Based on the number of listings published on the real estate advertising portal, the housing price index shows that prices on the national housing market increased by 1.6 percent in January, which is double the 0.8 percent rise recorded in December.
On an annual basis, housing prices rose by 9.4 percent in January, compared to 7.8 percent in December.
According to Balogh László, the chief economic expert of the portal, price adjustments at the beginning of the year are typically based on the trends of recent years. However, this year, the return of thousands of investment-oriented buyers created extra demand and price increases, primarily affecting housing markets in large cities.
The survey revealed that in the North Great Plain region, which includes Debrecen, prices rose by 13 percent annually, while Budapest saw a 12 percent increase. In contrast, Pest County, which forms most of the capital’s agglomeration, experienced only a 5 percent annual price rise.
It was highlighted that in Budapest, the average square meter price of used apartments reached HUF 1.17 million in early February. For properties in the lowest-priced quarter of the market, this figure stood at HUF 903,000. Due to increased investor activity, prices in the capital may continue to rise, pushing some homebuyers toward suburban areas.
According to the housing price index, District V in Budapest remains the most expensive area, with an average square meter price approaching HUF 2 million for used apartments. Even the lowest-priced properties in this district had a psychological threshold of HUF 1.5 million per square meter.
In districts with a wide selection, such as District XIII, the average price was HUF 1.44 million per square meter, while in District XI, it stood at HUF 1.3 million. Meanwhile, in districts XV, XVII, XVIII, XX, XXI, and XXIII, the lowest-priced properties had square meter prices below HUF 700,000.
Among the county seats, Debrecen featured used apartments with an average square meter price of HUF 882,000, while the psychological price threshold for the lowest-priced properties was HUF 702,000. In Győr, the respective figures were HUF 824,000 and HUF 643,000 per square meter, while in Szeged, the average price was HUF 792,000 per square meter, with the lower-priced segment starting at HUF 647,000.
(MTI)
