This year, Poles opted for home designs guided more by reason and practicality. The main factor influencing this trend was limited financing options for construction.
At the beginning of the year, the Bezpieczny Kredyt 2% mortgage subsidy program ended, and potential investors spent the following months waiting in vain for the #naStart housing program to launch. Despite a year under the new coalition government, the program was not implemented. Therefore, in 2024, mortgages were only available under commercial conditions, with interest rates that remain among the highest in Europe.
Smaller Budgets, Smaller Homes
With reduced financing options, smaller homes became the trend. According to data from the Extradom.pl portal, Poles most frequently selected projects in the 80–120 m² range, with slightly less interest in larger homes between 130–150 m².
Single-story houses remain the most popular, accounting for about 55% of the market annually. Despite initial interest, houses with a full upper floor were chosen by just 5% of investors during the analyzed period.
Cost-Effective Choices
Limited financial resources are leading Poles to favor homes that are cheaper to build. Nearly half of investors are foregoing garages to reduce initial construction costs.
This drive for savings is also evident in the number of rooms. Investors typically select designs with a living room and 3 or 4 bedrooms—these accounted for nearly 80% of all projects last year. Homes with 2 or 5 bedrooms made up less than 20%, with a slight preference for smaller homes. This trend reflects changing demographics, as the predominant family model in Poland is slowly becoming a couple with one child, notes Extradom.pl expert Wojciech Rynkowski.
Simple Roof Designs on the Rise
The push to optimize building costs becomes even clearer when analyzing the roof designs of Polish homes in 2024. Simple gable roofs were chosen three times more often than more complex multi-hip or pavilion-style roofs. The popularity of these simpler designs is due to their quicker construction time and lower costs. Practical benefits also play a role—such designs allow for better lighting and easier arrangement of attic spaces with only one slope.
What Can We Expect in 2025?
“I don’t expect significant changes in investor preferences in the near future, mainly due to financial considerations. The highly publicized #naStart housing program from the election campaign is practically dead. The reluctance of much of the public and serious doubts among coalition members within the government will likely prevent its original implementation,” adds the Extradom.pl expert.
Additionally, the September floods, the need to allocate budget reserves for construction, and the subsequent resignation of the Deputy Minister of Development and Technology have sealed the fate of the mortgage subsidy program in its current form. The expert believes there is little chance of its implementation in the first half of next year.
Looking Ahead
“I expect next year to continue the trend of cost optimization in construction. High housing prices will likely push more people towards building single-family homes. Modern technologies and increasing digitization are simplifying the construction process, while the growing availability of prefabricated homes is attracting more potential investors,” the Extradom.pl expert concludes.
Optimistic forecasts suggest a potential drop in mortgage interest rates by mid-2025. This could mean Poles may choose slightly larger homes next year, but no drastic changes are expected.
