According to Experts.news, the gap between what buyers most often want to purchase and what sellers are offering is widening in the Ukrainian housing market, as noted in the NBU’s June Financial Stability Report.
According to the regulator, the average size of a purchased apartment remains at 48 square meters, and that of a house at about 70 square meters. At the same time, the supply continues to be dominated by more spacious apartments: their average size exceeds 65 square meters.
The discrepancy is also evident in the age of the properties. Buyers more often choose older and, consequently, more affordable apartments. In Kyiv, the median age of purchased apartments has risen to 33 years, and in the western regions, to 39 years. In real estate listings, by contrast, nearly two-thirds of apartments are offered in buildings constructed less than 15 years ago.
The NBU notes that such discrepancies between supply and demand are holding back market activity. Buyers are more interested in smaller and cheaper housing, while sellers and developers more often offer newer and more spacious properties.
This trend is also significant for developers. In the western regions and the suburbs of Kyiv, budget-friendly projects are more common, while business-class projects predominate in the capital. However, demand during wartime indicates that the average buyer is more often looking for a compact and more affordable option.
In the second half of 2025, residential construction picked up: in most regions, the planned floor area of apartment buildings where construction had begun increased significantly. Across Ukraine as a whole, this figure rose by one and a half times over the year, and in Kyiv—by more than double.
However, the NBU notes that developers continue to finance the completion of existing complexes and new projects largely with their own funds. Banks are reluctant to lend to the construction sector due to high risks.
The main takeaway for the market: further recovery in sales will depend not only on household income but also on how closely supply aligns with actual demand—in terms of square footage, price, age of the property, and level of risk for the buyer.
