Aqua City Study: What worries Romanians in urban areas about buying a home

What did I find out from the study?

The research results show that the buyer's profile has changed recently: Romanians are more educated, better informed and more informed before making an investment and are much more careful with their money, and price has ceased to be the main criterion when the decision is made to purchase a home.

Thus, most Romanians in the urban environment are interested in the documentation that underlies the construction . Priority is therefore the verification of documents such as: town planning certificate, building permit, reception report, land book extract.

On the next place is the information about the construction stage : the date on which the construction will be completed and the term of delivery of the apartment. Even though the COVID-19 pandemic caused an economic crisis and the financial aspect usually prevails in such periods, the price criteria are only on the 3rd and 4th places, the Romanians being rather interested if they can negotiate the final amount paid.

The list of criteria follows the facilities offered by the developer. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the preferences of Romanians from this perspective as well, and the existence of the possibility to have a co-working space, leisure spaces or a kindergarten for children has become a priority for future owners. Therefore, during this period, the developers are thinking of residential complexes that include as many facilities as possible, such as: SPA centers, fitness rooms or physiotherapy, bicycle racks, charging stations for electric vehicles, playgrounds for children, land tennis and mini football, running or cycling tracks.

The study shows that in addition to documentation, Romanians in urban areas are interested in other technical details before buying an apartment, such as the quality of construction materials . The type of materials used and the chosen suppliers are therefore in a leading position in the top of the questions they would ask a real estate developer.

Next, the topics of interest also refer to the connectivity with the means of transport , the maintenance costs or the price of the parking place. On the last places there are questions regarding the yield of the property for rent or the number of apartments sold until the moment of purchase, a sign that such details are not a priority for the Romanian buyer.

"This research shows us an educated buyer, attentive to details and who wants to have no more suspicions when making such an investment. For such an audience, the offer must represent a mix of seriousness, competitive prices and various facilities. Buying an apartment is a major decision that will influence the life of each of us, so belonging to a dynamic community and a modern neighborhood become essential conditions , "said Adrian Rus, AQUA CITY's director of marketing and sales.