Recently, the approaches to housing selection in Ukraine have significantly changed. Due to regular shelling and disruptions in communications, citizens are increasingly opting for autonomous private houses in the suburbs and apartments on lower floors, avoiding high-rise buildings and dependence on centralized systems.
This is reported by Finway
Demand for Autonomy and Security: What Buyers Are Looking For
According to Larisa Stavyhoga, the president of the Ukrainian Real Estate Professionals Association, the war has significantly impacted buyers’ needs. Now, the main criteria have become safety, mobility, and independence from urban utilities. The demand for private houses in the suburbs of Kyiv, Lviv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, and other major cities has particularly increased. People are striving for complete autonomy, equipping their homes with solar panels, generators, and insulation to withstand shelling and interruptions in electricity or gas supply.
“Of course, preference is given to small private houses in the suburbs. People are focused on complete autonomy. They are installing solar panels, generators, and insulating their homes. This is a response to constant shelling and power outages, and now there is also concern about gas supply,” explained Stavyhoga.
New compact houses with an area of up to 80 m² are often built “turnkey” with already installed alternative energy sources. They feature minimalist yet functional layouts. Buyers appreciate the ability to live independently of urban infrastructure.
Changing Priorities: From High-Rise Buildings to Ready-to-Move Housing
At the same time, interest in apartments in high-rise buildings, especially on the 10th floor and above, has sharply declined. This is due to the risk of prolonged power outages when elevators do not work, making it difficult to reach the upper floors. Now, apartments on lower floors, preferably up to the fifth, are more in demand.
The popularity of apartments with alternative energy sources is also rising: the presence of a generator, a water supply, a gas stove, or even stove heating makes such housing more appealing to buyers. According to Stavyhoga, if a building has gas or a generator, apartments are purchased more readily. Having a low floor has also become an advantage.
Price benchmarks have changed as well. Before the war, apartments priced at $150–200 thousand were popular, but now most transactions occur in the $30–70 thousand segment. Among buyers, those who have lost their homes due to hostilities or have been forced to leave dangerous regions, often utilizing state support programs, dominate.
Another trend is the desire to maintain mobility. Ukrainians are increasingly selling excess real estate to have liquid funds in case of changes in the situation in the country. They prefer cash, as they cannot be sure of the safety of any region.
Moreover, due to instability, limited finances, and lack of time, most Ukrainians are looking for ready-to-move housing where they can settle immediately. Apartments requiring renovation are becoming less attractive, as buyers are not willing to spend additional resources and effort on furnishing.