Fathers and sons: what housing do representatives of different generations choose?

For hundreds of years, philosophers, sociologists, writers, and, more recently, marketers have been interested in the question of “fathers and sons.” It would seem that years of research have already established a clear line between generations, revealing their differences and similar characteristics in various life issues, but more and more new studies are appearing.

Analysts decided to find out whether the numbers in the passport influence tastes in choosing housing, told what kind of real estate Zoomers and their parents, representatives of generation X, prefer, and in what criteria they discard all disputes and unconditionally agree.

Young people under 25 make up 12% of home buyers in Moscow. Zoomers (born approximately from 1997 to 2012) are just entering the real estate market, but are already one of the main target audiences. And, of course, the younger generation influences the formation and development of new trends in development.

Zoomers are rarely burdened with families. They are engaged in their careers, organizing their personal and social lives, and creating a comfortable environment around them. A new interpretation of the philosophy of hedonism can easily be associated with this generation. In a word, zoomers live for themselves, considering pleasure and personal comfort the highest value.

Based on these views, the criteria for choosing real estate are formed. For zoomers, ergonomic layouts are important, mainly studios or small Euro-format lots. Young people don’t care what to buy: an apartment or an apartment. They often prefer the latter due to its lower cost. Representatives of this generation most often already have registration in Moscow, so the issue of “registration”, like all the social benefits associated with it, do not affect their choice.

A distinctive feature of zoomers is their reluctance to buy old property. Most of them have experience of living in “Khrushchev” or “Brezhnevka” buildings. The unpresentable appearance of the building, inconvenient layouts, small kitchens, adjacent bathrooms, old communications are the main stopping factors for people under 25-27 years old. At the same time, zoomers do not refuse “resales” and willingly buy housing from the owner, but only in modern residential complexes, apartment complexes or buildings that have undergone redevelopment.

Another parameter that young consumers focus on is the environment. Among the infrastructure, shops within walking distance, parks, cafes, and co-working spaces are important. It is desirable that sports cluster facilities, such as swimming pools and fitness clubs, be located nearby. Zoomers primarily consider areas located closer to the center, but do not exclude the outskirts, in close proximity to which there are creative and entertainment spaces.

Generation X buyers (those born between 1965 and 1980) make up about 26% of all consumers. Just like Zoomers, they value convenience, but they understand it in a slightly different way. While boys and girls don’t mind living in a studio or a small one-room apartment, representatives of generation X value space above all else.

For living, the latter choose two, three and four-room apartments. The housing must have a master bedroom (a room for sleeping and relaxing with an adjacent dressing room, bathroom and toilet), a spacious loggia or balcony, an office or guest room, and two or three bathrooms. In higher class housing there is a request for laundry facilities.

For buyers over 50 years old, proximity to trendy spaces, cultural and educational centers, such as theaters or museums, is not so important. They are ready to get to them in their free time from a residential area by taxi or their own car. Among the factors influencing the choice: walking or convenient transport accessibility, good ecology, the presence of parks and recreation areas, shopping and entertainment centers and medical infrastructure are necessary.

Much more often than Zoomers, X-ers purchase real estate for investment purposes for rental purposes. Due to the still relatively low wages, novice specialists are trying to cover their basic need for housing and are not yet thinking about the possibilities of passive income from rentals. Representatives of Generation X, who have already decided on their housing issue, are ready to consider the purchase as an investment.

At the same time, there is a lot in common between Zoomers and Xers in real estate matters.

“The first unifying feature is the abandonment of educational infrastructure,” comments the head of the urban real estate department of the NDV Supermarket Real Estate company. Elena Mishchenko. – Zoomers have not yet had time to have children, and the older generation has already raised their own, so schools and kindergartens near their home are not an important factor when choosing housing. Both generations value comfort. They understand convenience differently, but when purchasing, they still focus on themselves and do not think about long-term prospects.