A recent survey conducted by the Credit Assistant service and summarized by Socialbites.ca reveals that many Russians living in apartments yearn for a private home. What attracts them most is more space, a larger plot of land, and the serenity that comes with living away from neighbors.
According to the results, about two-thirds of respondents live in apartments, while 18 percent either rent or own a house outside the city or a countryside cottage.
Among apartment residents, 64 percent express a desire to move away from the urban core. The key motivations include closer access to nature (cited by 45 percent), more living space (41 percent), and fewer nearby neighbors (34 percent).
Looking ahead, roughly one in seven respondents (14 percent) is prepared to relocate to a private home within the next year. Specifically, eight percent plan to rent a house, and five percent envisage buying or building a mortgaged home.
The main barriers to buying or renting a house are clear: high costs in preferred locations (52 percent), ongoing maintenance expenses (36 percent), and traffic congestion toward the city (48 percent).
Maintenance expenses are a common concern. The majority of tenants and homeowners, 53 percent, spend between 100 and 200 thousand rubles annually on upkeep. Twenty-four percent spend up to 100 thousand rubles, twelve percent allocate 150 to 200 thousand rubles, and eleven percent spend around 200 thousand rubles per year.
Survey participants also found that the homes they live in are generally smaller than what they would ideally want. The typical apartment size among respondents does not exceed 50 square meters, with 34 percent living in 40–50 m2 units, 16 percent in 30–40 m2 units, and 14 percent in units of 30 m2 or less. Yet a large majority, 84 percent, would prefer a space of at least 70 square meters.
Only about a quarter of respondents feel their desired home size aligns with what they can actually obtain. When asked about moving to larger homes in the coming year, most respondents, 74 percent, said they do not plan to move.
Overall satisfaction with the appearance of respondents’ homes is mixed. About 54 percent are generally satisfied, and 22 percent are completely satisfied, while 17 percent express a high level of dissatisfaction and 7 percent report strong dissatisfaction.
Reasons behind dissatisfaction with interior design include a boring atmosphere (42 percent), old furniture and wallpaper or outdated fixtures (35 percent), and the mismatch between the space and personal preferences in family homes (31 percent).
Regarding renovations, fewer than half of participants undertook any home repairs this year (31 percent), and 13 percent plan to renovate next year. The overall picture highlights a population attuned to the tradeoffs between space, cost, and comfort when considering a move to private housing.
Note: The data referenced originates from the Bank of Russia’s reporting on the mortgage market, which indicates shifts in mortgage issuance patterns during the period surveyed.