The influence of environmental factors on property buyers’ choice of residential location in Poland

Th e main aim of this study was to identify the factors responsible for Polish property buyers' choice of residential location, including single-family houses and apartments. Th e following thesis was formulated: analysis of consumers' residential preferences based on their personal experience supports a more reliable evaluation of individual attributes of a residential location. Th is paper overviews the existing literature on the subject and ana- lyzes primary data collected by the computer-assisted web-interviewing (CAWI) method. Th e questionnaire developed by the authors was completed by 269 residents of three Polish regions. Th e respondents evaluated the quality of their residential environment and identifi ed environmental factors that could infl uence their health. Th e data were pro- cessed statistically to reveal that price is the most important factor behind the residential location choice. Other factors identifi ed by the respondents included the sense of security and a quiet neighborhood. High scenic value was regarded as a moderately important factor, although its signifi cance was recognized by the majority of the respondents.