Whereas fewer than 1,500 construction permits for apartment buildings were issued in 2010, in 2019, there were more than 3,700. There were about 38,800 construction permits issued for houses compared with almost 41,000 in 2010.
“The new residential buildings are usually in big cities, where developers prefer apartment buildings because of lower costs beneficiaries incur compared with houses. In small cities and rural areas, houses definitely are still prevalent,” says analyst Aurelian Dochia.
On the other hand, the pandemic might reverse the trend, real estate and construction industry actors say, as the isolation during lockdown made many Romanians realize how important it is to have fresh air and space around the home, as shown by the many ads of the people in cities looking to buy or rent houses with suitable yards, posted as early as April.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)