In April 2021, the demand for land plots on average across Russia increased by 37% compared to the same period in 2020.
Experts from Avito Real Estate told RT about this.
“Most often, Russians are interested in acquiring land for individual housing construction (IZHS).
In April, such clients accounted for more than half of all inquiries (66%), ”said Dmitry Alekseev, head of primary and suburban real estate at Avito Real Estate.
According to the Russian Guild of Realtors, the growth in demand across regions was uneven - from 20% to 100%.
At the same time, the most active purchase of land plots today is in the Moscow and St. Petersburg agglomerations, as well as in the Krasnodar Territory.
“One of the main reasons for the observed dynamics was the desire of Russians to live in more comfortable conditions.
Citizens are gradually coming to understand that outside the city they can buy a land plot and build a full-fledged house with an area of 100-200 sq.
m at the price of a small apartment within the city, "- told RT in the press service of the organization.
In addition, the acquisition of a land plot without a house allows you to evenly distribute the family budget.
This point of view in an interview with RT was expressed by the chief analyst of TeleTrade Group Mark Goykhman.
According to him, the cost of the site is much lower in comparison with finished objects, and building a house can be cheaper than buying land with an already erected building.
“The fact that over the past year the profitability of bank deposits has fallen also plays a role, as the rates on deposits have become lower.
Under these conditions, citizens redistribute part of their savings and invest in those assets that can potentially add to the price, ”added Goikhman.
© Komsomolskaya Pravda / Global Look Press
Moreover, Russians are opting for plots without houses against the background of a lack of quality proposals among ready-made objects.
Pyotr Gusyatnikov, Senior Managing Partner of PG Partners Law Firm, shared this opinion with RT.
According to the expert, the secondary suburban real estate market is not in steady demand, since in most cases rather outdated lots are put up for sale.
“Among the secondary housing, it is difficult to choose an object to your taste.
At the same time, there is a certain percentage of those for whom the dacha is a hobby.
They like to develop the land on their own, engage in construction, so they, as a rule, do not even look towards ready-made options, ”the expert noted.
Experts believe that the high demand for the purchase of land plots is partly due to the strengthening of government support measures.
So, in December 2020, a pilot program of preferential mortgages for individual housing construction was launched.
Under its terms, a loan at 6.1% can be obtained by citizens from 21 to 65 years old.
At the moment, such loans account for about 85% of all loans issued for the construction of private houses.
RT was told about this by Igor Larin, director of the mortgage business of DOM.RF bank.
“Also in April, we began to issue loans for individual housing construction within the framework of the“ Family mortgage ”at a rate of 4.7% per annum.
This has increased the availability of loans for a wider range of borrowers, and families with children have an opportunity to choose between an apartment and a house, ”said Larin.
According to Dmitry Alekseev, the interest of Russians in suburban real estate can be explained by the emerging trend towards de-urbanization.
So, as a result of the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, many Russians have switched to a remote employment format, so the demand for housing outside the city has increased additionally.
“Now there are changes in the structure of consumer values - with the widespread use of online formats of work, study and leisure, citizens began to actively consider for themselves the possibility of living outside the city and increasingly make a choice in favor of acquiring plots and building houses,” Alekseev emphasized.
Note that a sharp increase in demand for suburban real estate did not lead to a significant rise in prices for suburban properties.
According to Avito Real Estate, over the past year, the average price per one hundred square meters of land for individual housing construction has grown by only 2% - up to 39.9 thousand rubles.
According to the forecast of Peter Gusyatnikov, due to the action of the preferential mortgage program, the cost of suburban areas may further increase in the near future.
However, according to Mark Goikhman, the rise in prices by the end of 2021 will be limited and remain within the inflation range of 5-6%.