Housing prices in the European Union are skyrocketing like there’s no tomorrow! According to the latest Eurostat data, in the first quarter of this year, housing prices jumped by a whopping 5.7% compared to the same period last year, while rents increased by 3.2%. Who can still keep up with this pace? Since the last quarter of last year, house prices rose by 1.4%, and rents by 0.9%, showing that the EU housing market is literally on fire! Since 2010, house prices in the EU have surged by an incredible 57.9%, and rents have jumped by 27.8%. But it’s not the same everywhere — Italy is the only country where housing prices fell by 4%, while in Hungary and Estonia, prices have doubled or more! What about Croatia? There, housing prices in the first quarter of this year rose by 13.1% compared to last year, with new construction prices up by 14.3%, and existing properties by 12.7%. In Zagreb, prices increased by about 12.9%, on the Adriatic coast by 11.3%, and in other parts of Croatia by a staggering 18.5%! Rents in the EU are also rising, with the biggest jumps in Estonia, Lithuania, Hungary, and Ireland. Greece is the only country where rents fell by 11%. This surge in prices and rents casts a shadow over all of us trying to find a roof over our heads. Is this the end of affordable housing? Will young people ever be able to buy their first home? Or will we all have to get used to living in tiny, cramped spaces or paying astronomical rents? Clearly, the housing market in the EU and Croatia shows no signs of slowing down, and with such growth, the question is who will come out on top and who will be left out in the cold. Got thoughts on this crazy situation? Share them — maybe together we can find a way out of this housing drama!
