High inflation and rising interest rates seem to have bitten in overall consumption. And although Serbia is likely to avoid recession in the short run, its real GDP growth is estimated to be a moderate 2%-4% this year and next with a downside risk being the looming recession in the EU. The rental housing market has been supported by the Russian and Ukrainian citizens settling down in Serbia, keeping rent rates high. Housing construction is still strong and although the volumes in building construction are already consolidating, big infrastructure projects could sustain civil engineering on all-high levels in the mid-term, according to Dejan Krajinović (Beobuild Core d.o.o.) at EECFA which conducts research on the construction markets of 8 Eastern-European countries, including Serbia.

Geneva has overtaken London at this year's edition of Arcadis International Construction Costs Index 2023. The report 'New Horizons'' covers 100 cities. The index is based on a survey of construction costs which covers 20 building functions.

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.

Maciej Runkiewicz, CEO of Kajima Poland has talked to Property Forum about the current challenges on the Polish construction market, new supply chains and ESG's impact on the warehousing sector.

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.

The composition of Croatia’s construction output is changing. While the residential segment may soon experience a slowdown, health-related construction - public and private renovations and new builds alike - is seeing a considerable boom, write Michael Glazer (SEE Regional Advisors) and Tatjana Halapija (Nada Projekt), Croatian members of the EECFA (Eastern European Construction Forecasting Association).

The four-star facility called Flow hotel was opened in Inárcs on Thursday and is to welcome conferences and ceremonial events such as weddings. It was financed in total by a private investor. 

Glavbolgarstroy has inaugurated a fасtоrу for  pre-stressed reinforced concrete structures near Раzаrdzhіk, Bulgaria. The newly–opened plant provides 63 jobs, with a capacity of 80,000–140,000 square metres of built–up area per year, and a wide selection of frame construction schemes. The іnvеѕtmеnt amounts €6 mіllіоn (ВGN 10 mіllіоn).

Last summer, Invesco Real Estate bought the Delta building, one of the phases of its multifunctional Hagibor project, from developer group Crestyl. The building is to include a total of 165 flats in layouts ranging from 1+kk to 4+kk for rental housing purposes. Construction started in Q4 of last year and is scheduled for completion in Q3 2024. Zeitgeist Asset Management will take care of the complete management of the project during construction, as well as the subsequent leasing and management of the apartments, the company announced.