Just a few years ago, owning an apartment in a large city remained a symbol of stability for many Ukrainians. Housing near work, shops, transport, and infrastructure was considered a practical solution. However, recent years are gradually changing these perceptions. The pandemic, the development of remote work, the full-scale war, security issues, and the desire for more personal space have influenced people's housing priorities.
Ukrainians are increasingly considering not only city apartments but also private houses, suburban plots, and old village cottages.
UNN spoke with Larysa Stavynoha, President of the Union of Real Estate Specialists of Ukraine (SGNU) and Director of REALTERRA Real Estate Agency, about new trends in the real estate market and why Ukrainians are "drawn to the land."
Moving from the city to the village as a new trend among Ukrainians
In recent years, interest in living outside large cities has grown significantly. This is partly explained by the development of remote work. If a person does not need to spend time commuting to the office every day, their place of residence is no longer strictly tied to the city.
The war became a separate factor. After massive shelling and living under constant security threats, some Ukrainians turned their attention to smaller settlements and villages. For many, this is an opportunity to start living in relatively safe regions and autonomously use heating, gas, water, and electricity, without depending on municipal services in cities.
In addition, the financial aspect plays an important role. The cost of an apartment in a large city often equals or even exceeds the price of a house in the suburbs or a village. Because of this, people are starting to consider alternative options.
But even here, there are nuances. As Larysa Stavynoha, President of the SGNU, explains, after the start of the full-scale invasion, interest in suburban real estate initially decreased. The reason was the traumatic experience of people who found themselves under occupation or near combat zones in settlements near Kyiv, Chernihiv, and other cities.
The expert noted that at that time, some Ukrainians began to perceive living outside the city as a risk. People were afraid of being left alone with danger in the event of a new offensive or other emergency circumstances.
"After the large-scale invasion of Ukraine began, when we had the experience of the aggressor country's offensive and the occupation of territories near Kyiv, Chernihiv, and other settlements, interest in suburban real estate decreased significantly," says Stavynoha.
According to her, public opinion was then strongly influenced by the events in Bucha, Hostomel, Irpin, in the Chernihiv direction, and in other communities that experienced Russian occupation or active hostilities.
Why interest in villages and towns has grown again
Over time, the situation began to change. After the initial shock, the restoration of some destroyed housing, and society's adaptation to war conditions, Ukrainians again began looking toward houses outside the city. One of the main factors was problems with electricity, heating, and utilities in high-rise buildings.
Stavynoha believes that the winter of 2025-2026 was an important turning point, when due to Russian strikes on energy infrastructure, residents of apartment buildings felt the particular vulnerability of centralized systems.
"The main trigger was the winter of 2025-2026, when thermal power plants were hit en masse, when people in high-rise buildings had no heating, no light, no gas. It is difficult to survive in a high-rise because it is a dependency on centralized systems," she says.
According to the expert, after this, some Ukrainians began selling apartments and buying private houses. This process became particularly noticeable in the spring.
"Starting from February (2026 – ed.), everything that hadn't sold until May, and city real estate that hadn't sold for years, was (realized – ed.). People are selling, moving, looking for settlements that must have an outpatient clinic, a school, and kindergartens," Stavynoha notes.
What Ukrainians look for when moving out of town
According to the expert, Ukrainians don't just buy any house in a village. For most families, it is important that the settlement has basic social infrastructure. This primarily concerns an outpatient clinic, a school, a kindergarten, a decent road, and the ability to reach the city.
This is especially important for families with children and people caring for elderly relatives. They view a house in the village as a space where they can gather the family together and ensure basic safety.
In a conversation with UNN, the expert emphasizes that Ukrainians have begun making decisions much faster than before the war. They have experience with crises, know how to adapt, and no longer wait for the state or utility services to solve all their problems.
"Ukrainians, having almost five years of experience with full-scale war, have learned to adapt quickly and make decisions quickly. They (make – ed.) them situationally, based on the experience they have gained," the specialist explains.
Autonomy as the main advantage of a house over an apartment
One of the key advantages of a private house is the ability to organize daily life independently. In an apartment, a high-rise resident is very dependent on electricity, water supply, elevator operation, centralized heating, and other systems. In a private house, some of these issues can be solved independently.
This includes generators, inverters, solar panels, solid fuel heating, a stove, a supply of firewood, a borehole or a well, and a cellar for food storage. Such solutions require money and work, but they give the owner more control over the situation.
"Now the population does not rely on the state at all. People understand that everyone must provide for themselves the level of comfort they desire," confirms Larysa Stavynoha.
Also, according to her, for many Ukrainians, it is important to have land where they can grow at least some of the vegetables and fruits for their daily diet. Even a small garden gives a sense of additional stability.
"There is a yard, there is ecology. You can grow something on the land: potatoes, beets, onions, carrots. If there is land, you will already have some food, a cellar, supplies," the expert notes.
However, she emphasizes: a house gives more freedom but also requires more responsibility compared to an apartment in a high-rise.
A private house allows the owner to independently decide how to insulate the home, what to heat it with, how to re-equip the premises, and what additional systems to install. In an apartment, such possibilities are significantly limited by the technical conditions of the building, HOA rules, documentation, and dependence on neighbors.
Stavynoha notes that Ukrainians traditionally have a strong household culture and are not afraid to equip their homes with their own hands.
"Ukrainians have always been masters of their own homes and were not afraid of difficulties. Now people understand: if you have a house, you are your own boss. You equip your home however you want," says the expert.
At the same time, a house requires constant attention. While in an apartment some issues are resolved by the management company, HOA, or utility services, in the private sector, most problems fall on the owner. Repairing the roof, fence, heating, pipes, sewage, insulation, or the yard will have to be organized independently.
"If something falls off there—you have to do it yourself. Here, every family looks at its own capabilities," explains Larysa Stavynoha.
Why for some families a house is more profitable than an apartment: non-obvious reasons
Another reason for interest in private houses is the opportunity to get more space for the same money. In some cases, selling an apartment in the city allows for buying a house in a village or town, receiving land, a yard, outbuildings, and space for expansion as a "bonus" to the main residence.
According to the director of REALTERRA, it is easier to accommodate several generations of a family in a private house. This is relevant for families caring for elderly parents, those with children, or those who want to live together with relatives under war conditions.
"When there are elderly parents, children, grandchildren, or relatives being cared for, a house provides the opportunity to gather everyone under one roof and look after everyone together," she confirms.
A separate trend is the installation of shelters on private plots. Not everyone can afford such solutions, but among wealthier homeowners, this practice already exists.
"Those who have money build bomb shelters on their plots. Such a trend is also observed. People want autonomy to ensure comfortable living conditions for their families," notes the UNN interlocutor.
Occupiers "gift" homes of Ukrainians to families of Russian nuclear workers at ZNPP 19.12.25, 16:51
When and for whom an apartment becomes a better housing option than a house
Despite the growing interest in villages and towns, an apartment in the city does not lose its relevance. The President of the SGNU explains that the ideal option for many families is to have both an apartment in the city and a house outside the city. But not everyone has such an opportunity.
An apartment remains more convenient for people for whom urban logistics are important: work, education, hospitals, public transport, and quick access to services. It is also more suitable for those who do not have a car. For living in a village or town, a car often becomes a basic necessity, as without it, it is difficult to transport children, buy groceries, or go to the doctor or work.
"A house implies having a car. If there is no car, it's difficult. An apartment is more mobile," the expert explained.
According to her, apartments are more often chosen by elderly people, very young buyers, as well as some displaced persons who receive compensation or have a limited budget. An apartment is easier to maintain, cheaper at the start, and does not require the level of constant physical involvement that a private house does.
"For elderly people and the very young, of course, apartments are better. If there is a family, children, more middle-aged people, they more often strive for a house," Stavynoha notes.
How and why HOAs and city buildings seek autonomy
The expert also points out that the desire for autonomy is noticeable not only among private homeowners. In cities, residents of high-rise buildings are also becoming more active. HOAs are utilizing energy efficiency programs, modernizing buildings, replacing elevators, insulating facades, repairing lighting systems, and trying to reduce dependence on emergency situations.
This indicates a broader social process: Ukrainians expect ready-made solutions less and more often take responsibility for their housing themselves.
"Now many buildings are uniting into HOAs, attracting various programs, making a warm home, a bright home, replacing elevators, doing renovations. This is also an active position of the people," confirms Larysa Stavynoha.
Interest in old houses as a new trend among youth
Separately, the specialist notes the emergence of a new trend among young Ukrainians. Some people around the age of 25 are consciously buying inexpensive old houses in small villages, installing internet, and gradually re-equipping the housing with their own hands.
This choice is not always related only to savings. For some young people, it is a way to get their own space, work remotely, live more simply, and depend less on urban infrastructure.
"Conscious people around 25 years old buy forgotten little houses in small villages, bring internet there, re-equip these houses with their own efforts, and everything turns out quite well for them," says Larysa Stavynoha.
Is it profitable to move to the village now: the expert's view
According to the UNN interlocutor, there is no universal answer to this question.
For one family, a house in the village can become an economically viable and psychologically comfortable solution. For another, it can be a source of additional expenses, complex logistics, and constant household problems.
The choice depends on the family composition, the presence of children, health status, income, work, transport, readiness to invest in repairs, and the ability to solve household problems independently.
If a person is not ready for the responsibility of a house, the land and yard will quickly become a burden.
At the same time, the director of REALTERRA believes that for Ukrainians, owning their own home has special significance. Even those who have gone abroad often strive not just to rent an apartment but eventually to buy their own real estate.
"For us, this is a mental choice. Ukrainians strive to have their own. In Europe, it's not like that in this form: where the work is, there is the housing. But Ukrainians get attached to property, to the home, to the land," she said.
The specialist adds that in a period of uncertainty, it is difficult to predict how long the current trend for housing in rural areas will last. However, interest in houses in villages and towns is indeed growing now. And for some Ukrainians, it is truly the only chance to build a safer, autonomous, and resilient life under war conditions.
Reminder
In February 2026, it became known that the Ministry of Development and Habitat for Humanity plan to repurpose abandoned buildings into housing for IDPs, but lawyers and the NAPC warn of risks of non-transparent selection of objects and legal conflicts.