A recent survey conducted by RE/MAX Europe shows that Europeans’ ideal homes have five rooms, excluding the kitchen, bathroom, and lobby, and an average surface of some 131 sqm. The survey included 16 European countries.

The Portuguese would need a home interior of 211 sqm, the Turks would like a surface of 164 sqm, and the UK citizens would be happy with only 80 sqm. By comparison, Romanians consider that a 3-room home with a surface of 75 sqm is sufficient, according to an analysis of RE/MAX Romania.

Besides the home’s size, Europeans also identified five top features their ideal property should have. While almost 60% of them need a relaxation room in their home, where no one would disturb them, 58% of respondents say that a nearby parking space is important, and 52% believe that the home should be close to green areas. Some 50% of Europeans want a home with a balcony or a terrace, and 44% want the place to be within a short walking distance to public transport.

“In Romania, our analysis showed that Romanians also want all these facilities, and they take them into account when choosing a home. The difference is that Romanians don’t care so much about having a relaxation room in their home, as the rest of Europeans do,” said Razvan Cuc, regional manager RE/MAX Romania.

Some 61% of Europeans own the property they live in. A quarter of them live in an owned apartment while 36% have a house, the survey reveals. The majority of homeowners can be found in the UK and the Netherlands. On the other hand, Swiss, Germans and Austrians prefer to rent.

When it comes to what they want, 75% of European would prefer to live in their own house, and 16% would choose to live in their own apartment.

“In Romania, while probably most people want their own home, the number of those who prefer to rent is very high in urban areas. However, due to the crisis in recent years, Romanians have become more tempered and started taking purchasing decisions harder,” said Razvan Cuc.

According to the RE/MAX analysis, one in six Europeans also own a second home. More than 33% of them use these houses for holidays, and almost 30% use them in weekends.

Romania’s residential real estate market returns to growth

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com