LAND UTILIZATION IN NEW HAMPSHIRE 21 



Summer Home Occupancy 



The seasonal occupancy of vacation homes has had a significant effect 

 on the social life and economy of rural towns. Although periods of occu- 

 pancy differed among types of properties and occupational groups, and 

 in some cases extended to all seasons of the year, the peak occurred during 

 July and August, and the winter was a period of virtual abandonment. 



Occupancy of waterfront homes was most seasonal in nature. Most 

 of them were occupied for a single continuous vacation period and were 

 closed for the rest of the year. More than half of this group were used 

 only during the traditional summer season from July 4 through Labor 

 Day. Other waterfront owners visited their properties occasionally on 

 week-ends or other holidays in addition to the summer vacations. A few 

 reported use only for week-end or occasional visits as circumstances war- 

 ranted (Table 4). Only one waterfront owner in ten reported occupancy 

 during the snow season, in most cases to accommodate week-end skiing 

 or ice-fishing parties. These accommodations generally were considered 

 makeshift and uncomfortable at best, for the cottages were not insulated 

 for winter use. and water pipes were disconnected at the end of the 

 summer. 



Occupancy of open country homes was much more casual, and both 

 the number of days and the seasons of occupancy were more varied than 

 in the case of waterfront homes. More open country owners combined 

 occasional spring, fall, and winter week-end or holiday use with summer 

 vacation use. A smaller number visited their properties for only a single 

 continuous vacation period. Continuous occupancy ranged from two 

 weeks to eight months, and averaged between two and three months. 

 More than one-third of the open country residents reported visits on 

 winter week-ends, and a few reported longer winter visits, including a 

 week or 10 days at Christmas. Skiing was mentioned as a real attraction 

 during the winter, but many owners visited their properties simply for 

 a week-end of relaxation. Since most open country homes had been 

 constructed by former year-round residents, accommodations were usu- 

 ally adequate for winter use. 



Periods of occupancy differed greatly among individuals, but showed 

 only slight variation from year to year. Retired persons reported the 

 longest periods, professional and big business men next, and managerial, 

 office, domestic, and skilled laborers the shortest. One-third of the re- 

 tired, business, and professional residents spent more than four months 

 on their properties, compared with only five per cent of the other groups, 

 because of differences in the length and flexibility of vacations. Owners 

 without children of school age reported longer occupancy than did those 

 who had to remain in the city during the school year. 



Three-quarters of all owners stated that they had made no significant 

 changes in periods of occupancy since the time of purchase. A few re- 

 ported lengthening of periods, especially after retirement, but a more 

 general tendency was for owners to stay shorter lengths of time after 

 about a decade of ownership. 



The retirement intentions of a large number of summer residents 

 shed light upon the evolutionary changes that are taking place in recrea- 



