dryer?


Percent

Valid 0 cent 35 32.1 34.0 34.0

1-99 cents 32 29.4 31.1 65.0

€1.00-€1.99 18 16.5 17.5 82.5

€2.00-€2.99 11 10.1 10.7 93.2

€3.00-€3.99 4 3.7 3.9 97.1

€4.00-€4.99 3 2.8 2.9 100.0

Total 103 94.5 100.0


Total 109 100.0

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72

How much extra would you actually pay per week for Chorus TV?


Percent

Valid 0 cent 35 32.1 34.7 34.7

1-99 cents 30 27.5 29.7 64.4

€1.00-€1.99 18 16.5 17.8 82.2

€2.00-€2.99 12 11.0 11.9 94.1

€3.00-€3.99 3 2.8 3.0 97.0

€4.00-€4.99 3 2.8 3.0 100.0

Total 101 92.7 100.0


Total 109 100.0

How much extra would you actually pay per week for Sky TV?


Percent

Valid 0 cent 7 6.4 6.7 6.7

1-99 cents 20 18.3 19.0 25.7

€1.00-€1.99 33 30.3 31.4 57.1

€2.00-€2.99 18 16.5 17.1 74.3

€3.00-€3.99 11 10.1 10.5 84.8

€4.00-€4.99 14 12.8 13.3 98.1

44 1 .9 1.0 99.0

47 1 .9 1.0 100.0

Total 105 96.3 100.0


Total 109 100.0

How much extra would you actually pay per week for Broadband?


Percent

Valid 0 cent 14 12.8 13.2 13.2

1-99 cents 29 26.6 27.4 40.6

€1.00-€1.99 27 24.8 25.5 66.0

€2.00-€2.99 16 14.7 15.1 81.1

€3.00-€3.99 9 8.3 8.5 89.6

€4.00-€4.99 11 10.1 10.4 100.0

Total 106 97.2 100.0


Total 109 100.0

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73

How much extra would you actually pay per week for Landline?


Percent

Valid 0 cent 57 52.3 55.9 55.9

1-99 cents 19 17.4 18.6 74.5

€1.00-€1.99 11 10.1 10.8 85.3

€2.00-€2.99 6 5.5 5.9 91.2

€3.00-€3.99 6 5.5 5.9 97.1

€4.00-€4.99 3 2.8 2.9 100.0

Total 102 93.6 100.0


Total 109 100.0

How much extra would you actually pay per week for DVD player?


Percent

Valid 0 cent 59 54.1 57.3 57.3

1-99 cents 20 18.3 19.4 76.7

€1.00-€1.99 15 13.8 14.6 91.3

€2.00-€2.99 5 4.6 4.9 96.1

€3.00-€3.99 3 2.8 2.9 99.0

€4.00-€4.99 1 .9 1.0 100.0

Total 103 94.5 100.0


Total 109 100.0

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74

Question 12

How much a week do you pay for accommodation?


Percent

Valid 0 1 .9 1.0 1.0

35 1 .9 1.0 1.9

36 1 .9 1.0 2.9

40 2 1.8 1.9 4.8

50 5 4.6 4.8 9.6

55 1 .9 1.0 10.6

60 14 12.8 13.5 24.0

64 1 .9 1.0 25.0

65 21 19.3 20.2 45.2

70 17 15.6 16.3 61.5

72 2 1.8 1.9 63.5

75 12 11.0 11.5 75.0

80 5 4.6 4.8 79.8

82 3 2.8 2.9 82.7

83 2 1.8 1.9 84.6

84 3 2.8 2.9 87.5

85 5 4.6 4.8 92.3

88 1 .9 1.0 93.3

90 3 2.8 2.9 96.2

99 1 .9 1.0 97.1

100 2 1.8 1.9 99.0

110 1 .9 1.0 100.0

Total 104 95.4 100.0

Missing 9999 5 4.6

Total 109 100.0

Actually weekly rents

€69.76 Average

€70.00 Median

€65.00 Mode

€12.81 Standard deviation

€35.00 Minimum

€110.00 Maximum

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75

Question 13

Please tick if your rent includes ESB


Percent

Valid Include 44 40.4 40.4 40.4

Not Include 65 59.6 59.6 100.0

Total 109 100.0 100.0

Please tick if your rent includes Heat


Percent

Valid Include 40 36.7 36.7 36.7

Not Include 69 63.3 63.3 100.0

Total 109 100.0 100.0

Please tick if your rent includes Refuse


Percent

Valid Include 54 49.5 49.5 49.5

Not Include 55 50.5 50.5 100.0

Total 109 100.0 100.0

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76

Question 14

What is the highest rent that you are willing to pay for a single room in house accommodation?


Percent

Valid 10 1 .9 .9 .9

25 1 .9 .9 1.9

40 1 .9 .9 2.8

45 1 .9 .9 3.7

50 5 4.6 4.6 8.3

55 3 2.8 2.8 11.1

60 12 11.0 11.1 22.2

65 9 8.3 8.3 30.6

66 1 .9 .9 31.5

70 28 25.7 25.9 57.4

72 1 .9 .9 58.3

75 13 11.9 12.0 70.4

80 9 8.3 8.3 78.7

83 1 .9 .9 79.6

85 5 4.6 4.6 84.3

90 9 8.3 8.3 92.6

99 1 .9 .9 93.5

100 5 4.6 4.6 98.1

110 1 .9 .9 99.1

120 1 .9 .9 100.0

Total 108 99.1 100.0

Missing 9999 1 .9

Total 109 100.0

Question 15

Where is your laundry done?


Percent

Valid Accommodation

57 52.3 52.8 52.8

Elsewhere 51 46.8 47.2 100.0

Total 108 99.1 100.0


Total 109 100.0

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77

Question 16

Do you have dishwasher at your family home?


Percent

Valid Yes 83 76.1 77.6 77.6

No 24 22.0 22.4 100.0

Total 107 98.2 100.0


Total 109 100.0

Question 17

Do you have broadband at your family home?


Percent

Valid Yes 88 80.7 81.5 81.5

No 20 18.3 18.5 100.0

Total 108 99.1 100.0


Total 109 100.0

Question 18

What is the largest size TV you have in your family home?


Percent

Valid 20-28 17 15.6 16.5 16.5

29-33 22 20.2 21.4 37.9

34-42 51 46.8 49.5 87.4

42< 13 11.9 12.6 100.0

Total 103 94.5 100.0


Total 109 100.0

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78

Question 19

What year are you in college?


Percent

Valid First 19 17.4 17.8 17.8

Second 27 24.8 25.2 43.0

Third 21 19.3 19.6 62.6

Fourth 19 17.4 17.8 80.4

Post-graduate 21 19.3 19.6 100.0

Total 107 98.2 100.0


Total 109 100.0

Question 20

Age of Respondent


Percent

Valid 17 1 .9 .9 .9

18 8 7.3 7.3 8.3

19 11 10.1 10.1 18.3

20 14 12.8 12.8 31.2

21 24 22.0 22.0 53.2

22 14 12.8 12.8 66.1

23 15 13.8 13.8 79.8

24 6 5.5 5.5 85.3

25 4 3.7 3.7 89.0

26 3 2.8 2.8 91.7

28 1 .9 .9 92.7

29 3 2.8 2.8 95.4

31 1 .9 .9 96.3

33 1 .9 .9 97.2

999 3 2.8 2.8 100.0

Total 109 100.0 100.0

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79

Question 21

Sex of Respondent


Percent

Valid Male 48 44.0 45.3 45.3

Female 58 53.2 54.7 100.0

Total 106 97.2 100.0

Missing No response 3 2.8

Total 109 100.0

Question 22

Home residence?


Percent

Valid Urban residence 51 46.8 47.7 47.7

Rural residence 55 50.5 51.4 99.1

21 1 .9 .9 100.0

Total 107 98.2 100.0


Total 109 100.0

Question 23

Do you receive a maintenance grant?


Percent

Valid Yes 49 45.0 45.8 45.8

No 58 53.2 54.2 100.0

Total 107 98.2 100.0


Total 109 100.0

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80

Question 24

How do you finance your accommodation?


Percent

Valid Family 37 33.9 34.6 34.6

Grant 32 29.4 29.9 64.5

Job 25 22.9 23.4 87.9

Savings 9 8.3 8.4 96.3

Other 4 3.7 3.7 100.0

Total 107 98.2 100.0


Total 109 100.0

Question 25

Do you have a part-time job?


Percent

Valid Yes 71 65.1 67.0 67.0

No 34 31.2 32.1 99.1

3 1 .9 .9 100.0

Total 106 97.2 100.0


Total 109 100.0

Question 26

How much on average is your take home pay per week from you part-time job?


Percent

Valid Less than €50 10 9.2 11.8 11.8

€50 to €99 24 22.0 28.2 40.0

€100 to €149 30 27.5 35.3 75.3

€150 to €199 9 8.3 10.6 85.9

€200 to €249 5 4.6 5.9 91.8

€250 to €299 2 1.8 2.4 94.1

Greater than €299 5 4.6 5.9 100.0

Total 85 78.0 100.0


Total 109 100.0

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81

Item L10

Weekly rent for standard accommodation with all the luxury features * Which accommodation would you actually choose? Cross tabulation

Which accommodatio

n would you actually choose? Total


luxury features

Standard accommodation

with all the luxury features

Weekly rent for standard accommodation with all the luxury features

40 Count

1 1


1.4% 1.4%

45 Count 1 1


1.4% 1.4%

48 Count 1 1


1.4% 1.4%

50 Count 3 3


4.3% 4.3%

55 Count 1 1


1.4% 1.4%

60 Count 3 3


4.3% 4.3%

65 Count 6 6


8.7% 8.7%

66 Count 1 1


1.4% 1.4%

70 Count 9 9

% within Which accommodation would you

13.0% 13.0%

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82

actually choose?

73 Count 1 1


1.4% 1.4%

75 Count 15 15


21.7% 21.7%

80 Count 7 7


10.1% 10.1%

83 Count 1 1


1.4% 1.4%

85 Count 7 7


10.1% 10.1%

90 Count 3 3


4.3% 4.3%

95 Count 1 1


1.4% 1.4%

99 Count 1 1


1.4% 1.4%

100 Count 4 4


5.8% 5.8%

120 Count 2 2


2.9% 2.9%

702 Count 1 1


1.4% 1.4%

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83

Total Count 69 69


100.0% 100.0%

Item L11

How much a week do you pay for accommodation? * Which accommodation would you actually choose? Cross tabulation

Which accommodatio

n would you actually choose? Total


luxury features


luxury features

How much a week do you pay for accommodation?

0 Count

1 1


1.5% 1.5%

35 Count 1 1


1.5% 1.5%

36 Count 1 1


1.5% 1.5%

40 Count 1 1


1.5% 1.5%

50 Count 3 3


4.4% 4.4%

60 Count 10 10


14.7% 14.7%

65 Count 15 15

3rd


84


22.1% 22.1%

70 Count 9 9


13.2% 13.2%

72 Count 1 1


1.5% 1.5%

75 Count 6 6


8.8% 8.8%

80 Count 4 4


5.9% 5.9%

82 Count 2 2


2.9% 2.9%

83 Count 2 2


2.9% 2.9%

84 Count 3 3


4.4% 4.4%

85 Count 3 3


4.4% 4.4%

88 Count 1 1


1.5% 1.5%

90 Count 2 2


2.9% 2.9%

100 Count 2 2


2.9% 2.9%

110 Count 1 1

3rd


85


1.5% 1.5%

Total Count 68 68


100.0% 100.0%

Item L3

What year are you in college?


Percent

Valid First 16 22.9 22.9 22.9

Second 14 20.0 20.0 42.9

Third 10 14.3 14.3 57.1

Fourth 11 15.7 15.7 72.9

Post-graduate 19 27.1 27.1 100.0

Total 70 100.0 100.0

Item L4

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental : Broadband installed * Do you have broadband at your family home ? Crosstabulation

Do you have broadband at your family home ? Total

Yes No Yes

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental : Broadband installed

Standard Count 30 2 32

% within Do you have broadband at your family home?

47.6% 28.6% 45.7%

Luxury Count 33 5 38


52.4% 71.4% 54.3%

Total Count 63 7 70


100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

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86

Chi-Square Tests

Value df Asymp. Sig.

(2-sided) Exact Sig. (2-sided)

Exact Sig. (1-sided)

Pearson Chi-Square 1.899(b) 1 .168

Continuity Correction(a)

1.160 1 .281

Likelihood Ratio 1.963 1 .161

Fisher's Exact Test .232 .140

Linear-by-Linear Association 1.871 1 .171

N of Valid Cases 69

a Computed only for a 2x2 table b 0 cells (.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 6.29.

Symmetric Measures

Value Approx. Sig.

Nominal by Nominal

Phi .115 .337

Cramer's V .115 .337

N of Valid Cases 70

a Not assuming the null hypothesis. b Using the asymptotic standard error assuming the null hypothesis.

Item L5

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental : Dishwasher * Do you have dishwasher at your family home ? Crosstabulation

Do you have dishwasher at your family home ? Total

Yes No Yes

Features considered when inspecting a house for rental : Dishwacher

Standard Count 27 4 31

% within Do you have dishwasher at your family home ?

49.1% 28.6% 44.9%

Luxury Count 28 10 38


50.9% 71.4% 55.1%



100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

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87

Chi-Square Tests

Value df Asymp. Sig.

(2-sided) Exact Sig. (2-sided)

Exact Sig. (1-sided)

Pearson Chi-Square 1.899(b) 1 .168

Continuity Correction(a)

1.160 1 .281

Likelihood Ratio 1.963 1 .161

Fisher's Exact Test .232 .140

Linear-by-Linear Association 1.871 1 .171

N of Valid Cases 69

a Computed only for a 2x2 table b 0 cells (.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 6.29.

Symmetric Measures

Value Approx. Sig.

Nominal by Nominal

Phi .166 .168

Cramer's V .166 .168

N of Valid Cases 69

a Not assuming the null hypothesis. b Using the asymptotic standard error assuming the null hypothesis.

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88

Appendix M

Our rental fees have not changed for the Academic Year 2009/10

Rental fees include all utilities as well as cable TV and high speed internet connection

Plassey Village Room Rate per person Energy Total Booking Deposit

8 Bed House €3,160 €246 €3,406 €250

4 Bed House €3,622 €308 €3,930 €250

Kilmurry Village Room Rate per person Energy Total Booking Deposit

8 Bed House €3,320 €246 €3,566 €250

6 Bed House €3,690 €246 €3,936 €250

Dromroe Village Room Rate per person Energy Total Booking Deposit

6 Bed Apartment €4,198 €308 €4,506 €250

2 Bed Apartment €4,572 €400 €4,972 €250

Thomond Village/ Cappavilla Room Rate per person Energy Total Booking Deposit

6 Bed Apartment €4,198 €308 €4,506 €250

4 Bed Apartment €4,328 €308 €4,636 €250

2 Bed Apartment €4,572 €400 €4,972 €250

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Appendix N

The Eurostudent Survey II, Irish Report on the Social and Living Conditions of

Higher Education Students 2003/2004 is a 95 page survey which explores the

characteristics of Ireland‟s student population, the economic circumstances they find

themselves in, and their living circumstances. It was sanctioned by the Higher

Education Authority (Darmody, M. et al., 2005). The executive summary is contained

below.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PROFILE

Recent decades have seen a dramatic expansion of enrolment in higher education

institutions in Ireland. This expansion has been accompanied by a diversification of the

profile of students pursuing higher education. There are notable differences in the

experiences and profiles of part-time and full-time students pursuing higher education in

Ireland. A ‘typical’1 full-time student is on average 22 years of age, pursuing a primary

degree (67%), single (88%), has no children and has entered higher education after the

completion of the Leaving Certificate. Part-time students, however, tend to be older, on

average 32 years of age, are more likely to be engaged in full-time or part-time

employment and married with children (only 12% reported being single). Part-time

students are also more likely to use ‘non-traditional’ (i.e. Mature Years, Access, etc.)

entry routes to higher education.

ACCOMMODATION

The highest proportion of full-time and part-time students live in a rented house or a flat

(39%). Thirty-three per cent of students live with their parents/relatives, 17 per cent in

their own household, 7 per cent in college residences either on or off the campus and 4

per cent in lodgings/digs. Students under 20 years of age pursuing a primary degree are

more likely to live with their parents/ relatives or in designated student accommodation

than older students. In general, all students spend a significant amount of their monthly

income on accommodation, which is more expensive in larger towns and cities,

1 The median is used as the ‘average/typical’ age in this report. The median age is the point at which half of the

sampled students are older than this age while half are younger.

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90

especially in Dublin where the total average monthly accommodation costs amount to

€417. Students living in student accommodation spend more on average on their

accommodation compared to other groups. Students living with their parents or relatives

expressed the highest level of satisfaction with their accommodation while satisfaction

levels were lowest among those living in student accommodation. Overall the average

distance of students’ accommodation from college was 2.5 miles. The data also showed

that, as might be expected, the further the accommodation, the longer students spent

travelling to college.

INCOME

The average monthly direct income received by third-level students is €830. As might be

expected, part-time students have substantially higher monthly incomes than full-time

students (€1934 compared with €578). For both full-time and part-time students, the main

source of income is employment. Over half of full-time students receive some income

from their family while 40 per cent receive some support from the State (in the form of

grants, social welfare payments or State scholarships). Fifty-four per cent of students

also receive indirect support from their family in the form of a subsidy towards

accommodation or other expenses. The proportion of students receiving such subsidies

is higher among the younger age group on full-time courses.

EXPENDITURE

Expenditure among higher education students is highest on accommodation and food. In

general, expenditure levels are significantly higher among part-time students who spend

an average of €1110 per month on various items compared with €611 among full-time

students.

EMPLOYMENT

International studies show that more students are coming to university after working for a

period of time and an increasing number are taking up employment while still in college.

In Ireland, part-time students are much more likely to have held a regular job before

college than full-time students (73 per cent compared with 22 per cent). Over half (53%)

of students participating in the study hold regular jobs, 15 per cent work occasionally

while 32 per cent do not hold a paid job during term-time. Female students were more

likely to report being in regular paid employment than their male counterparts (47%

compared with 39%) However, full-time students whose parents have third-level

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qualifications are less likely to hold regular jobs than whose parents have lower

educational levels. The largest single group of full-time students in employment work 6 to

10 hours per week with just 7 per cent working more than twenty hours per week. In

general, students’ term-time jobs in Ireland are not related to their main field of study.

The occupational profile of full-time and part-time workers differs markedly. In contrast to

the concentration of full-time workers in service employment, part-time workers tend to

be concentrated in professional and managerial employment. Students working during

term-time tend to be less ‘satisfied’ with their workload than those not engaged in paid

employment.

FINANCIAL WELL-BEING

In general, third-level students participating in the survey tend to describe their current

financial situation as fair or good. However, part-time students are much more likely to

describe their financial situation as good (40%) compared to their full-time counterparts

(24%), a pattern that must be seen in the context of higher incomes among this group.

Students’ satisfaction with their financial situation is also clearly linked with their income -

among both full-time and part-time students, those with higher satisfaction levels tend to

have higher incomes. Students from the professional classes are more likely to report

being ‘very satisfied’ with their material well-being compared to those from working-class

backgrounds. Full-time students were more likely to report being ‘satisfied’ with their

workload while part-time students were more likely to find their workload ‘acceptable’.

Dissatisfaction levels are related to the number of hours worked per week and to the

number of hours spent in lectures and tutorials.

STUDENT MOBILITY

Approximately 10 per cent of students had studied abroad at some point during their

current course. Study-related activities abroad were more common among students from

higher social classes and those whose parents were highly educated. Study abroad was

more common among students on Humanities and Social Sciences courses than other

areas. In general, students rely on their families or employment for funding their study

abroad. Overall fluency levels in foreign languages are relatively low but proficiency is

greater among those who have studied abroad.

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Appendix O

IRR for investing in a 42" plasma TV

Year €1 p/w extra €1.25 p/w extra €1.50 p/w extra

0 -799 -799 -799

1 180 225 270

2 180 225 270

3 80 225 270

4 180 225 270

5 180 225 270

IRR 0.04% 12.61% 20.48%

IRR for investing in a Double Bed

Year €0.56 p/w extra €0.60 p/w extra €1.00 p/w extra

0 -499 -499 -499

1 101 108 135

2 101 108 135

3 101 108 135

4 101 108 135

5 101 108 135

IRR 0.33% 2.69% 11.00%

IRR for investing in a Dishwasher


1 -309 -309 -309

2 49 72 90

3 49 72 90

4 49 72 90

5 -11 12 30

6 49 72 90

7 -11 12 30

8 49 72 90

9 49 72 90

10 49 72 90

IRR 0.54% 12.54% 20.50%

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IRR for investing in a Tumble dryer


1 -279 -279 -279

2 45 63 81

3 45 63 81

4 45 63 81

5 -15 3 21

6 45 63 81

7 -15 3 21

8 45 63 81

9 45 63 81

10 45 63 81

IRR 0.43% 10.83% 19.82%

IRR for investing in a DVD


0 -50 -50 -50

1 11 14 18

2 11 14 18

3 11 14 18

4 11 14 18

5 11 14 18

IRR 2.62% 13.53% 23.44%

Yearly cost Weekly per week

Chorus TV €240.00 €1.33

Sky TV €246.00 €1.37

Broadband €479.40 €2.66

Landline €305.64 €1.70

Total €7.06

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