Analysts from Bencont Investments have calculated that the first quarter of 2023 in Bratislava's newly-built residential market will be in a similar spirit as the second half of 2022, writes sita.sk.

The average price of older flats in the Czech Republic fell by nine percent year-on-year to CZK 82,351 per sqm (€3,510 per sqm), which brought an overall increase in sales by two-thirds compared to the previous year. However, Prague has seen the fewest sales of older apartments in four years. According to ČTK and HN.cz, this is the result of a study by the real estate group European Housing Services (EHS), which uses data from its founding members, Bezrealitky and Maxima Reality.

The frozen Czech residential real estate market experienced a minor shake-up when developer Central Group put fifty new apartments on the market in Prague's Harfa at a big discount. According to the developer, they were sold out in a few hours. The price was CZK 100,000 (€4,250) per sqm, a quarter cheaper than is usual in the locality and a third cheaper than the Prague average, writes Hn.cz.

The latest data from Q1 2023 show a recovery of the new flats market in Prague. Quarter-on-quarter, sales increased by almost a fifth. The mortgage market, which has also seen a rally in recent months, but also the return of investors, will have an impact on further developments. Neither offer nor sale prices have changed significantly compared to the previous period. This is mainly due to persistently high construction costs, slow permitting of new construction and temporary postponement of some planned projects, according to the market analysis of development companies Trigema, Skanska and Central Group.

UBM Development Czechia has launched the construction and sale of Timber Prague apartments. The first wooden multi-storey apartment buildings in modern history are being built in Prague. Timber Praha is being developed within the Arcus City residential complex and offers 62 apartment units in modern multi-storey wooden buildings made of solid wood panels, UBM announced.

The Czech government has approved the provision of CZK 800 million (€34.27 million) to a programme to support the construction of rental housing. Most of the money will be allocated to municipalities, but private investors who build apartments in cooperation with the municipality can also receive a part of it. Deputy Prime Minister and Regional Development Minister Ivan Bartoš (Pirates) told to čtk.

Within 10 or 12 years, Penta wants to complete its brand new Southbank mixed-use project in Bratislava. The commencement of the construction of Southbank now depends on the permitting process and ongoing changes to the master plan, which are being overseen by the Bratislava City Council. Once the zoning changes are approved, construction could start within 1.5 to 2 years, estimates Michal Rehak, Business Director of Penta Real Estate Bratislava. According to him, the company does not want to disclose the cost of the project or the detailed schedule until the new Bratislava master plan is approved.

Romanian real estate holding Meta Estate Trust has launched its own sales division under the Meta Homes brand in a bid to boost the promotion of its portfolio. The new division will also also handle the sale of residential units bought by the holding in the early phase projects. 

Česká spořitelna has started to build affordable apartments with low rents for employees that cities lack. The first such apartment buildings with 254 flats are already taking shape in Prague 9, built by a subsidiary of the bank DBČS with the developer Finep for CZK 1 billion (€42.7 million). The bank plans to build a total of 1,000 flats by 2026. The bank also wants to cooperate with the Czech government to finance more flats through EU funds and loans from the European Investment Bank, DBČS subsidiary CEO Marek Blaha told the press.

In 1.5 years, 275 modular bathrooms have been installed in YIT apartments in the Czech Republic. The developer is expanding the use of prefabrication to other building elements. By incorporating this technology, the company plans to not only improve the quality of its residential projects but also speed up their implementation. At the same time, it expects to have less demand for labour, which is in short supply. In addition to bathrooms, the developer is now also using modular manufacturing for structural elements. The Czech branch of YIT is following in the footsteps of its parent company in Finland, which has been building in this way since the 1970s, YIT told the press.