Changes in the real estate market often cause difficulties not only for those willing to purchase their own home, but also for those willing to sell it. This year, the number of one-family house sales has decreased significantly compared to previous years. In addition, the increased house prices in the entire segment are noticeably changing the habits of buyers – convenience, good communication and developed infrastructure are becoming increasingly important, so buyers in big cities are more likely to prefer buying apartments over houses. Nevertheless, what aspects allow one-family houses to remain relevant on the market and how to achieve this?

Considering the data of the Centre of Registers, the number of one-family house contracts concluded during the first quarter of 2024 decreased by 13 percent compared to that a year ago, and even by 24 percent compared to the last quarter of 2023 – this is the lowest number of contracts in the last four years.

Buyers are looking for convenience and tend to save time

The general economic situation, the interest rate increase over the past years have reduced people‘s willingness to buy one-family houses. However, certain trends emerged, for example, the majority of contracts were concluded in the territories of large cities with developed infrastructure, established recreation areas, and good communication.

In addition, experts note that despite price changes affecting the entire real estate market, not only financial, but also time costs related to house maintenance and furnishing have become extremely important for future home buyers. Recently, a tendency has emerged that buyers want to use the benefits of the house immediately and are not inclined to invest their time and money in additional construction and repair work.

For this reason, finished houses with good finishing quality and the associated higher energy class remain relevant and attractive on the market.

How to increase the value of a house for sale?

While not all factors can be adjusted, sellers looking to increase house value and stay relevant on the market should consider a few ways to achieve this.

“First of all, it is important to pay attention to the aesthetics of the space and take care that the house would really create the impression of a cozy home. Of course, such elementary aspects as cleanliness or the interior may not have a big impact, because long-term solutions are much more effective, such as a neat plumbing system, electrical installation, energy efficiency of the house or facade decoration, which require additional investments,” says Koderus representative Gerardas Petraitis.

It is also worth paying attention to the presence of mold or rotting areas in the house and to renovate such places. In addition, it is important to pay attention to the quality of materials used for renovation – you should not choose the cheapest option and ecological and sustainable materials are especially worth using, as they will allow you achieve effective results.

“It is important to remember that wise investment in a house for sale can increase its value several times, and it is worth paying the most attention not to the appearance, but to long-term solutions,” notes G. Petraitis.

Facade decoration does not necessarily require a lot of time and financial resources

At first glance, it may seem that you will need to spend a lot of time and money on repairs to increase the value of the house, and wait a long time for the results. However, it is important to understand that nowadays you can choose from a variety of modern solutions that facilitate renovation work and help you achieve the desired results. One of them is the use of concrete panels for the facade of the house, which perform both decoration and heat insulation functions.

“Renovating the exterior of the house with facade panels can save both time and money, as the work is done twice as fast as usual. The method itself allows this – the panels are glued to the external walls, furthermore, the installation work can also take place in the cold season of the year, when the temperature is higher than -25 degrees,” says Koderus sales manager.

In these panels, the textured concrete is combined with the insulation layer without using any additional joining additives. Such a connection of two materials ensures a more stable adhesion and quality of the materials, so the panels are resistant to any atmospheric effects, harsh climatic conditions and are characterized by durability.

“Since the technology combines both insulation and finishing, this renovation method saves money as well. For example, in order to achieve an aesthetic result, various textures can be reproduced with this method: from stone and tiles to wood patterns, and surfaces can be painted in the desired colour. Reproducing the appearance of the currently extremely popular clinker saves 30-35 percent of costs. The result is a modern and high-quality facade at an affordable price and a higher value on the market,” says G. Petraitis.