The desire for home ownership is widespread in Germany. This is also due to the fact that the home ownership rate in Germany ranks second to last in Europe, ahead of Switzerland.
According to a representative survey commissioned by ImmoScout24, 85 per cent of young adults aged between 18 and 29 are interested in buying a property. Among respondents under the age of 50, the figure is 65 per cent. Many people want to buy a home, especially in southern Germany. The 30 to 39-year-olds (21 per cent) and the 18 to 29-year-olds (21 per cent) want to buy particularly quickly - in the next one to two years.
There are many reasons in favour of buying a home: Security and independence (32 per cent), retirement provision (25 per cent) and improving the quality of living (20 per cent) are the most convincing arguments. In the major cities, security and independence are the most important reasons (40 per cent), while in eastern Germany wealth accumulation is an important motive (23 per cent). Retirement provision is most important for 40 to 49-year-olds (34 per cent), while improving the quality of living is most important for 60 to 69-year-olds (35 per cent).
The main reasons for not buying a home are too little equity (28 per cent) and prices that are too high (27 per cent). Excessively high property prices deter 40 to 49-year-olds and families in particular from buying property. A lack of flexibility is seen as a reason against buying a home, especially in large cities (9 per cent).
The vast majority of respondents (71 per cent) also see buying a property as an investment. Among 18- to 29-year-olds, the figure is as high as 82 per cent and among 30- to 39-year-olds it is 78 per cent.
Overall, 44 per cent of flat searches by couples are for condominiums. Demand for owner-occupied flats is mainly concentrated in the areas surrounding large cities (44 per cent) and only then in the city centre (37 per cent). One in four couples can imagine buying a detached house - and only one in five couples can imagine buying a flat.
Photo / Graphic: © Nurdin Bekkeldiev, Pixabay
