Since the end of containment and the gradual relaxation of restrictions related to the health situation, real estate agencies have been taken by storm. Over this period, requests recorded by the Orpi real estate agency network increased by 40% compared to the same period in 2019. And beyond the figures, confinement has also changed the desires of French women and men. "What has fundamentally changed is the relationship between us and our property. We want it to be cocooning, in which we are comfortable ... And when I say well, it is beyond to be there in the evening for dinner and at night to sleep ", deciphered Christine Fumagalli, president of Orpi, Thursday in France moves on Europe 1.
The quest for west-facing housing
Until then, many French people felt that their dream house or apartment should be facing south. But climate change and containment have changed some minds. Christine Fumagalli thus says to observe "more 68% today of criteria checked for a west orientation".
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Being oriented to the west allows you not to be in full sun all day, especially when you want to work from home, and to enjoy a beautiful light in the evening. And even if it means having sun, we are increasingly looking for a house with a garden, or at least an apartment with a balcony. To find the right shoe for them, the French extended their search radius by around 100 kilometers.
The phenomenon also benefits small children in the Paris region
"Typically, in the Paris region, residents of Boulogne say to themselves: 'I'm going to live in Orléans. In Orléans, I have a house that is three times the area that I could have in the Paris region, so 190 square meters, and However, I am only one hour from Paris' ", illustrates Christine Fumagalli.
Finally, the phenomenon benefits small towns, especially those located near a train station and offering a good internet connection for teleworking.