It doesn't have to be a castle. Germans' dreams of living appear to be predominantly realistic and reasonable. But dreams and reality are sometimes far apart.
In times of multiple crises, dreams of living can enable the vision of a better world. In a recent study, Interhyp examined the aspirations, fears, and desires of around 1,500 respondents with regard to living – and what this means for the real estate market.
Home is increasingly perceived as a safe haven. Ninety-three percent of respondents want a secure private retreat, especially in times of crisis. Eighty percent want to stay in their home for the long term. "The more unpredictable the outside world becomes, the greater the need for control and self-efficacy within one's own four walls," says Mirjam Mohr, Chief Sales Officer at Interhyp.
At 54 percent (down two percent compared to 2024), detached single-family homes remain at the top of the list. At the same time, more pragmatic forms of living such as semi-detached houses (up three percent compared to 2024) or apartments in multi-family houses (up five percent compared to 2024) are gaining in importance.
Dreams are becoming increasingly pragmatic and functional. The desire for change is strong: 60 percent of those surveyed would like a different living situation that better suits their lives.
Sixty-three percent say the market is difficult and frozen. Sixty percent say they cannot afford another property. Fifty-five percent rate living space in Germany as too scarce overall. The desire for home ownership remains very strong. A beautiful home ranks second only to health as the most important thing in life.
Two-thirds of tenants would like to live in their own home. But the hurdles are high. 75 percent cite lower real estate prices as the most important prerequisite for a purchase, 53 percent cite lower interest rates on loans.
Photo: © Toni2001, Pixabay
