A Close Look At The Expertís Perception Of The Suitability Of Construction Materials For Residential Use. Preliminary Studies

Managing the finances of construction includes the mortgage sector, which calculates the market value of properties, reflecting the incipient search for balance between supply and demand. The daily practice of expert property valuation is undoubtedly a complicated task, as market value involves both objective and subjective aspects that mean value for the property, and mere knowledge of the technique that leads to the possibility of the property appreciating in value is clearly insufficient. The lack of studies on the subjective perception of how construction materials influence the market value of properties for residential use has led to these preliminary considerations as a framework for the needs and shortfalls of subsequent research. This problem particularly affects not only the subjective quantification of the materials to be used in the property construction and development sector, but also property development management itself, as it makes it impossible to predict accurately the most probable sale price. By using critical analysis and reflecting on a previous research paper that designed an indicator of the perceived quality of construction materials used in homes, this paper studies the subjective perception by home use experts of the suitability of a material in a certain location, taking into account both the general perception of society and aspects such as quality, price, user acceptance, maintenance, cleanliness and suitability of use. To achieve this objective, a survey was designed that was conducted in public places in the province of Alicante (Spain) in the months of March and April 2009 and was completed by 35 experts. Univariate and inferential descriptive statistical analysis was run on the data, and their congruence was analysed. Initial results show that ceramic porcelain stoneware is the material best perceived by experts to be used in wet rooms in homes. Marble is preferred in other rooms. As a consequence of the study, it can be initially concluded that the highest levels of appraisal by experts on materials that influence the market value of a residential property are for ceramic and natural stone materials, based on aspects such as quality, maintenance and the suitability of use. The findings are relevant for obtaining scientific data with which to measure the subjective perception of experts before choosing the materials used in building a property for residential use.